New Mexico Statutes Chapter 76. Agriculture § 76-8-2. Removal of plants from state or private lands without permission prohibited

No person shall destroy, mutilate or remove any living plant, except seeds, of the protected group from any state or private [privately] owned lands without a written permit from the owner, provided that nothing in this act  1 shall be construed to prevent the cleaning, clearing or removal of plants from any canal, lateral, ditch, survey line, public road or railroad right-of-way or highway, when necessary to the full and proper use thereof, and provided further that the provisions of this act shall not apply when plants enumerated herein are more than four hundred yards from any public highway.