Outdoor Rec office needs serious inside homework

New Mexico boasts 9 million acres of national forest land and roughly 13 million acres of land managed by the federal Bureau of Land Management. And our state has multiple ski areas, bike races and hiking trails.

Two southern New Mexico lawmakers and several others want to create a state office of outdoor recreation to help New Mexico capitalize on those amazing resources and tap into a lucrative industry. Sen. Jeff Steinborn and Rep. Nathan Small, both Las Cruces Democrats, are joined by Farmington Mayor Nate Duckett, Red River Mayor Linda Calhoun and Mesilla Mayor Nora Barraza in pushing for the new office. They argued in an op-ed in the Journal earlier this year that “in these challenging economic times, New Mexico must do all we can to diversify and strengthen our economy. Our beautiful landscapes across the state provide a wonderful opportunity to create jobs and build upon brands like New Mexico True and the Land of Enchantment.”

They’re right; the real challenge is doing it in the most efficient and effective manner.

At first the new office sounds like a no-brainer — then you remember we already have state agencies for Tourism; Cultural Affairs (historic sites and monuments); Economic Development; Environment; Game and Fish; Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources (parks, forestry); as well as the federal Forest Service operating across the state.

On second look, the office of outdoor recreation proposal raises the questions of what one more state office can do that isn’t already being done; why it takes a new government entity rather than, say, a new deputy secretary focused on outdoor recreation; and whether ensuring our existing agencies are working in tandem rather than in silos wouldn’t be a better use of time and money?

Proponents of a state office of outdoor recreation point out most other Western states already have one, including Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and Montana. Steinborn says such an office in our state — with four to six employees housed within a-yet-to-be-determined existing agency at a yet-to-be-determined cost — could further bolster an economic sector that already generates $9.9 billion in consumer spending annually and supports 99,000 jobs, according to the Outdoor Industry Association.

It’s an intriguing idea and one that should be fully explored. But before lawmakers or the next governor commit to moving forward with this idea, they owe it to us, the taxpayers, to do their due diligence and figure out exactly what these offices have brought to states that have created them. And they need to be dealing with hard facts, statistics and bottom lines, not anecdotal evidence.

Even then, there’s no guarantee that what works in Colorado, Utah or Wyoming will work here. Consider Territorial Gov. Lew Wallace’s infamous quote about New Mexico’s uniqueness: “All calculations based on experience elsewhere, fail in New Mexico.”

Outgoing Gov. Susana Martinez says the office would be redundant because the state Tourism and Economic Development departments already promote New Mexico’s outdoor recreation industry. Tourism spokeswoman Mary Elizabeth Robertson says, “there’s no need to create more government jobs to perform work that’s already being done” and notes the state leisure and hospitality job numbers have increased steadily since 2011.

But the promise of increasing those numbers even more is intriguing, to say the least.

Democratic gubernatorial nominee and U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham has indicated she supports the idea of an office of outdoor recreation. U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, the Republican gubernatorial candidate, is skeptical, although he hasn’t ruled it out.

Here’s hoping the candidate who prevails Nov. 6 is willing to do the homework necessary to ensure the work done inside state government makes the most of the outdoor opportunities in New Mexico.