County narrows glyphosate exceptions, orders yearlong finish of Integrated Vegetation Management Plan

Bernalillo County on March 25 adopted a revised vegetation‑management resolution directing Parks, Recreation & Open Space (PROS) and Natural Resources staff to complete an Integrated Vegetation Management and Maintenance Plan (IVMMP) within roughly 12 months and to include landscape conversion priorities and design standards.

Lede: The board voted 4–1 to approve a March‑revised resolution that (1) rescinds the existing administrative moratorium language from 2019, (2) requires the county to finish an IVMMP within one year, and (3) temporarily permits limited, narrowly defined spot use of glyphosate in high‑hazard paved hardscape areas and for invasive species control until the plan is adopted.

Nut graf: Commissioners and community members debated safety, alternatives and staff training. Staff said mechanical and organic controls have been less effective and more labor intensive and asked for a limited temporary exception while the IVMMP is finalized; community members and public commenters urged stricter limits or an outright ban. The approved motion tightened the areas where glyphosate may be used, added reporting and recordkeeping requirements, committed to reduced herbicide use in new or renovated landscapes, and directed the IVMMP to include costed capital projects to convert high‑maintenance “gravel/cobble” landscapes…