HOUSE MEMORIAL 62

48th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2008

INTRODUCED BY

Miguel P. Garcia

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 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.

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