New Mexico § 68-1-2 - Logging operations; fire prevention; reserving young trees and seed trees; fire lines

§ 68-1-2. Logging operations; fire prevention; reserving young trees and seed trees; fire lines

Any person, firm, association or corporation cutting sawtimber species from lands

within the state shall: A. take all reasonable precaution to prevent the starting of fires, and promptly suppress

all fires that may be started on timberlands before, during or after cutting; B. take all reasonable precaution in felling trees on the area being cut and to reserve

uncut sufficient trees of seed-bearing size on the land being cut over to insure natural

reforestation, as follows: C. reserve and leave uncut, in operations cutting logs for lumber and timber manufacturing

purposes, all trees measuring twelve inches or less in diameter outside bark, at a

point four and one-half feet from the ground an in addition, leave not less than two

live wind firm seed trees per acre measuring seventeen inches or more in diameter

outside bark, at a point four and one-half feet from the ground; provided that in

operations removing trees twelve inches or less in diameter outside bark at a point

four and one-half feet from the ground, for nonlumber manufacturing purposes, such

as railroad ties, mine props, stulls, poles or wood for products manufactured from

pulp, or any combination thereof, trees required to produce said items may be cut

to a minimum diameter of five inches outside bark at a point four and one-half feet

from the ground, but in such cuttings there shall be reserved and left uncut not less

than four live, wind firm seed trees per acre measuring seventeen inches or more in

diameter outside bark, at a point four and one-half feet from the ground; provided,

further, however, that in the event that no live, wind firm trees measuring seventeen

inches or more in diameter outside bark at a point four and one-half feet from the

ground exist on said area at the time of cutting, then the largest live, wind firm

trees available on said area shall be left for seed trees in the number prescribed

above for operations cutting logs for lumber and timber manufacturing purposes and

for operations removing trees twelve inches or less in diameter for nonlumber manufacturing

purposes respectively; provided, however, on spruce-type areas or mixed spruce and

fir-type areas, an adequate stand of young growth shall be reserved and left uncut

or, if such young growth is not present, there shall be reserved and left uncut not

less than five percent of the coniferous trees, a substantial portion of which shall

be of seed-bearing size; such trees may be reserved in long corners of creeks, across

valleys, along ridges or natural firebreaks or in isolated settings of timber; D. construct fire lines by piling and burning slash on a strip fifty feet wide on

each side of main hauling roads.