Range Management for New Mexico (Grant County)

Grant County Extension Agent recorded 188 contacts for the past year in regards to noxious and invasive plant management. Contacts came from workshops, CWMA meetings and one-on-one service that we provide to all clientele including land managers, noxious weed coordinator, state weed specialists, plant society members, garden clubs, and general public that have or think they have state listed noxious plants on their lands. Inquiries come from office visits, e-mail, phone calls, field visits and meetings. Questions include identification of questionable plants, management recommendations’ including chemical, biological and cultural methods, and CEU's for their pesticide licenses. Significant strides have been made in the treatment of some 1400 acres of Yellow Starthistle in the Gila River Basin, in the Cliff/Gila area and some 60 acres of African Rue in both Grant and Hidalgo counties. This is a result of the Southwest New Mexico Cooperative Weed Management Area being formed in 2006, and four grants funded for mapping, treatment and monitoring of these noxious plants. In addition the Project Coordinator and Agent have secured additional funding thru the County Commission. The agriculture agent served in a significant role in guiding the committee, assistance with writing grants. Chemical recommendations came from extension weed and brush specialist. In 2006 there it was estimated at 800 acres of Yellow Starthistle, but after mapping there is in excess of 1,800 acres infested. With our grants we have been able to hire a part-time coordinator, purchase chemicals and put them into the hands of licensed land managers to treat in excess of 70% of these lands. The County Extension Office is unique in offering the general public a place they can walk in or call without an appointment and receive research based information in a timely fashion.

The agriculture agent recorded 237 contacts for the past year in regards to noxious and invasive plant management. This agent feels strongly that one of the CES greatest impacts is one-on-one service that we provide to all clientele including land managers, noxious weed coordinator, state weed specialists, plant society members, garden clubs, and general public that have or think they have state listed noxious plants on their lands. Inquiries come from office visits, e-mail, phone calls, field visits and meetings. Questions include, identification of questionable plants, management recommendations’ including chemical, biological and cultural methods, and CEU's for their pesticide licenses. Significant strides have been made in the treatment of some 1200 acres of Yellow Starthistle in the Gila River Basin, in the Cliff/Gila area and some 40 acres of African Rue in both Grant and Hidalgo counties. This is a result of the Southwest New Mexico Cooperative Weed Management Area being formed in 2006, and two grants funded for mapping, treatment and monitoring of these noxious plants. The agriculture agent served in a significant role in guiding the committee, writing the grant. Chemical recommendations came from extension weed and brush specialist. In 2006 there it was estimated at 800 acres of Yellow Starthistle, but after mapping there is in excess of 1,800 acres infested. With our grants we have been able to hire a part-time coordinator, purchase chemicals and put them into the hands of licensed land managers to treat in excess of 60% of these lands.
With the agriculture agents assistance, the noxious weed coordinator has grown in knowledge and attended recommended trainings. The County Extension Office is unique in offering the general public a place they can walk in or call without an appointment and receive research based information in a timely fashion.

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.
Quay County, like Grant County, has many different noxious plants established colonies with Salt Cedar having colonized thousands of acres.

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 170adult contacts and 370 youth contacts for both Grant county. 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.

Ranchers were able to monitor ranges and understand why changes in the range condition occur and take appropriate management actions if needed. Ranchers were able to take preemptive measures in reducing poisonous plant losses.

Range monitoring manuals that cover range , riparian,soil erosion,water quality and wildlife population inventory and monitoring techniques have been published and will be revised in 2010.

Ranchers were able to monitor ranges and understand why changes in the range condition occur and take appropriate management actions if needed. Ranchers were able to take preemptive measures in reducing poisonous plant losses.

Range monitoring manuals that cover range , riparian,soil erosion,water quality and wildlife population inventory and monitoring techniques have been published and will be revised in 2010.