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Spring 200 Bulletin
Taos County Weed Control Committee Formed
The Committee’s goal corresponds directly with Amigos Bravos’ mission. One of the worst adverse effects of pesticides (which include both insecticides and herbicides) is the potential for contamination of the hydrologic system. According to the USGS, water is one of the primary pathways by which pesticides are transported from their application areas to other parts of the environment. Unintentional pesticide-related fish kills are common throughout the United States. Some of these kills have been large, involving thousands of fishes, as well as frogs, turtles, mussels, water birds, and other wildlife. Fish and other wildlife species, including rare and endangered ones like the peregrine falcon, bald eagle, and osprey, have been victims of pesticide poisoning. Pesticide use is one of many factors contributing to the decline of fish and other aquatic species. The Taos County Noxious Weed Control Committee feels that it is important to address these dangers and methods of controlling noxious weeds in the Taos area. The Committee has engaged a guest speaker for the March meeting. Dr. Robert M. Dixon will be giving a slide show and presentation on alternative methods for noxious weed control with an emphasis on the ecological or cultural methods that can be used for roadside weed control. The Committee will be holding a regular business meeting at 5:30 on March 19th at the Taos County Agricultural Center and then Dr. Dixon will be speaking at 7:00. Both the meeting and the presentation are free and open to the public. The Taos Noxious Weed Control Committee has submitted a request that Amigos Bravos serve as the Committee’s fiscal sponsor. The Board is presently reviewing this request.
The New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department began spraying herbicides in its right of way in Taos County in the spring of 2001. Several meetings were held between community representatives, federal agencies and the NMSHTD to address concerns about the hazards of using herbicides and to discuss alternative control methods. From these meetings and a larger public meeting a Taos County Noxious Weed Control Committee was formed. The goal of the Committee is to facilitate cooperation among land managers and other stakeholders in preventing the spread of noxious weeds within Taos County in a safe, effective, affordable, and practical way. This will be done by identifying, prioritizing and implementing alternative weed controls. The Committee hopes to educate themselves, the public, and
relevant land management agencies about identifying and safely controlling noxious weeds and to work closely with the Highway Department in figuring out the details of integrated control methods and schedules. Amigos Bravos has been a participating member of the Committee and at the last meeting Rachel Conn, a project assistant for Amigos Bravos, was elected Vice Chair of the group. Other members of the committee include representatives from land management agencies (BLM, Forest Service), environmental groups (the Sierra Club, Native Plant Society), organic farmers, the New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department, Taos County, the Taos Soil and Water Conservation District, the Multiple Chemical Sensitivities Society, and other interested landowners and citizens.
After spraying herbicides in Taos County during last year the Highway Department has agreed to place a moratorium on spraying in Taos County in 2002 and to participate in and provide some funding to the Taos County Noxious Weed Control Committee.
There has been some controversy about whether or not the Committee should include information about the dangers of the herbicides in material that is disseminated to the public. Some members of the group feel that this is dangerous and might scare people away from herbicide use and therefore might increase the spread of noxious weeds. Amigos Bravos and a number of other members of the Committee take the view that if we are educating the public about the problems caused by noxious weeds and we fail to mention the dangers that herbicides pose to human and ecological health then herbicide use could actually increase. Hopefully this controversy will be resolved in the upcoming meetings.
Please return to the Spring 2002 Bulletin Index.
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