House committee advances bill to reform Game and Fish commission, increase fees and broaden agency mission

Senate Bill 5, a package of changes to the Department of Game and Fish and the state Game Commission, won a 6–4 do-pass recommendation from the House Energy, Environment & Natural Resources Committee on March 6 after sponsors accepted multiple amendments.

The bill’s sponsors said SB5 would modernize the department’s mission, add new fee revenue and reform Game Commission appointments to reduce political turnover and increase administrative stability. Opponents — including cattle and ranching interests and some county representatives — said the measure expands the commission’s authority over wildlife species and could dilute protections for agricultural producers and private landowners.

Senator Campos, a primary sponsor, told the committee SB5 consolidates years of stakeholder work to provide “tools, authority and funding” so the department can manage wildlife across New Mexico, not only game species. Committee sponsor Representative McQueen walked members through technical changes and a consolidated amendment that incorporated three prior committee and floor amendments from the Senate.

Key fee and technical changes offered on the House floor and accepted by the committee included reducing a proposed nonresident bighorn sheep tag from the Senate’s higher figure down to $3,500, setting a nonresident shed-collector fee at $200 (reduced from higher proposals), and increasing the nonresident game-hunting license by $5 to $90. McQueen also proposed language to allow a final decision by a district court in a removal action pursuant to specified subsections to be appealed directly to the New Mexico Supreme Court to accelerate removal appeals.

Sponsors said the bill has four primary parts: (1) clarify the department’s mission so it explicitly has authority and discretion to manage any species in New Mexico; (2) reform the Game Commission’s composition, create four position seats (for example, rancher/farmer, hunter/angler, conservationist, scientist) while keeping three at‑large seats, add a nominating committee to vet candidates, and create four nonvoting advisory seats for heads of related agencies; (3) update fishing and license fees (some fees have not been raised in roughly 20 years) and add a consumer-price-index adjuster; and (4) secure additional funding outside license revenue (sponsors cited existing and proposed items such as Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund support and multi‑year budget investments to help expand the department’s work).

Public comment split along interest lines. Hunters, guides and many conservation groups including Trout Unlimited, the New Mexico Wildlife Federation, Audubon Southwest and outfitter associations spoke in favor, saying the department is underfunded, the commission needs reform and the expanded mission would allow the state to act earlier on species in decline and help avoid federal listings. In opposition, the New Mexico Cattle Growers Association, some stockmen’s groups and private landowners warned the bill would shift authority from the Legislature to the commission and could harm ranching operations if the commission adopts protective measures for non‑game species.

Committee debate focused on several recurring concerns: whether the bill transfers too much power to the commission (sponsors said the commission would still be constrained by statute and existing limitations, such as lack of federal critical-habitat authority), whether the proposed commission composition gives adequate representation to rural agricultural interests, and the fiscal impact on license buyers and on nonresident tags. Sponsors repeatedly emphasized that the department already conducts nongame work and that SB5 clarifies existing authority and adds discretion rather than mandates.

After a roll-call vote the committee recommended SB5 do pass as twice-amended. The recorded yes votes were Representatives Abeta, Dixon, Garcia, Guerrilla, Small and Chair McQueen; recorded no votes were Representatives Henry, Montoya, Murphy and Sena Cortez. The measure will return to the Senate for concurrence on the House amendments or go to conference if the chambers do not agree.

Votes at a glance

- Motion: Do pass Senate Bill 5 as twice amended. Mover: Representative Garcia (mover identified on the record). Second: Representative (record indicates a second on the motion). Outcome: Approved. Roll call: Yes — Abeta, Dixon, Garcia, Guerrilla, Small, McQueen. No — Henry, Montoya, Murphy, Sena Cortez. Tally: 6 yes, 4 no.

The bill sponsors said the statute changes retain limits on the department’s powers relative to federal authorities (for example, the federal Endangered Species Act remains federal); opponents stressed the change in scope to allow the department discretion to manage “any species” will require continued attention to private‑land and agricultural impacts.

The committee took several technical verbal amendments on the floor before voting: examples included editing statutory language to replace the term “handicapped” with “disabled” at the governor’s commission request and clarifying the tribal‑seat language to require appointment of a member of a federally recognized New Mexico tribe.

Looking ahead, the committee report will reflect the House amendments. If the Senate does not concur with changes that chamber will either need to agree in concurrence or the bill will proceed to a conference committee.

Ending note: Sponsors stressed the package as a long-term, bipartisan compromise designed to provide steadier leadership and new revenue for wildlife conservation; opponents asked that future work focus on clearer protections and remedies for private landowners and agricultural producers.