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

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 Mexicos 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 Mexicos 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 (505)