HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 28

51st legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2013

INTRODUCED BY

Candy Spence Ezzell

A JOINT MEMORIAL

RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF ELIMINATING FERAL HOG POPULATIONS THROUGHOUT THE STATE THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF THE COOPERATIVE FERAL HOG ERADICATION TEAM.

     WHEREAS, the land, water and other natural resources of New Mexico are being negatively affected by growing populations of feral hogs; and

     WHEREAS, feral hogs carry and spread diseases that detrimentally affect livestock, native wildlife and humans; and

     WHEREAS, early detection, rapid response and prompt eradication are the most effective and least costly strategies to combat invasive species such as feral hogs before their population numbers expand beyond feasible control; and

     WHEREAS, it has been demonstrated throughout the western United States that cooperative, multi-jurisdictional efforts have provided the most effective methods of detecting and eradicating invasive species such as feral hogs; and

     WHEREAS, the New Mexico department of agriculture has established the cooperative feral hog eradication team, based on a cooperative multi-jurisdictional model that includes the United States department of agriculture animal and plant health inspection service, the state land office, the New Mexico state university cooperative extension service, the federal bureau of land management, the United States forest service, the department of health, the New Mexico livestock board, the department of game and fish, the New Mexico department of agriculture and many industry and county government partners; and

     WHEREAS, the function of the cooperative feral hog eradication team is to take available technical, financial and educational resources, whatever their source, and focus or coordinate those resources to eradicate feral hogs in New Mexico;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the state continue to take action and support the efforts of the cooperative feral hog eradication team in eradicating feral hog populations in New Mexico and educating the citizens of the state regarding the severe negative impacts that feral hogs have on the economy, the environment and public health; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the cooperative feral hog eradication team report its progress to the second session of the fifty-first legislature; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be transmitted to the cooperative feral hog eradication team.

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