44TH LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - FIRST SESSION, 1999

REQUESTING THAT A TASK FORCE BE ESTABLISHED TO DEVELOP AND ANALYZE STRATEGIES AND RECOMMEND METHODS OF FUNDING A STATEWIDE CLIMATE PROGRAM.

WHEREAS, weather and climate play extremely influential and significant roles in the natural world, and knowledge of climate and climatic processes is important to the health and well-being of New Mexicans; and

WHEREAS, to meet the need for climatic knowledge, forty-nine of the fifty United States have each established an office of state climatologist; and

WHEREAS, New Mexico is a leader in the use of climatic information to improve agricultural production and assess the effect of climate on the natural environment; and

WHEREAS, the purpose of the office of state climatologist is to assist the state in understanding and responding to natural and man-induced climatic processes and their implications, to cooperate with the federal government in activities relating to climate studies and advisory services and to promote and disseminate a general knowledge of the climatology of the state;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that a task force be created to develop strategies to help New Mexico maintain leadership in the use of climatic information to assess the effect of climate on the natural environment, agricultural production, land and natural resources and human health, and to make recommendations on key issues such as financing the collection and dissemination of climatic information to educate the national population and the tourist industry about the healthy and unique climate of New Mexico that makes the state not only an exemplary place to live and visit, but also an ideal place to locate industry and associated jobs; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of the task force include the state climatologist and the dean of the college of agriculture and home economics at New Mexico state university; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be distributed to the dean of the college of agriculture and home economics at New Mexico state university and to the state climatologist.