N.M. Stat. Ann. § 17-1-5 – Employment and discharge of director and other employees; department of game and fish [department of wildlife] created

A. The state game commission [state wildlife commission] shall employ a director who shall, under such authorization that the game commission shall approve, employ such conservation officers, clerks and other employees as he shall deem proper and necessary to enforce and administer the laws and regulations relating to game and fish, and who shall prescribe their duties respectively, and who with the advice and consent of the state game commission [state wildlife commission] shall fix the compensation of all the employees of the "department of game and fish [department of wildlife]," which is hereby created.
B. The state game commission [state wildlife commission] may at any time discharge the director for reasons that the state game commission [state wildlife commission] shall deem sufficient. The director may dismiss employees in accordance with the provisions of the Personnel Act [Chapter10, Article 9 NMSA 1978].

History: Laws 1931, ch. 117, § 5; 1941 Comp., § 43-105; 1953 Comp., § 53-1-5; Laws 1955, ch. 59, § 1; 1973, ch. 186, § 3.

ANNOTATIONS

Bracketed material. — The bracketed material was inserted by the compiler and is not part of the law. Laws 2025, ch. 9, § 11 provided that references in law to the department of game and fish shall be deemed to be references to the department of wildlife.

Laws 2025, ch. 9, § 11 provided that references in law to the state game commission shall be deemed to be references to the state wildlife commission.

Officers of the state game commission [state wildlife commission] are state officers. Allen v. McClellan, 1967-NMSC-114, 77 N.M. 801, 427 P.2d 677, overruled on other grounds, N.M. Livestock Bd. v. Dose, 1980-NMSC-022, 94 N.M. 68, 607 P.2d 606.

Department of game and fish [department of wildlife] is not a constitutional agency. 1957 Op. Att'y Gen. No. 57-268.

Citizenship requirement for wildlife law enforcement officers. — By operation of state law, wildlife law enforcement officers can be required to hold New Mexico and United States citizenship. 1979 Op. Att'y Gen. No. 79-30.