NM pollinator working group urges research, outreach and voluntary beekeeper registry; will not impose pesticide bans

State agriculture officials on a pollinator protection working group told the Water & Natural Resources committee in Taos that their draft plan will prioritize New Mexico-specific threats to pollinators — chiefly drought-driven habitat loss and pests such as the varroa mite — and will emphasize research, education and outreach rather than immediate regulatory bans on pesticides.

Kamiley DeLong, an ag specialist senior at the New Mexico Department of Agriculture and the working-group facilitator, said the group was convened after the 2024 House Memorial 33 and aims to produce an implementation-oriented plan for external review in 2026. DeLong said New Mexico hosts roughly 1,000 bee species and over 300 species of butterflies, but sampling gaps and limited local research hinder state-specific guidance. "This plan is, of course, not a plan that is setting restrictions in place," she told legislators.

Commercial beekeepers and producers urged stronger registration and enforcement. Eduardo Linares, a second-generation commercial beekeeper who runs Enchanted Land Honey, said New Mexico’s current registration rules make it difficult to track hives or enforce import documentation and recommended a staffed enforcement position to inspect and quarantine locations if pests arrive. "Without being able to enforce registration and proper management, it's going to be very difficult to keep bees in this area," he told the panel.

Law and policy: NMDA staff noted state law defines a commercial beekeeper at 15 colonies north of I‑40 (25 south of I‑40) and that only nine commercial apiaries were currently registered, a figure they attributed to the challenge of maintaining that many colonies in one location and to under-counted hobbyists. Several legislators, including Sen. Mimi Stewart, pushed NMDA to study approaches other states have taken on neonicotinoids and urban pesticide use; DeLong and other panelists said the working group is reviewing out‑of‑state plans but will focus its recommendations on New Mexico’s arid systems and native pollinators.

Next steps: NMDA and panel members said they will continue stakeholder outreach, expand baseline research and refine the plan’s implementation section. The working group expects a draft for external review in 2026 and has identified actions to increase outreach, develop voluntary registries and pursue targeted research funding to map pollinator distributions and vulnerability.