A. There is created in the state treasury a revolving fund to be known as the "forest land protection revolving fund". The forest land protection revolving fund shall consist of all receipts as provided by Section 68-2-26 NMSA 1978, appropriations, gifts, grants, donations and revenue received by the forestry division of the energy, minerals and natural resources department from the federal government or other state agencies and other sources for conducting forest and watershed management projects. Subject to legislative appropriation, expenditures may be made from the forest land protection revolving fund upon vouchers signed by the state forester and warrants issued by the secretary of finance and administration:

(1) for the administration and enforcement of the Forest Conservation Act;

(2) to administer forest and watershed management projects, including acquisition of tools and equipment and expenses incurred by the forestry division in planning and supervising forest and watershed management projects; and

(3) to fund approved projects pursuant to the Forest and Watershed Restoration Act [68-4-1 to 68-4-6 NMSA 1978].

B. Money in the forest land protection revolving fund shall not revert to the general fund.

History: 1978 Comp., § 68-2-28, enacted by Laws 1987, ch. 143, § 6; 1996, ch. 74, § 1; 2016, ch. 65, § 1; 2019, ch. 62, § 7.

The 2019 amendment, effective June 14, 2019, authorized funds from the forest land protection revolving fund to be used to fund approved projects pursuant to the Forest and Watershed Restoration Act; in Subsection A, after "Section 68-2-26 NMSA 1978", added "appropriations, gifts, grants, donations", added paragraph designations "(1)" and "(2)" and Paragraph A(3); and added new subsection designation "B".

The 2016 amendment, effective May 18, 2016, provided for federal revenue and expenditures from the forest land protection revolving fund for conducting forest and watershed management projects; in the second sentence, after "68-2-26 NMSA 1978", added "and from revenue received by the forestry division of the energy, minerals and natural resources department from the federal government or other state agencies and other sources for conducting forest and watershed management projects. Subject to legislative appropriation, expenditures"; and in the third sentence, after "Forest Conservation Act", added the remainder of the sentence.

The 1996 amendment, effective May 15, 1996, substituted "Section 68-2-26 NMSA 1978" for "Sections 68-2-22.1 and Section 68-2-26 NMSA 1978" in the second sentence.