Senate Joint Memorial 1 requests the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department and the Economic Development Department of New Mexico to collaborate on a study aimed at expediting forest restoration through economic development initiatives. The memorial highlights the urgent need for forest and watershed restoration in New Mexico due to the high risk of wildfires, which necessitates significant thinning and restoration efforts. It emphasizes the importance of creating viable markets for wood byproducts generated from these restoration activities, as the current lack of market options limits the effectiveness and scale of necessary interventions.

The memorial outlines specific areas for study, including identifying missing business opportunities in the wood products economy, exploring incentives and financial mechanisms to reduce logistical costs, examining successful programs from other states that could be adapted to New Mexico, and leveraging existing state programs to foster industry growth and job creation. The findings and recommendations from this study are to be reported to the relevant interim legislative committees by September 1, 2025, with copies of the memorial to be distributed to the appropriate state secretaries for further action.