SANTA FE, N.M. – The Bureau of Land Management today announced a proposed project to curtail a grasshopper infestation in Rio Arriba County will not proceed. The decision is based on a scientific environmental analysis review. 

“Additional environmental analysis and outreach for this project is necessary, and we are dedicated to doing so in an open and transparent manner,” said BLM’s Taos Field Manager Pamela Mathis. “Due to the time needed to carry out additional analysis, the project cannot be achieved this season and will no longer take place. We will continue to work on this important issue in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.”  

In November 2022, private sector farmers and ranchers, including BLM grazing allotment permittees, met with county extension services and APHIS to request assistance with a grasshopper infestation, including the potential use of pesticide treatment during Spring/Summer 2023. 

Following the interagency framework outlined in the 2021 Memorandum of Understanding between the two agencies, the BLM communicated grazing permittee concerns to APHIS and requested that APHIS conduct an environmental analysis. 

APHIS developed an Environmental Assessment on potential impacts of the proposed project under the National Environmental Policy Act and issued a Finding of No Significant Impact in June 2023. After reviewing the assessment, the BLM has determined that extra steps are necessary before making a final decision. 

For more information, contact the Taos Field Office at (575) 758-8851. 

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