SB 173 NATURAL HERITAGE CONSERVATION ACT CHANGES

Sen Steven McCutcheon

Actions: [2] SCC/SCONC/SJC-SCC

Scheduled: Not Scheduled

  Senate Bill 173 (SB 173) amends the Natural Heritage Conservation Act and its definitions. It removes the authority of the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department to acquire conservation or agricultural easements. It repeals Section 75-10-7 NMSA 1978.   

 Senate Bill 173 (SB 173) amends the Natural Heritage Conservation Act by removing references to funding conservation and agricultural easements in its purpose section (Section 75-10-2 NMSA 1978). It amends its definition section by removing the term conservation entity and by modifying the term conservation project (Section 75-10-3 NMSA 1978) and removes the power of the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) to acquire conservation or agricultural easements by itself or with a conservation entity or other qualified entity (Section 75-10-4 NMSA 1978);
It excludes land adjacent to a conservation or agricultural easement acquired under this act prior to this act’s 2024 effective date from any rules or restrictions as a result of such easement (Section 75-10-8 NMSA 1978).
SB 173 repeals Section 75-10-7 NMSA 1978 (Public Private Conservation Projects). 

 The EMNRD may acquire conservation or agricultural easements under the Natural Heritage Conservation Act including through the exercise of eminent domain and may enter into public-private projects to do so.




 

 SB 173 relates to SB 172.