HB 173 RANGELAND PEST MITIGATION PROGRAM

Rep Joseph L Sanchez

Actions: [2] HAAWC/HAFC-HAAWC [3] DP-HAFC

Scheduled: Not Scheduled

  House Bill 173 (HB 173) appropriates five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) to the NM Department of Agriculture to administer a rangeland pest mitigation program.
 

 House Bill 173 (HB 173) appropriates five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) from the General Fund (GF) to NM Department of Agriculture (NMDA) for expenditure in Fiscal Years (FY) 2025 through FY 2026 to administer a rangeland pest mitigation program.

Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY 2026 reverts to the GF. 

 According to agency sources, NM rangelands are owned by a variety of private, indigenous and government entities. The USDA has a range pest control program that requires either the private, indigenous or governmental entity to invite the USDA to employ its pest mediation program. However the USDA will only cover a portion of the costs for mitigation of grasshoppers depending on the type of land ownership and no costs for mitigation of range caterpillars.  Last year there was an outbreak of range caterpillars and the private landowners were responsible for all costs of eradication including on state land they leased.