Note: This site is for reviewing legacy plan of work data from 2007-2011. If you are looking for the current plan of work interface, visit pow.nmsu.edu.

Brush and Weed Control Education Program (San Juan County)

Plan Goal

Private land owners and state and federal agency land managers will learn the most efficacious, economical and ecologically sound means of managing noxious brush and weeds.

Situation Statement

Invasive weeds in San Juan County are a well documented problem due to past mapping efforts of San Juan Basin Cooperative Weed Management Area partners. Russian Knapweed presents the most wide spread problem followed by Musk Thistle, Hoary Cress, and Canada Thistle. Russian Olive and Salt Cedar are prevalent as well. There are isolated spots of Yellow Toadflax, Wavyleaf Thistle, Scotch Thistle, Bull Thistle, Camelthorn, Leafy Spurge and Spotted Knapweed. Private land owners and public land managers agree that San Juan County has some serious invasive weed issues that are negatively impacting agricultural, grazing and wild lands both economically and ecologically. Great strides have been made in the past to document the issues and educate the public about weed control methods and prevention; however, there is still a great deal that needs to be done. Many land owners need financial help to buy costly chemical or do not yet see how not managing invasive weeds on idol ground impact our community as whole. Through educational seminars and using media coverage to highlight successes awareness will continue to spread.

Target Audience and Actions

The target audience in land owners and managers who make decisions about how land is utilized; this includes traditional agency personnel, as well as, the oil and gas industry. The Four Corners Weed Symposium will be the primary means for communicating the new and innovative methods of weed control for land owners, agricultural producers or otherwise. General awareness will be spread through news articles and presence at community events, such as the county fair, with fliers and other materials. The agent will be an active partner in the San Juan Basin Cooperative Weed Management Area. Through this role he will coordinate the outreach efforts of the group, manage the process of updating weed inventory data, and provide demonstration plots where needed.

Short-Term Objectives

Continually update invasive weed inventory maps using GIS technology and make that information available to land owners and managers. Conduct the Four Corners Weed Symposium annually and other workshops/presentations when needed or the opportunity exists. Create at least one demonstration plot.

Medium-Term Objectives

To increase the knowledge of brush and weed management programs by private land ranchers and state and federal agency range conservationists. To increase the adoption of brush and weed management strategies by 5% over life of POW and increase net ranch income on treated acreage by 5%.

Long-Term Objectives

Overall range condition on treated acreage will improve over pretreatment conditions. As the number of acres densely infested with noxious brush and weeds declines, forage production will increase, soil erosion will decline, water use efficiency will improve and animal handling costs will decline.

Evaluation Plan

All demonstrations will be evaluated for plant kill, brush and weed reduction, and increase forage production, depending on age of plots and nature of brush and weed species. Field days and tours will be held to show results to clientele. Impact of program will be determined by commercial measures of chemical sold, acres treated or money expended by species and practice. Major programs will be evaluated using a formal evaluation instrument that requires producers to rate subject knowledge prior to and after participation in the program. These will be used to improve program development and seek out new areas of concern for area producers.