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Impact Report

For plan Brush and Weed Control Education Program (Grant County)
Date October 7, 2008, 2:50 pm
For Objective Short-term Show short-term objectives
Impact Report Grant County has numerous noxious plants established in the County with Yellow Starthistle having colonized some 700 acres. Noxious plants are found in every county in the state and are a serious problem on New Mexico Rangelands. In Grant County, there are numerous noxious plants that contribute to the loss of forage production, soil erosion, reduced water use efficiency and increased animal handling costs. These, in turn, lower animal production and cause loss of income to the ranching community. Land managers need to know the most efficacious and economic means of managing noxious brush and weeds. Chemical, mechanical, and biological tools can be used to help reduce the detrimental effects of noxious brush and weeds. Environmentalists have traditionally been an obstacle to chemically treating roadsides managed by NMDOT. A need for an organized Cooperative Weed Management Association is recognized and was formed in 2007. The target audiences are owners/manage of hundreds of acres of yellow starthistle infected acres of ranch land Grant County, government officials, and allied industry employees that service livestock producers. In order to service the educational needs of Grant County producers, county programs are planned and facilitated with direction of the Agriculture/Natural Resources committee of the Advisory Board. Land managers/hunters become better educated on management of deer to increase quality and increase price of hunts. In addition to approximately 60 beef cattle producers and 80 wildlife managers/hunters that attended extension programs, another approximately 120 made contact with the Grant County Extension Service through, office or field visits, telephone calls or e-mails. Questions and contacts were logged and shared with extension specialists, these contacts are used to develop programming needs for upcoming years. The major programming goals are to conduct field demonstrations utilizing appropriate range improvement techniques established across the state according to clientele requests and land management agency needs. Also, to increase awareness of noxious plant species and their management those are specific to Southwestern New Mexico, specifically Grant County. Furthermore to increase the knowledge of noxious plant management to private landowners, land management agency personnel through educational programs and direct communications. Different audiences need help in identification, management options, mapping and education. County Commissioners Court, Public Schools, NMDOT, and the general public. The formation of the Southwest New Mexico Cooperative Weed Management Association is critical in having a significant impact of the existing colonies of Noxious Plants and the timely control of new colonies that will form in the future. Major programming efforts in Grant County have included a number of workshops and public programming including numerous field days, for both adult and youth, programs for organizations, extension programs, county commissioners, city government offices, public school boards, steering committees, USDA officials, on the identification, management options including chemical, biological and mechanical methods, importance of control, monitoring and plans to help manage these populations, with some 170 adult contacts and 370youth contacts for Grant Countu. Speakers for program events have been numerous from university specialists, extension county faculty and local county agent. Because of the size of the counties, providing a variety of speakers helps to keep the programs fresh. Though formal program evaluations were collected from several programs, most of the evaluation to evaluate effectiveness of agents delivery methods and efforts came in forms such as repeat requests to deliver talks, individual requests on technical advice. Appointment of agent on committees and advisory boards to assist with technical expertise in the noxious plant area.