0068834 Off-Road Vehicle Recreation in New Mexico The Senate Joint Memorial 40 Report The Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department and The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish in partnership with The New Mexico Department of Agriculture, The Range Improvement Task Force, and the New Mexico Tourism Department December 2008 0068835 Off-Road Vehicle Recreation in New Mexico New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department Reese Fullerton Deputy Secretary Kim Kostelnik Resource Protection Bureau Chief, Forestry Division Sally Rodgers Environmental Ombudsman New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Mark L. Watson Terrestrial Habitat Specialist Conservation Services Division New Mexico Tourism Department Mona Medina Off-Highway Vehicle Program Manager Patrick Lopez General Counsel Range Improvement Task Force Terrell T. "Red" Baker Professor, Extension Riparian Specialist New Mexico State University New Mexico Department of Agriculture Les Owen Range Resources and GIS Specialist New Mexico Department of Agriculture Agricultural Programs and Resources New Mexico State University 2 0068836 Off-Road Vehicle Recreation in New Mexico Acknowledgements The partnering agencies would like to thank Robert K. Funkhouser and Valerie Gremillion Ph.D. for their research and contributions to this report. 3 0068837 Off-Road Vehicle Recreation in New Mexico Contents Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................ 7 Recommendations ....................................................................................................................... 9 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 19 Popularity .................................................................................................................................. 19 Unmanaged Recreation ............................................................................................................. 20 Moving to Managed Recreation................................................................................................ 21 Scope of Study .......................................................................................................................... 22 Methodology ............................................................................................................................. 22 References ................................................................................................................................. 23 User Conflicts ............................................................................................................................... 25 New Mexico Survey Responses................................................................................................ 26 Published Stories of Conflict in New Mexico .......................................................................... 27 Findings..................................................................................................................................... 27 Recommendations ..................................................................................................................... 28 References ................................................................................................................................. 30 Enforcement and Monitoring ........................................................................................................ 32 Background ............................................................................................................................... 32 Studies and Surveys .................................................................................................................. 32 Successes................................................................................................................................... 35 What Works and What Doesn’t Work – State and Other Findings .......................................... 37 Recommendation for New Mexico ........................................................................................... 39 References ................................................................................................................................. 42 Natural Resource Issues ................................................................................................................ 44 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 44 Methodology ............................................................................................................................. 45 Overview: Impacts on Natural Resources by ORVs................................................................. 46 Some Specific Documented Types of Natural Resource Damage by ORVs ............................ 47 Dust ....................................................................................................................................... 47 Soil Disruption and Erosion .................................................................................................. 47 ORV Transport of Invasive Species ..................................................................................... 48 4 0068838 Off-Road Vehicle Recreation in New Mexico Air Pollution and Emissions ................................................................................................. 49 Disruption and Pollution of Water Flows ............................................................................. 50 Damage to Streambeds and Riparian Areas.......................................................................... 51 Impacts on Wildlife and Their Habitat ................................................................................. 52 Habitat Fragmentation .......................................................................................................... 53 Wildlife Corridors ................................................................................................................. 54 Noise Impacts on Wildlife .................................................................................................... 54 ORVs and Fire ...................................................................................................................... 56 Rangeland and Ranching ...................................................................................................... 57 The Bigger Picture: Ecological Values, Impacts on Ecosystems, and Human Needs .............. 58 Multiple or ‘Combinant’ Stressors........................................................................................ 58 Restoration of Natural Resources ............................................................................................. 80 Prevention of Natural Resource Damage .................................................................................. 82 Findings..................................................................................................................................... 84 Recommendations: Natural Resource Damage ........................................................................ 87 Recommendations: Restoration of Natural Resource Damage ................................................. 88 Recommendations: Prevention of Natural Resource Damage .................................................. 88 General Recommendations ....................................................................................................... 90 Safety ............................................................................................................................................ 93 Background ............................................................................................................................... 93 Safety in New Mexico .............................................................................................................. 94 New Mexico Death and Injury Statistics and Hospitalization Costs ........................................ 96 New Mexico Recreation Survey ............................................................................................... 99 Findings................................................................................................................................... 100 Recommendations ................................................................................................................... 100 Off-Road Vehicle Parks and Recreation Areas .......................................................................... 103 An Example from another State Worth Further Research ...................................................... 104 Recommendations ................................................................................................................... 104 Cost-Benefit Analysis ................................................................................................................. 105 Non-motorized Outdoor Recreation ....................................................................................... 105 Off-Road Vehicle Recreation ................................................................................................. 105 Summary ................................................................................................................................. 108 5 0068839 Off-Road