Noxious Weed Management In New Mexico Be Proud of Your Progress by Jim Wanstall NMDA State Noxious...

Noxious Weed Management Noxious Weed Management In In

New MexicoNew MexicoBe Proud of Your ProgressBe Proud of Your Progress

byby

Jim Wanstall Jim Wanstall

NMDA State Noxious Weed CoordinatorNMDA State Noxious Weed Coordinator

State Noxious Weed List UpdateState Noxious Weed List Update

• Currently Contains 32 species

• In the process of updating the list to include more species

State Noxious Weed List UpdateState 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 UpdateState 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 DatabaseStatewide 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 DatabaseStatewide 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 New Mexico Noxious Weed Management FundManagement Fund

New Mexico Noxious Weed New Mexico Noxious Weed Management FundManagement 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 New Mexico Noxious Weed Management FundManagement 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 Counties are Recognizing the ProblemProblem

Several Counties are Helping Fund CWMAs

Some Examples:

• Chaves - $10,000

• Lincoln - $60,000

• Rio Arriba - $30,000

New Mexico’s CWMAsNew 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 CWMAsNew Mexico’s CWMAs

• Currently 3 CWMAs in process of organizing– Curry County (Curry County) – Luna County (Luna County)– Taos County (Taos County)

CWMAsCWMAs

• 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.

CWMACWMA2 year preliminary totals2 year preliminary totals

(as of July 2008)(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 Why Are CWMAs so Important in New MexicoNew 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 And Why do I keep Telling you About them Every Chance I GetAbout 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?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 ObservationsInteresting Observations

African RueAfrican Rue

Tree of HeavenTree of Heaven

Russian KnapweedRussian Knapweed

Yellow Star ThistleYellow Star Thistle

Your Efforts Are Making A Your Efforts Are Making A DifferenceDifference

Contact MeContact Me• Jim Wanstall

NMDA State Noxious Weed CoordinatorP.O Box 464Tome, N.M. 87060

• jwanstall@thuntek.net

• (505)269-7761