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A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND THE

NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE TO

ASSESS THE STATE'S HONEYBEE POPULATION AND REPORT TO THE

APPROPRIATE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE BY DECEMBER 1, 2008 WITH

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR RESPONSE TO COLONY COLLAPSE DISORDER.

WHEREAS, colony collapse disorder has plagued at least

twenty-seven states and affected more than a quarter of the

country's two million four hundred thousand honeybee colonies;

and

WHEREAS, honeybees pollinate the plants that make up

one-third of our food supply, with as many as two of every

three bites of food consumed by Americans made possible by the

activities of honeybees, and the disappearance of honeybees

could have a tremendous effect on the economy, our cuisine and

our health; and

WHEREAS, New Mexico only has about fifteen to seventeen

registered commercial beekeepers, and because most of them

keep their bees in the state, New Mexico has not experienced

the losses of honeybees that other states have to colony

collapse disorder; and

WHEREAS, some New Mexico beekeepers have seen die-offs

recently, but to date, neither the New Mexico department of

agriculture nor the New Mexico state university cooperative

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extension service has laboratory-confirmed cases of any

disorder resembling colony collapse disorder in New Mexico;

and

WHEREAS, there is no definitive cause of colony collapse

disorder agreed to by a consensus of entomologists nor are

there definitive preventive measures to address the problem;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF

REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the department

of agriculture and the New Mexico state university cooperative

extension service be requested to cooperate in investigations

into the extent of the phenomenon of colony collapse disorder

and to recommend measures to address the situation; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the New Mexico department of

agriculture and New Mexico state university report their

recommendations to the appropriate committee of the

legislature by December 1, 2008; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be

transmitted to the director of the New Mexico department of

agriculture and to the president of New Mexico state

university.