Committee tables bill that would require local approvals before Game and Fish land acquisitions

Senate Bill 114, which would require the State Game Commission to obtain written approval from local entities including acequia associations, land grants and the board of county commissioners and, in some cases, legislative approval before acquiring land or water rights, was tabled by the committee by a 4-3 vote after an extended hearing.

Sponsor Senator Woods said the measure aims to protect local communities and tax bases when state acquisitions remove private land from the tax rolls and change local land management. "It affects local land grants and the funding, the taxes that they can receive from that land," she told the committee.

The Department of Game and Fish opposed the bill. Stuart Liley, speaking for the department, said the bill as written could let a single entity block a purchase or donation from a willing private landowner and might thwart the will of a landowner or the legislature.

Supporters included the New Mexico Land Grant Council, the New Mexico Acequia Association and local ranching organizations. Jacobo Baca of the Land Grant Council said prior Game and Fish purchases had occurred without adequate communication to land-grant communities and that the bill would encourage consultation. Ranching groups and county representatives emphasized concerns about reductions in local tax base and management impacts when large parcels are removed from private ownership.

Committee members extensively questioned the agency about how much land the department owns and recent purchases. Department witnesses said the commission holds roughly 200,000 acres statewide and described recent acquisitions that total about 56,000 acres over the past decade, including a large acquisition referred to as the El Bar (El Barr) property (approximately 50,000 acres) purchased with mixed funding including federal grants, state funds and a private donation. Department staff said appraisals and federal "yellow book" appraisal standards were used and that some purchases adjoined existing commission properties.

Opponents warned about reduced tax base for counties and the effect on local ranching opportunity and livelihoods when large parcels move to public ownership. Several members raised concerns that mandated approvals by multiple local bodies, plus legislative approval, could make the process unwieldy and effectively halt acquisitions; others argued the bill's consultation provisions are necessary to protect acequia and land-grant communities.

After debate, Senator Cedillo Lopez moved to table the bill; the motion carried 4 to 3. Committee members said they would return to the topic later; sponsors and opponents both signaled interest in working on technical fixes. No floor vote occurred because the committee tabled the bill.