[Adopted 7-8-2003 by Ord. No. 03-02]
A. 
The Otero County Grazing Advisory Board will advise the Board of County Commissioners of Otero County on all federal land ranching income to County and schools, economic and social well-being, rangeland condition trends, watershed and forest health, trends, alternatives and action needed to protect the County's tax base, private investment-backed expectations, substantive and procedural rights and retain and stabilize the family run livestock operations and grazing allotments suitable for that range.
B. 
Furthermore, the Grazing Advisory Board serve as the conduit through which the science, data and monitoring information that has been developed by the County is provided to the various decision makers in the federal and state agencies managing public lands in Otero County so that the most accurate, up-to-date, and complete scientific and other information is available to them when they institute studies for decisionmaking purposes.
In advising the Otero County Commission, the Otero County Grazing Advisory Board shall:
A. 
Coordinate with the Bureau of Land Management and the United States Forest Service to satisfy the purposes of this article; and
B. 
Coordinate its activities to fulfill the purposes and requirements of the Taylor Grazing Act, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, the Range Improvement Act, and the National Forest Management Act; and
C. 
Advise, recommend, consult, coordinate and cooperate with state and federal resource agencies related to grazing, livestock operations, range planning and management to improve the stability of the livestock operations, improve rangeland conditions, promote watershed restoration and forest health.
The Otero County Grazing Advisory Board shall accomplish the following functions:
A. 
Establish and coordinate intergovernmental grazing advisory structures and processes with the BLM, Forest Service, and State Land Office; and
B. 
Coordinate and assist in the development and implementation of scientific and standardized range monitoring programs for each livestock operation in the County; and
C. 
Coordinate with and assist federal and state agencies in improving livestock operations, stewardship practices, and rangeland management and/or restoration, where necessary; and
D. 
Coordinate and recommend carrying capacities of the range, seasons of use, drought management, modification of boundaries, alteration of stock management practices, wild ungulate management and removal, forest restoration, biomass removal and management, and any other matters affecting the administration of this article consistent with federal, state and local resource laws and regulations; and
E. 
Advise and make recommendations on each grazing permit or lease, especially for grazing renewal or reissuance of permits or leases; and
F. 
Provide recommendations for use of the range improvement funds as well as other sources of funds for improving the range and livestock conditions and trends.
A. 
The Otero County Grazing Advisory Board shall be composed of three members who own United States Forest Service allotments, three members who own Bureau of Land Management allotments and one member who is a State School Land Lessee (State Land Office allotment).
B. 
These members are to be nominated by their peers but are selected and serve at the pleasure of the Otero Board of County Commissioners.
C. 
The New Mexico State University's Range Improvements Task Force, the nationally recognized authority in range research and evaluations, shall be requested to provide a member, with voice and vote, to the Advisory Grazing Board.
D. 
The New Mexico Department of Agriculture shall be requested to provide a member with voice and vote to the Advisory Grazing Board.
E. 
The Grazing Advisory Board officers and organizational bylaws shall be established by the Board.
F. 
The United States Forest Service, BLM, State Land Office and the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish are invited to have one representative each with a voice and no vote to attend all meetings of the Advisory Grazing Board.
G. 
Any individual organization that may be able to provide scientific, legal or any other pertinent information will be invited to attend meetings of the Advisory Grazing Board in order to provide specialized expertise and will have a voice with no vote.