HM 42 — PRESCRIBED FIRE WORKING GROUP

HOUSE MEMORIAL 42 54TH LEGISLATURE- STATE OF NEW MEXICO - FIRST SESSIO, 2019 INTRODUCED BY Matthew McQueen 6 8 10 A MEMORIAL REQUESTING THE ENERGY, MINERALS AND NATURAL RESOURCES DEPARTMENT TO CREATE A WORKING GROUP TO DEVELOP AN ANALYSIS TO EXPAND THE PRACTICE OF PRESCRIBED FIRE IN NEW MEXICO.

156 WHEREAS, fire is an environmental driver and an essential component in most New Mexico ecosystems;

and e t 17 WHEREAS, prescribed fire is the use of fire applied under w l n d 18 specific conditions with appropriate planning;

and = = 19 a l WHEREAS, prescribed fire allows the fire to be confined to i a e r 20 a specific area to accomplish planned land management a t m m 21 objectives;

and d r e 22 WHEREAS, healthy and resilient lands managed with c e s k 23 prescribed fire lower severe fire risk and help avoid loss of e a n b 24 life, property and infrastructure and support water sources, u [ wildlife habitat, ecotourism, jobs, economic development in .212895.1 rural communities and hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation opportunities;

and 6 WHEREAS, wildfire knows no boundaries, and resilient federal, state and private watersheds and forests are essential for residents of New Mexico;

and HM 42 Page 1 WHEREAS, prescribed fire is known by land managers to be effective at reducing fire behavior, as well as being cost- effective;

and 12 WHEREAS, many residents, scientists and stakeholders agree that the current level of prescribed fire use in New Mexico is insufficient to maintain or build upon restored landscapes;

and WHEREAS, New Mexico needs to increase the use of prescribed fire as a management tool to improve the health and e e 17 resilience of ecosystems, watersheds and agricultural lands to e e n d 18 reduce the negative effects of high-severity wildfires;

and = = l ] 19 WHEREAS, inherent prescribed fire risks are mitigated a l r i 20 through training, practice, cross-boundary collaborations and t e a t education;

and m m 21 e d WHEREAS, knowledge and experience from diverse r e 22 c e r c 23 stakeholders are needed to recommend actions and policy changes e a n b 24 that support the expanded use of prescribed fire statewide;

u [ NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF .212895.1 - 2 - REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the energy, minerals and natural resources department be requested to convene a working group to study the expansion of prescribed fire in New Mexico, including issues relating to training, certification, permitting, negligence, smoke impacts and 6HM 42 Page 2 liability, and perform a review of how other states have addressed these issues in state law while increasing the use of prescribed fire;

the forestry division of the energy, minerals and natural resources department, the 12 state fire marshal, the department of game and fish, the state land office, the department of environment, the New Mexico department of agriculture, the office of the state engineer, the office of superintendent of insurance, the New Mexico prescribed fire council, the New Mexico acequia association, e e 17 agricultural and conservation groups, New Mexico state e e n d 18 university and the New Mexico forest and watershed restoration = = l ] 19 institute;

and a l r i 20 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group be requested t e a t to report its findings and conclusions to the appropriate m m 21 e d interim legislative committee by July 1, 2020;

and r e 22 c e r c 23 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be e a n b 24 transmitted to the secretary of energy, minerals and natural u [ resources, the state fire marshal, the director of the .212895.1 - 3 - department of game and fish, the commissioner of public lands, the secretary of environment, the director of the New Mexico department of agriculture, the state engineer, the superintendent of insurance, the chair of the New Mexico HM 42 Page 3 prescribed fire council, the executive director of the New 6 Mexico acequia association, the president of New Mexico state university and the director of the New Mexico forest and watershed restoration institute.

-HM 442 -Page 114 136 158 e25 e 17 e e n d 18 = = l ] 19 a l r i 20 t e a t m m 21 e d r e 22 c e r c 23 e a n b 24 u [ .212895.1