SM 3 — STATE AGENCY INSECT WORKSHOP

SENATE MEMORIAL 3 57 TH LEGISLATURE- STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION, 2026 INTRODUCED BY Heather Berghmans and Kristina Ortez 6 8 10 A MEMORIAL REQUESTING CERTAIN STATE AGENCIES TO PARTICIPATE IN A WORKSHOP ABOUT INSECT IDENTIFICATION, ECOLOGY, MONITORING AND MANAGEMENT AND TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT INSECTS.

156 WHEREAS, New Mexico is a beautiful state that is rich in natural resources and filled with a wide variety of plants and e t 17 animals, including insects, which make up over one-half of the w l n d 18 more than one million five hundred thousand identified animal = = 19 a l species on the planet;

and i a e r 20 WHEREAS, insects, such as butterflies, bees, ants and a t m m 21 beetles, are six-legged invertebrates with three body segments, d r e 22 antennae, compound eyes and an exoskeleton;

and c e s k 23 WHEREAS, insects provide vital functions in ecosystems, e a n b 24 u [ including being the primary pollinators of one-third of food for global crop production, decomposing waste, eliminating .232914.2 pests, protecting soil health, especially in arid regions where decomposition is slow, and serving as food for many species;

as one student said, "[Sometimes] people are fearful and disgusted with insects because they are uneducated about their importance", and as another SM 3 Page 1 student said, "Insects are misunderstood because they look gross and scary";

as one class said, "Insects are used to help our people [Navajo] with protein and medicine", and another student emphasized that "Without insects, the food chain could start to crumble and e t 17 have a lasting effect on humans";

and w l n d 18 WHEREAS, insects play critical ecological roles in every = = 19 a l ecosystem, and in the words of two students, "Insects weave i a e r 20 life through New Mexico's wild places", and "Insects make our a t m m 21 world a better place by maintaining balance in nature";

and d r e 22 WHEREAS, scientists are worried about decreasing insect c e s k 23 populations due to habitat loss, pollution, pesticides, e a n b 24 invasive species and climate change, which threaten the u [ functioning and health of natural ecosystems;

and .232914.2 - 2 - WHEREAS, in 2025, a law amended the statutory definition of "wildlife" to include invertebrates such as insects;

and WHEREAS, it is important for state land management agencies to study insects, which will enable the agencies to make informed decisions about land management and wildlife SM 3 Page 2 and to share their knowledge with the public so that, as one student said, "people understand the value of insects and how everyday actions can help protect them".

the university of New Mexico museum of e t 17 southwestern biology, a research and teaching facility about w l n d 18 biological diversity and the natural environment;

and the = = 19 a l Xerces society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the i a e r 20 conservation of invertebrates and their habitats, have offered a t m m 21 to sponsor a workshop for interested agencies about insect d r e 22 identification, ecology, monitoring and management in the c e s k 23 spring of 2026;

and e a n b 24 WHEREAS, education is important, in the words of some u [ students, "to show how cool insects are and why people should .232914.2 - 3 - protect them instead of assuming insects are gross", and because "teaching others helps reduce fear and misinformation about insects and most people are more likely to protect what they understand";

and WHEREAS, education can help the public learn how to protect beneficial insects by taking actions such as avoiding harmful pesticides, planting native plants of different heights for food and shelter, providing water, turning off SM 3 Page 3 artificial lights at night and leaving some leaves on the ground in the fall and through the winter;

and e t 17 WHEREAS, the importance of insects in ecosystems across w l n d 18 New Mexico and the role that the public and state agencies can = = 19 a l play in helping to protect them is widely recognized;

i a e r 20 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE a t m m 21 OF NEW MEXICO that the department of game and fish, the state d r e 22 land office, the state parks division and the forestry division c e s k 23 of the energy, minerals and natural resources department, the e a n b 24 New Mexico department of agriculture, the department of u [ transportation and other interested agencies be requested to .232914.2 - 4 - participate in a workshop about insect identification, ecology, monitoring and management, sponsored by the wild friends program in conjunction with the museum of southwestern biology and the Xerces society;

and SM 3 Page 4 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the department of game and fish, the state land office, the state parks division and the forestry division of the energy, minerals and natural resources department, the New Mexico department of agriculture and the department of transportation for appropriate distribution.

-SM 53 -Page e5 t8 1725 w l n d 18 = = 19 a l i a e r 20 a t m m 21 d r e 22 c e s k 23 e a n b 24 u [ .232914.2