Washington Hunter
Well-known member
Boise, ID March 1, 2002 The Idaho Cattle Association, Oregon Cattlemen’s Association and The Nature Conservancy have come together to support the Harmful Nonnative Weed Control Act, a bill sponsored by Senators Larry Craig (R-ID) and Tom Daschle (D-SD). The organizations, which will be present at a field hearing hosted by Senator Craig on July 13, believe this bill is critical to control damaging non-native weeds in Idaho, Oregon and nationwide. The Idaho State Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Land Management, and the Nez Perce Tribe will also attend the hearing.
Each of these organizations recognize the threat that weeds pose to the West’s economy and environment. State-designated noxious weeds infest some eight million acres in Idaho alone, a figure that does not include millions of acres taken over by weeds not on the list like cheatgrass and medusahead. The Idaho State Department of Agriculture estimates the cost of noxious weed damage on all Idaho lands to be $300 million annually."It is important to realize that a healthy range is a great deterrant to weed invasion. To help accomplish optimal range condition, properly managed livestock grazing is one of the necessary tools." said Dave Nelson of Mackay, Idaho, President of the Idaho Cattle Association.
"The noxious weed issue is serious. It has become a war that everyone is losing. Millions of arcs throughout the West are being infested with noxious weeds every day,” says Oregon Cattlemen’s Association President Bob Skinner. “One of the toughest problems to deal with are the noxious weeds on federally owned lands. These weeds encroach onto private lands making it nearly impossible to graze cattle on federal allotments and private lands.”
The Conservancy, a global conservation group headquartered in Arlington, Va., recognizes invasive species as second only to habitat loss as a threat to its mission of preserving biodiversity.
“Diverse native plant and animal communities are being lost to monocultures of weeds like yellow starthistle,” says Trish Klahr, the chief conservation scientist for the Conservancy’s Idaho Chapter. “We realize that we simply cannot conserve species if their habitat is taken over by weeds. This is an issue that brings together diverse interests.”
“Some have called weeds biological pollution,” she adds. “It is certainly true that weeds poison our lands and waterways, but in many ways weeds are even worse than pollutants. Unlike chemical pollutants, weeds multiply over time rather than dissipate.”
The bill—S.198—would substantially increase funding for weed management entitities. These groups bring together public and private partners to find common solutions to weed prevention and control. Idaho has more than thirty of these entities, called Cooperative Weed Management Areas (CWMAs), covering about 2/3 of the state. However, for these areas to be most effective, they must have the resources available to deal with weed problems before they get out of control.
“New CWMAs are forming all the time, but as they start up, they often need more resources to address weeds,” says Klahr. “By investing in them now, we can save millions of dollars in the future. Once weeds become established, they’re much more expensive to control.”
Klahr points to the Conservancy’s Hells Canyon recently launched Hells Canyon project, which is aimed at prevention, early detection and rapid response to new weed infestations. The Conservancy, funded by a challenge grant from the Murdock Charitable Trust, is applying cutting-edge technology like satellite imagery to fine weed patches when they are easier to control.
The Conservancy is working with partners in the Tri-State Weed Management Area to battle yellow starthistle, cheatgrass, rush skeletonweed and other invasive plants over a quarter million acres of Hells Canyon spanning parts of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.
“This is an ideal location for a field hearing on weeds,” say Klahr. “Hells Canyon is one of the most biologically rich places in the West, but the native wildlife is threatened by weeds. Efforts like the Hells Canyon project just would not be possible without federal funding. By investing now, we can save wildlife habitat, recreation and productive agricultural and ranch lands from weed invasions.”
Each of these organizations recognize the threat that weeds pose to the West’s economy and environment. State-designated noxious weeds infest some eight million acres in Idaho alone, a figure that does not include millions of acres taken over by weeds not on the list like cheatgrass and medusahead. The Idaho State Department of Agriculture estimates the cost of noxious weed damage on all Idaho lands to be $300 million annually."It is important to realize that a healthy range is a great deterrant to weed invasion. To help accomplish optimal range condition, properly managed livestock grazing is one of the necessary tools." said Dave Nelson of Mackay, Idaho, President of the Idaho Cattle Association.
"The noxious weed issue is serious. It has become a war that everyone is losing. Millions of arcs throughout the West are being infested with noxious weeds every day,” says Oregon Cattlemen’s Association President Bob Skinner. “One of the toughest problems to deal with are the noxious weeds on federally owned lands. These weeds encroach onto private lands making it nearly impossible to graze cattle on federal allotments and private lands.”
The Conservancy, a global conservation group headquartered in Arlington, Va., recognizes invasive species as second only to habitat loss as a threat to its mission of preserving biodiversity.
“Diverse native plant and animal communities are being lost to monocultures of weeds like yellow starthistle,” says Trish Klahr, the chief conservation scientist for the Conservancy’s Idaho Chapter. “We realize that we simply cannot conserve species if their habitat is taken over by weeds. This is an issue that brings together diverse interests.”
“Some have called weeds biological pollution,” she adds. “It is certainly true that weeds poison our lands and waterways, but in many ways weeds are even worse than pollutants. Unlike chemical pollutants, weeds multiply over time rather than dissipate.”
The bill—S.198—would substantially increase funding for weed management entitities. These groups bring together public and private partners to find common solutions to weed prevention and control. Idaho has more than thirty of these entities, called Cooperative Weed Management Areas (CWMAs), covering about 2/3 of the state. However, for these areas to be most effective, they must have the resources available to deal with weed problems before they get out of control.
“New CWMAs are forming all the time, but as they start up, they often need more resources to address weeds,” says Klahr. “By investing in them now, we can save millions of dollars in the future. Once weeds become established, they’re much more expensive to control.”
Klahr points to the Conservancy’s Hells Canyon recently launched Hells Canyon project, which is aimed at prevention, early detection and rapid response to new weed infestations. The Conservancy, funded by a challenge grant from the Murdock Charitable Trust, is applying cutting-edge technology like satellite imagery to fine weed patches when they are easier to control.
The Conservancy is working with partners in the Tri-State Weed Management Area to battle yellow starthistle, cheatgrass, rush skeletonweed and other invasive plants over a quarter million acres of Hells Canyon spanning parts of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.
“This is an ideal location for a field hearing on weeds,” say Klahr. “Hells Canyon is one of the most biologically rich places in the West, but the native wildlife is threatened by weeds. Efforts like the Hells Canyon project just would not be possible without federal funding. By investing now, we can save wildlife habitat, recreation and productive agricultural and ranch lands from weed invasions.”
