Section 30-15-5 - Damaging caves or caverns unlawful. - New Mexico Statutes

30-15-5. Damaging caves or caverns unlawful.

It shall be unlawful for any person, without prior permission of the federal, state or private land owner, to willfully or knowingly break, break off, crack, carve upon, write or otherwise mark upon, or in any manner destroy, mutilate, injure, deface, remove, displace, mar or harm any natural material found in any cave or cavern, such as stalactites, stalagmites, helictites, anthodites, gypsum flowers or needles, flowstone, draperies, columns, tufa dams, clay or mud formations or concretions, or other similar crystalline mineral formations or otherwise; to kill, harm or in any manner or degree disturb any plant or animal life found therein; to otherwise disturb or alter the natural conditions of such cave or cavern through the disposal therein of any solid or liquid materials such as refuse, food, containers or fuel of any nature, whether or not malice is intended; to disturb, excavate, remove, displace, mar or harm any archaeological artifacts found within a cave or cavern including petroglyphs, projectile points, human remains, rock or wood carvings or otherwise, pottery, basketry or any handwoven articles of any nature, or any pieces, fragments or parts of any of the such articles; or to break, force, tamper with, remove or otherwise disturb a lock, gate, door or other structure or obstruction designed to prevent entrance to a cave or cavern, without the permission of the owner thereof, whether or not entrance is gained. For purposes of this section, "cave" means any natural geologically formed void or cavity beneath the surface of the earth, not including any mine, tunnel, aqueduct or other manmade excavation, which is large enough to permit a person to enter.