The forestry division of the energy, minerals and natural resources department is authorized to make and enforce rules not in conflict with any law now in force as it deems necessary for the prevention and suppression of forest fires, for the control of forest insects or diseases and for the application of commercial or silvicultural forest practices within the state. The rulemaking power includes the requiring of registration of sawmills, declaring of designated areas to be high hazard fire areas and closing them to entry by the general public for reasonable periods and requiring native forest vegetative types to be harvested or treated in such manner as to support forest practices that maintain and enhance the benefits of forests and forest resources to New Mexico.

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Rules shall be provided to all interested parties upon request. Nothing in the Forest Conservation Act shall prevent a landowner from converting forest vegetative types to nonforest vegetative types for such purposes as range, wildlife habitat, farming, surface mining or subdivision development; provided, however, any slash resulting from such conversion shall be treated in a manner that will minimize the spread of forest fires and the possibility of insect or disease epidemic.