Arizona House of Representatives Committee on Rural Economic Development Meeting Minutes and Presentations
Summary
The report of the regular meeting of the Arizona House of Representatives Committee on Rural Economic Development held Thursday, March 5, 2026, during the Fifty-seventh Legislature - Second Regular Session, with its attachments. The minutes record that the committee convened at 9:05 A.M. and adjourned at 9:52 A.M., heard two presentations, and took no bill action. Attachments include the agenda, the request to speak report, the attendance record, and the presentation slides. Representative Kevin Volk presented From Stinknet to Skynet on invasive plants, fire risk and potential drone-based herbicide delivery. A director of the Space4 Center at the University of Arizona presented Space Defense: An Economic Enabler in Arizona, with slides on Biosphere 2 listing figures such as $25 million in Space Defense funding.
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Cite this document
“Arizona House of Representatives Committee on Rural Economic Development Meeting Minutes and Presentations.”
Original at www.azleg.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/committee-29fffaba034e9361/
, SHA-256 1c3a738249b916f8eaf5ae9f16925e9f18438baa078a812211983fa33d9fb575.Full text
ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Fifty-seventh Legislature - Second Regular Session
COMMITTEE ON RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Report of Regular Meeting
Thursday, March 5, 2026
House Hearing Room 4 -- 9:00 A.M.
RECEIVED
CHIEF CLERKS OFFICE
Convened 9:05 A.M.
Recessed MAR 11 2026
Reconvened
Adjourned 9:52 A.M.
Members Present Members Not Present
Representative Biasiucci Representative Hernandez
Representative Blackman Representative Martinez, Chairman
Representative Peshlakai
Representative Volk
Representative Lopez, Vice-Chairman
Agenda
Original Agenda — Attachment 1
Request to Speak
Report — Attachment 2
Committee Attendance
Report — Attachment 3
Presentations
Name Organization Attachments (Handouts)
Stinknet to Skynet Representative Kevin Volk 4
Space Defense Prof. Vishnu Reddy Space4 Center, 5
Office of Research and Partnership
University of Arizona
Committee Action
Bill Action Vote Attachments
Veronica Graham, Committee Secretary
March 11, 2026
(Original attachments on file in the Office of the Chief Clerk; video archives available at http:/Avww.azleg.gov)
COMMITTEE ON RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
March 5, 2026
REVISED #2 - 3/04/26 REVISED #2 - 3/04/26 REVISED #2 - 3/04/26
Convtned F.0S
ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Adouvin e A Q: GL
Fifty-seventh Legislature - Second Regular Session
REGULAR MEETING AGENDA
COMMITTEE ON RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
DATE Thursday, March 5, 2026 ROOM HHR4 TIME 9:00 A.M.
Members of the public may access a livestream of the meeting here:
https:/Awww.azleg.gov/videoplayer/?clientID=636 | 162879&eventID=202603 1019
Members:
Representative Blackman Representative Peshlakai Representative Lopez, Vice-Chairman
Representative Hernandez C Representative Volk Representative Biasiucci, Chairman
Representative- Martinez,Chairman
e Presentations:
o Space Defense: An Economic Enabler in Arizona - Dr, Vishnu Reddy
0 Biosphere, Southern Arizona - Representative Kevin Volk
RA
02/27/2026
03/04/2026
People with disabilities may request reasonable accommodations such as interpreters, alternative formats, or
assistance with physical accessibility. If you require accommodations, please contact the Chief Clerk's Office at
(602) 926-3032 or through Arizona Relay Service 7-1-1.
Page 1 of 1 Attachment_|{
Information Registered on the Request to Speak System
House Rural Economic Development (3/5/2026)
Attachment_2_
ARIZONA STATE LEGISLATURE
Fifty-seventh Legislature - Second Regular Session
COMMITTEE ATTENDANCE RECORD
COMMITTEE ON RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
CHAIRMAN: Leo Biasiucci VICE-CHAIRMAN: _ Chris Lopez
DATE 03/05/26
CONVENED 9-05
RECESSED
RECONVENED
ADJOURNED Y'69.
MEMBERS PRESENT ; NOT PRESENT
Blackman S/-
Hernandez C
Peshlakai waa
Volk Va
Lopez, Vice-Chairman Waa
Biasiucci, Chairman ~~
TOTAL Ss |
Attachment_.3 _
From STINKNET to SKYNET:
Invasive Plants, Fire Risk, and Potential for Technology
Presented by:
KEVIN VOLK, Legislative District 17
Attachment
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The Sonoran Desert
is the most biodiverse desert in the world
Bare desert ground
acts as a fire break
Legislative District 17
is the most beautiful district in the world
Lorie Shaull
The Sonoran Desert
is the most biodiverse desert in the world
Bare desert ground
acts as a fire break
Persistent issue
Burns hot, fast, and for
along time
Destroys soil nutrients
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NON-NATIVE SPECIES
A weed is swallowing the Sonoran
Desert
The invasive Stinknet plant fuels wildfires, irritates lungs and smothers native flora.
‘It’s everywhere’ and removal efforts in Arizona can’t keep up.
Zach Duncan and Samuel Shaw May 9, 2023 | & Print| | Sd Email TQ Save Article |< More |
Results in the
Stinknet is an Dry stinknet and
loss of native irritant, causing buffelgrass act
wildlife
respiratory issues as fuel for fire
Pierre Markuse.from, Hamm, Germany.
Bighorn Fire
Wendy Witzig from Honeybee Canyon
Tucson and the devastating fire in Maui have a
common thread - invasive grass
« 77Z PHOENIX
US
91.5 KJZZ
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All Things Considered
NEWS ~ PROGRAMS ~ PODCASTS ~ SUPPORT ~ ABOUT ~ PLAY ~ CONTACT MUSIC ~ E-MEMBER
Politics
As wildfire risk rises across
Arizona, insurance companies are
raising rates, dropping coverage
KJZZ | By Camryn Sanchez es le | in | ve | o
Published February 5, 2025 at 4:30 AM MST re
THE SOLUTION
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A cybernetic organism with a metal
endoskeleton that is dedicated to eradicating
invasive buffelgrass and stinknet.*
Mock-up of potential herbicide drone design*
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But really...
Nationa] Park Service
Potential for drone-based herbicide delivery
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Legislative District 17
is the most beautiful district in the world
Space Defense: An Economic Enabler in
Arizona District 17
Prof. Vishnu Reddy, Director
Space4 Center, Office of Research and Partnerships
University of Arizona
JA,
THE UNIVERSITY
OF ARIZONA
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Biosphere 2 Campus Overview
Space Analog for the Moon and Mars (SAM)
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Biosphere 2
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THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
Biosphere 2
Biosphere2.org
Biosphere 2 in Numbers
Economic Impact
75,000 paid visitors per year ($2.1 M)
$7 million Expenditure per year
> $68 million in philanthropic funding
> $25 million in Space Defense funding
100-person Conference Center and Retreat
JA,
THE UNIVERSITY
OF ARIZONA
Biosphere 2 Campus Overview
Space Analog for the Moon and Mars
Landscape Evolution Observatory (a =e))
Analytical : | |
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THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
Biosphere 2
1521325 known asteroids
41231 Near-Earth
Asteroids
882 >0.6 miles
11574 >460 feet
THE UNIVERSITY
OF ARIZONA
Meteor Crater
I mile across
~600 feet deep
~160 feet asteroid
JA,
THE UNIVERSITY
OF ARIZONA
Chelyabinsk
65-foot asteroid
Feb. 13, 2013
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THE UNIVERSITY
OF ARIZONA
Chelyabinsk
65-foot asteroid
Peo, 13, 2013
JA,
THE UNIVERSITY
OF ARIZONA
THE UNIVERSITY
OF ARIZONA
VNOZIMY JO
ALISYZAINN JHL
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