Transcript Noxious Weed Management Efforts In New Mexico

Noxious Weed Management
In
New Mexico
Be Proud of Your Progress
by
Jim Wanstall
NMDA State Noxious Weed Coordinator
State Noxious Weed List Update
• Currently Contains
32 species
• In the process of
updating the list to
include more
species
State Noxious Weed List Update
•
Petitions to add a new weed to the statewide
noxious weed list have been solicited by the
New Mexico Department of Agriculture
(NMDA). Due by Dec 29, 2008
•
Petitions will be reviewed by the New Mexico
Weed List Advisory Committee using
ecological, distribution, impact, and legal
status criteria.
State Noxious Weed List Update
•
Existing plant species will be reevaluated
and possibly reclassified (Class A,B,C)
•
The New Mexico Weed List Advisory
Committee then makes a
recommendation to the Director of the
New Mexico Department of Agriculture.
Statewide GIS Database
Noxious Weeds are Invading
More of New Mexico Every Year
and We Need to Have an
Accurate Way of Tracking
Them.
Statewide GIS Database
• Fully Operational by March 2009
• Ability to be updated remotely
• Each CWMA will be able to provide mapping
data to the database remotely
• State, Federal, County and local agencies will be
able to provide mapping data
New Mexico Noxious Weed
Management Fund
New Mexico Noxious Weed
Management Fund
• Will be reintroduced in the 2009 legislative
session
• Fund will be introduced as an amendment to the
existing Noxious Weed Management Act (1998)
• Goal is to provide a stable funding source to
support noxious weed management efforts in
New Mexico
New Mexico Noxious Weed
Management Fund
• Funding would be available to CWMAs
and other noxious weed management
groups.
• Asking for $500,000 in reoccurring funds
• Early detection and rapid response
funding could also come from this fund.
Local Leadership on Noxious Weed
Control
Counties are Recognizing the
Problem
Several Counties are Helping Fund CWMAs
Some Examples:
• Chaves - $10,000
• Lincoln - $60,000
• Rio Arriba - $30,000
New Mexico’s CWMAs
• Currently 13 active CWMAs in the state
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Central NM (Estancia Basin) *
Chavez County (Chavez County)*
Colfax County (Raton)
Upper Rio Puerco Weed Management Area*
Eddy County (Carlsbad)*
Lincoln County (Capitan)*
Mora/San Miguel County CWMA*
Otero County (Alamogordo)*
San Juan Basin WMA
Sierra County CWMA*
Rio Arriba County CWMA (Rio Arriba County)*
Socorro / Catron County CWMA*
Southwestern N.M. CWMA*
New Mexico’s CWMAs
• Currently 3 CWMAs in process of
organizing
– Curry County (Curry County)
– Luna County (Luna County)
– Taos County (Taos County)
CWMAs
• CWMA = Cooperative Weed Management
Areas
• The term CWMA refers to a local
organization that integrates all noxious
weed management resources across
jurisdictional boundaries in order to benefit
entire communities.
CWMA
2 year preliminary totals
(as of July 2008)
• $1,236,410 in county, state, federal, and
private hard cash funding
• 10,375 acres of noxious weeds treated
Why Are CWMAs so Important in
New Mexico
• Provide Local Coordination and
Implementation of Noxious Weed
Management Efforts
• Raise Awareness of Noxious Weed Issues
at the Local Level
• Provide Technical Assistance to Land
Owners
And Why do I keep Telling you
About them Every Chance I Get
• We Need You to be Involved as
Individuals
• We Need You to Get Your Agency
Involved
• We Need You to Get Your Community
Involved
• We Need You to Get Your Legislators
Involved
What Can You Do?
• Encourage agency participation in
CWMAs at the field level
• Be willing to contribute even a small
amount of technical, physical or financial
resources to the Noxious Weed control
effort
• Make the identification and control of
Noxious Weeds a priority
Interesting Observations
African Rue
Tree of Heaven
Russian Knapweed
Yellow Star Thistle
Your Efforts Are Making A
Difference
Contact Me
• Jim Wanstall
NMDA State Noxious Weed Coordinator
P.O Box 464
Tome, N.M. 87060
• [email protected]
• (505)269-7761