Summary:

  House Bill 175 (HB 175) amends sections of the Forest and Watershed Restoration Act and provides definitions. It makes projects to create or maintain buffers in and around wildland-urban interfaces eligible for funding from the Forest Land Protection Revolving Fund. 

 

Legislation Overview:

 House Bill 175 (HB 175) amends Section 68-4-2 NMSA 1978 of the Forest and Watershed Restoration Act by adding definitions for buffer; high-risk area; structure; wildland-urban interface; and expands the definition of project to include one that creates or maintains a buffer in or around a wildland-urban interface.
It renames the Forest and Watershed Restoration Fund to the Forest Land Protection Revolving Fund and expands funding for eligible projects to include those that create or maintain a buffer in
or around a wildland-urban interface. HB 175 allows the inclusion of private lands in these projects if there is a written determination by the Forestry Division that the incidental benefit to a private landowner is outweighed by the fire reduction or watershed restoration benefits to the state. It changes the language in this section to conform to the new or revised definitions in the Act and makes technical corrections.

 

Current Law:

 The Forest and Watershed Restoration Act focuses on state forests and watersheds with reduction of risk of wildfire and forest and watershed restoration as some of the major goals.