LECTURE: NOXIOUS WEEDS IN TAOS COUNTY
Taking care of Mother Earth by maintaining a healthy ecosystem is all of our responsibility.
Taos County Cooperative Weed Management Area, which is an independent group that was formed in 2018, is technically advised and primarily supported by the Taos Soil and Water Conservation District. The group is composed of a collaborative of the Taos County Extension Service, the New Mexico Department of Agriculture, local government, local business entities and community members, some of whom are concerned with herbicide and pesticide use and all are concerned about noxious and invasive species in Taos County. You may have heard of the CWMA and you may have attended our Noxious and Invasive Species Lecture and tour sponsored by Taos SWCD last year. Attendees learned from Richard Lee and Leslie Beck how to identify and
Friday (July 10), 9:30 a.m.12 noon.
Free Zoom event Sponsored by Taos Soil and Water Conservation District and Taos County Cooperative Weed Management Area For more information, contact Tanya Duncan at (575) 751-0584 or tduncan@tswcd.org. responsibly control (mechanically, biologically, etc.) noxious weeds and other invasive plants found in a wide range of habitats.
The Taos County CWMA encourages landowners to treat weed infestations with chemicals only if an Integrated Pest Management plan calls for it.
It’s important to understand what is a noxious weed and what is an invasive species.
A noxious weed is harmful and often poisonous.
An invasive species is not native to a specific location – an introduced species – and has a tendency to spread aggressively, causing damage to the environment, economy and health.
Many people may not be aware of plants that are nonnative to Taos, and may unknowingly promote them while others participate in their control by using methods like pulling, introduction of insects or chemical applications.
The town of Taos and Taos County were approached by concerned citizens regarding the use of chemicals on their properties. The town and county subsequently adopted ordinances that put in place IPM plans that will help to reduce their use of unnecessary chemicals.
The town and county ordinances identify policies that represent industry-wide “best practices” in the use of pesticides. These policies provide for the use of pesticides if called for in an IPM plan and require proper public notification, which will help to reduce any potential public exposure.
Though these ordinances discourage the use of unnecessary chemical applications in town and county operations, they do not prohibit use on private lands.
It is the goal of the CWMA to inform our community about noxious and invasive species and how best to control them. Though many of these destructive invasive species will not be gone in our time, we are hopeful that awareness of what is on our land will help us manage and eradicate some of these species for future generations.
Join Taos SWCD and the Taos County CWMA for an online community lecture about noxious weeds in Taos County. This free Zoom event will take place on Friday (July 10), from 9:30 a.m.-12 noon.
It will again feature Richard Lee, national integrated pest management specialist for Bureau of Land Management, and Leslie Beck, extension weed specialist at New Mexico State University.
Attendees can learn how to identify and control noxious weeds and other invasive plants found in a wide range of habitats including backyards, forests, gardens, fields, roadside areas and along waterways. For more information, contact Tanya Duncan at (575) 751-0584 or tduncan@tswcd.org.
We look forward to meeting you and working our land together.
– Submitted by TCCWMA
The Taos County Cooperative Weed Management Area provides programs, support and education to the community for the purpose of identifying, monitoring and managing noxious and invasive weeds to improve quality of life, agricultural viability, wildlife habitat and ecological health.