SM 2 — WILDFIRE STUDY GROUP

SENATEA MEMORIAL 2REQUESTING 57THTHE LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO -LEGISLATIVE FIRSTCOUNCIL SESSION,TO 2025DIRECT INTRODUCEDTHE BYCREATION PatOF WoodsA ThisWILDFIRE documentSTUDY mayGROUP incorporateTO amendmentsSTUDY proposedAND byDEVELOP aA committee,COMPREHENSIVE butAPPROACH notTO yetADDRESS adopted,AND asMITIGATE wellWILDFIRES asIN amendmentsNEW thatMEXICO. have been adopted during the current legislative session.

The7 documentWHEREAS, isNew aMexico toolhas toendured showyet amendmentsanother inwildfire contextseason, andamong cannot be used for the purposemost ofdevastating addingin amendmentsstate tohistory; legislation.

hand AWHEREAS, MEMORIALit gis oimportant tto hrensure REQUESTINGthat THEthe NEWpriorities MEXICOof LEGISLATIVEfirst COUNCILresponders, TOlocal, DIRECTstate THEand gfederal eofficials, iutilities, klandowners CREATIONand OFother Astakeholders WILDFIREare STUDYaligned; GROUP TO STUDY AND DEVELOP A h r i s COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO ADDRESS AND MITIGATE WILDFIRES IN NEW h , t, e u g MEXICO.

e b l e e h n d d i = = o h WHEREAS, New Mexico has endured yet another wildfire l ] b ,d i a º e season, among the most devastating in state history;

and r i = r t e w d m a n o WHEREAS, it is important to ensure that the priorities of d m :

b e d s º o t n = .229927.3AIC March 11, 2025 (4:50pm) s k m e e a n e d r e l u [ A d first responders, local, state and federal officials, utilities, landowners and other stakeholders are aligned;

SCONCº and WHEREAS, Indian nations, tribes and pueblos have stewarded the lands of present day New Mexico since time immemorial, embodying an enduring relationship of respect, responsibilitySM h2 Page 1 responsibility and reciprocity with their ancestral territories, which include u » r sacred mountains, watersheds and cultural landscapes integral t h g e l i to their identity, sustenance and traditions;

and h r i s WHEREAS, co-management and co-stewardship principles h , e h recognize the deep expertise of indigenous nations in t u g e b l e e , gh sustaining the health of lands, waters and ecosystems, n d d i = = o h affirming that meaningful tribal leadership in land management l ] b ,d i a º r e r = decisions strengthens and enhances climate resilience and t e w d m a n o ensures the protection of resources for future generations;

and dWHEREAS, mthe :enduring wisdom of Indian nations, tribes and pueblos must be centered in the protection of land, air and water, ensuring that indigenous knowledge systems and ecological practices guide policies and management strategies;

b r e t º o t n = .229927.3AIC March 11, 2025 (4:50pm) s k m e - 2 - e a n e d r e l u [ A d WHEREAS, the enduring wisdom of Indian nations, tribes and pueblos must be centered in the protection of land, air and water, ensuring that indigenous knowledge systems and ecological practices guide policies and management strategies;»SCONC NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the New Mexico legislative council be requested to direct the creation of a study group that will include stakeholders to study, develop and make recommendations to the appropriate interim legislative committee for a comprehensive statewide approach to address, avoid and mitigate wildfires, including recommendations for necessary funding and proposed legislation;

and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the goals of the study group SM 2 Page 2 in developing recommendations include identifying areas that are most at risk for catastrophic wildfires;

ensuring that h emergency response plans are developed with stakeholders, u » r including utilities, for the highest-risk areas;

identifying t h g e l i the best policies, practices and investments to mitigate h r i s wildfire risk, with a focus on vegetation management;

providing h , e h direct and effective outreach for wildfire mitigation policies, t u g e b l e e , gh practices, investments and weather-related causation;

n d d i = = o h facilitating collaboration among utilities, first responders, l ] b ,d i a º r emergency management and incident response, government agencies e r = t e w d m a n o and Indian nations, tribes and pueblos during wildfires;

didentifying msupport :mechanisms for affected communities, individuals, businesses and utilities in the aftermath of wildfire devastation and restoration of infrastructure;

b r e t º o t n = .229927.3AIC March 11, 2025 (4:50pm) s k m e - 3 - e a n e d r e l u [ A d identifying support mechanisms for affected communities, individuals, businesses and utilities in the aftermath of wildfire devastation and restoration of infrastructure;

and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study group be composed of a minimum of SCONCºfourteen SRCºeleven»SRC SRCºtwelve»SRC»SCONC Sfl1ºSCONCºSCONCºeleven»SCONC»SCONC SCONCºthirteen»SCONC»Sfl1 Sfl1ºfourteen»Sfl1 members, one each appointed from the following agencies and stakeholder entities:

SRCº the state land office;»SRCoffice; the energy conservation and management division of the energy, minerals and natural resources department;

the energy conservation and management division of the energy, minerals and natural resources department;

the SM 2 Page 3 homeland security and emergency management h department;

SCONCº the office of u » r superintendent of insurance;»SCONCinsurance; the public regulation t h g e l i commission;

the public regulation commission;

the New h r i s Mexico municipal league;

investor-owned New Mexico electric h , e h utility companies;

SRCº and»SRC the New Mexico rural electric t u g e b l e e , gh cooperatives;

Sfl1ºand»Sfl1 a public member with expertise in n d d i = = o h wildfire science and technology appointed by the secretary of l ] b ,d i a º r energy, minerals and natural resources;

Sfl1º and a erepresentative rof =a tstate-based eproperty winsurance dcarrier mtrade aassociation, nappointed oby representativethe ofstate aforester, state-basedafter propertyconsulting insurancewith carrierthe doffice mof :superintendent of insurance;

b r e t º o t n = .229927.3AIC March 11, 2025 (4:50pm) s k m e - 4 - e a n e d r e l u [ A d trade association, appointed by the state forester, after consulting with the office of superintendent of insurance;»Sfl1 and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the New Mexico legislative council be requested to engage the forestry division of the energy, minerals and natural resources department to coordinate the activities of the study group, including meeting at regular intervals, and to write a final report detailing the findings and recommendations of the study group;

and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the co-chairs of the New Mexico legislative SM 2 Page 4 council;

SRCº the h commissioner of public lands;»SRClands; the chair of the public u » r regulation commission;

the chair of the public regulation commission;

the t h g e l i secretary of homeland security and emergency management;

h r i s SCONCº the superintendent of insurance;»SCONCinsurance; the president of h , e h the New Mexico rural electric cooperatives;

the presidentspresident and t u g e b l e e , gh chief executive officers of the investor-ownedNew electricMexico utilityrural nelectric dcooperatives; d i = = o h companies in New Mexico;

the presidents and chief executive directorofficers of the Newinvestor-owned lelectric ]utility bcompanies ,din iNew aMexico; º r Mexico association of counties;

Sfl1º the executive director of the eNew rMexico = t e w d m a n o state-based property insurance carrier trade association dof mcounties; :

bthe rdirector eof tthe ºstate-based oproperty tinsurance ncarrier =trade .229927.3AICassociation March 11, 2025 (4:50pm) s k m e - 5 - e a n e d r e l u [ A d represented in the study group;»Sfl1group; and the executive director of the New Mexico municipal league.

-and 6the -executive »director gof othe »New rMexico hmunicipal tleague. i k l i g t h s , e h t l i w l b l e e , g n d l h = = b , a l º d i a r e r = , a t e d m a n o d m :

bSM r2 ePage t5 º25 o t n = .229927.3AIC March 11, 2025 (4:50pm) s k em e e a n e d r e l u [ A d