Opinion ID: 779169
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: conservation of commercial forest lands and products.

Text: 6 N.M.S.A 1978, § 68-2-14. The Division is authorized to make and enforce rules and regulations for the prevention and suppression of forest or brush fires, and for the control of forest pests and for the application of commercial forest practices within the state. Id., § 68-2-16. Section 68-2-16 also provides: 7 Nothing in the Forest Conservation Act [citation omitted] shall prevent a landowner hereafter from converting forest vegetative types to nonforest vegetative types for such purposes as range, wildlife habitat, farming, surface mining or subdivision development; provided, however, any slash resulting from such conversion shall be treated in a manner that will minimize the spread of forest fires and the possibility of insect epidemic. 8 Pursuant to its authority under the Forest Conservation Act, the Division has promulgated a series of regulations concerning tree harvesting and forest regeneration. 19 NMAC 20.2. 1 The objective of this series of regulations is to require appropriate forest resource management in order to assist in the prevention and suppression of forest fires, the control of forest pests and to maintain and enhance the economic benefits of forests and forest resources to New Mexico. 19 NMAC 20.2.6. The regulations require a state harvest permit for the harvest of commercial forest species in an area of twenty-five acres or more, and require submission of the method of harvesting and the treatment of skid trails and slash, as well as a forest regeneration plan. 19 NMAC 20.2.8-20.2.10. 9 In response to a threat to its watershed caused by erosion from timber harvesting on private lands, the County in 1998 enacted the Timber Harvest Ordinance under its zoning authority and power to provide for the general welfare. The purpose of the ordinance is: 10 to protect, maintain and restore fully functional forests and streams, rivers, watersheds and acequias while permitting the harvest of forest goods; to protect against immediate and long range threats to the quality of the Rio Arriba County's water; to preserve local customs, culture and traditions; to preserve the bosques from harm and exploitation; to protect landowners and the property value of timberlands; to encourage the location of compatible uses of land; to promote sustainable logging practices; to encourage logging operations within Rio Arriba County; and to protect the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Rio Arriba County. 11 Timber Harvest Ordinance, Article II. 12 The Timber Harvest Ordinance requires those who wish to harvest timber to obtain a county permit in most instances. If a permit is required, the applicant must present a timber harvest plan detailing the action, including a plan to control erosion. Id., Article VI(B)(4). In evaluating a plan, the county planning and zoning department considers: 1) the sustainability of timber production; 2) economic development and local employment; 3) water quality and availability; 4) soil protection; 5) logging roads and hauling; 6) harvest selection, techniques, old growth management and reforestation; 7) archeological, historic and cultural resources; 8) abatement of noise, dust, smoke and traffic; 9) hours of operation; 10) compatibility with adjacent land uses; and 11) the effect of existing harvests on the application. Id., Article VI(C). In some cases where the planning and zoning department finds that the proposed harvest would create a significant environmental impact, the applicant may be required to prepare an environmental assessment. Id., Article VI(H), (I). 13 The Timber Harvest Ordinance requires compliance with measures that are recommended but left voluntary under the state scheme. Erosion control plans, logging roads, drainage systems, buffer zones to protect riparian areas, and regeneration plans must comply with the best management practices recommended in the New Mexico Guidelines. Id., Article VI(B), (C). 14 In 1991, plaintiff Rancho Lobo acquired property in Rio Arriba County for the purpose of establishing a hunting preserve. In February of 2000, Rancho Lobo applied for and was granted a permit by the Forestry Division to harvest trees in order to [r]elease understory trees, [i]mprove residual tree health and growth, [e]nhance wildlife habitat and utilization in the areas, [p]romote the Englemann spruce as a stand component and/or aspen regeneration, and [p]repare future prescribed burn areas by removing white fir and mistletoed Douglas fir from ponderosa pine/Douglas fir stand types and enhance their establishment. Aplt.App. at 85. 15 In March 2000, the County informed Rancho Lobo that it needed to apply for a county timber harvest permit under the Timber Harvest Ordinance. Rancho Lobo refused to seek a permit, and instead filed an action arguing that the ordinance was invalid because it conflicted with and was preempted by the Forest Conservation Act, that enforcement of the ordinance constituted a taking in violation of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, and that the ordinance illegally deprived Rancho Lobo of its property. 16 Both parties filed motions for summary judgment on the issue of the validity of the ordinance. In its motion, Rancho Lobo alleged that the Timber Harvest Ordinance was invalid because it was preempted by the Forest Conservation Act and was not a proper use of the County's zoning authority. In ruling on the cross-motions, the district court first determined there was sufficient controlling New Mexico law for it to decide the validity of the ordinance without certifying the question to the New Mexico Supreme Court. The district court held that the Timber Harvest Ordinance conflicted with the Forest Conservation Act because the Act allows clear-cutting while the ordinance prohibits clear-cutting without a variance being obtained. The district court also held that the ordinance conflicted with the Forest Conservation Act because the ordinance required a more extensive and stricter permitting process. 17 On the issue of preemption, the district court found that the statutory language of the Forest Conservation Act providing that the Forestry Division is authorized to make and enforce rules and regulations, and enforce all laws, rules and regulations relating to forestry, logging and timber operations indicated an express preemption of the Timber Harvest Ordinance. The district court further found that although the ordinance was a valid exercise of zoning authority, its provision for requiring an environmental assessment was not a valid exercise of authority because it gave the county planning and zoning department unlimited power to determine who would be required to prepare an environmental assessment. Ultimately, the district court held that the entire Timber Harvest Ordinance was expressly preempted by the Forest Conservation Act, and was therefore invalid. As a result, the district court granted partial summary judgment in favor of Rancho Lobo. The district court certified the partial summary judgment as a final judgment pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 54(b).