Weed Watch!
Colorado Weed Management Association
1st Quarter Newsletter 2021
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Colorado Weed Management Association Update
What a year 2020 was! From cancelling last year's Spring Training due to COVID-19 and jumping through what felt like a million hoops to pull off a Virtual Winter Training, CWMA took all the challenges in stride. This may be a side effect of our individual memberships daunting job of managing invasive species-an uphill battle that we gladly face each season...
Some highlights of our year included:
Going into 2021 we'd like to thank our past president, Tina Travis, welcome our new president, Kayla Malone, and congratulate our president elect, Casey Cisneros! Our Executive Director Monica Groh deserves special recognition for keeping us on course during the wild year that was 2020!
As always we need to thank our membership and we look forward to sharing 2021 with you!
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Amazon Smile
You can help support CWMA with no additional expense to you or your program.
How?
Amazon Smile, a free donation program created by Amazon to give back to non-profit organizations across the globe.
Supporting CWMA is easy! Just go to Amazon.smile when you are making purchases from the online retailer. Select “Colorado Weed Management Association” from the list of supporting non-profits. Once you have selected CWMA, any and all purchases you make on Amazon.smile will donate .5% back to our organization! If you have items sitting in your cart and have been waiting for the right opportunity, this is it!
Anyone who shops on Amazon is able to donate to CWMA, not just CWMA members, so please feel free to share and spread the word!
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Save the date!
Spring Training will be held online. More information coming soon!
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Eradication Feasibility and Factors for Consideration
by Alicia Doran, Jefferson County Invasive Species Management Coordinator
Eradication is a noble concept but is it possible? In recent years, the invasive species community worldwide has started to embrace the idea of using Risk Assessment to evaluate the feasibility of eradication and to use the analysis as a prioritization tool. In 2020, the Noxious Weed Task Force, asked the Colorado Department of Agriculture to update the state’s listing decision matrix to reevaluate the weeds on the state list and to develop eradication feasibility criteria. Because of current conditions and budgetary constraints, it may be a while before the Department is able to address our requests. In the meantime, we should be asking ourselves some tough questions.
- Length of Time in the State - Is eradication an appropriate designation when a species has been in an area for 150 years? What would be a reasonable timeframe? 50, 5, or less than 1 year? A recent review of the records available through SEINet shows that many of the List B species requiring eradication have been known in the state since the 1800’s.
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Hybrids - Because hybrids exhibit physical characteristics that can vary, it is difficult at times to distinguish the hybrid from the parent. This may not be an issue when treating your own property but it becomes a huge legal issue when undertaking enforcement. An example is knapweed. A plant may look like diffuse knapweed (Cetaurea diffusa), but it is likely to be the hybrid (Centaurea x psammogena), a cross between diffuse knapweed (Centaurea diffusa) and spotted knapweed (C. stoebe ssp. micranthos). The only way to confidently determine its identity would be to do a DNA analysis.
- Range of Infestation - Many of the List B species, and some of the List A species, are known throughout vast areas of Colorado and North America. Does it make sense to require eradication when the reinfestation pressure is so heavy? An example is Leafy spurge. It is known in 39 states (and most southern Canadian provinces) and in 45 of the 63 counties in Colorado. With that extent, does Leafy spurge meet the criteria for eradication? And is it appropriate to require eradication for a species when the Insectary has distributed and established populations of biological control agents throughout the region for 25+ years or would doing so upset the balance of suppression that the insects have achieved?
- Probability of Infestation - There are several predictive modeling programs that can be used to establish probability of infestation. By running these models using known factors (verified presence and absence of a species, biotic and abiotic layers, etc.) we can evaluate whether a species may or may not have an impact and use the information to make better regulatory decisions.
- Delimitation Surveys - Early detection is the first step in any eradication project but a key component that is often overlooked is the delimitation survey. That means surveying the entire surrounding area including all properties within a certain distance from the original find and should include known methods of dispersal. An example is Houndstounge. It is found in areas used by mule deer. Mule deer occupy areas of 0.2 to 4 square miles (or more). Mule deer may also travel up to 80 miles between summer and winter ranges. Theoretically, we would need to survey the entire area but practically, is that possible?
- Eradication Capacity and Feasibility - Do local governments have the capacity to achieve eradication for all the designated species? Cities and counties bear the responsibility of mapping and reporting populations of List A and List B noxious weeds, of communicating with landowners within eradication zones, and providing eradication oversight. When a local entity is dealing with a small number of species on a small number of properties, there is a good possibility of success. But can it be done when a local entity is dealing with 25+ eradication species found on tens of thousands of properties, and across hundreds of thousands of acres?
- Can the plant be eradicated within a limited timeframe or will it take decades? Even after 25+ years of focused, determined effort we have not been able to fully eliminate Purple loosestrife from known locations. Are efforts like our Purple loosestrife project eradication or something different?
- Naturalized Weeds - Is it reasonable to think that when a plant has been sold and distributed throughout North America for over 100 years that it should be considered as a candidate for eradication? Siberian Elm, a Watch List species has been planted as an ornamental and shelter-belt tree since the 1860’s. It is not unusual to see Siberian Elm seedlings growing in planter boxes and landscaped areas surrounding shopping centers and fast-food restaurants as well as along railroad tracks and roadways. The question arises, when does a weed require regulatory oversight and when is a weed just a weed? We will need to determine if Siberian Elm falls into the noxious category or if it falls into the weedy plant category that includes plants that have escaped and are now pervasive like Kochia, smooth brome, and dandelions.
Given the number of species required to be eradicated, the number of properties affected, and the limited capacity of our city and county weed management agencies to survey and treat all infested property, including private properties, how do we do this and what will it take to be successful? Clearly, we as a state do not have the resources to eradicate 63 species. It is time to start rethinking how we prioritize and to start asking ourselves what factors elevate a species to the level of eradication.
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Additional Information
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CWMA Online Training for Continuing Education Credits!
Need credits? CWMA has you covered year round with online trainings approved by the Colorado Department of Ag!
Attend a live webinar or take an on-demand course that offer CEC’s, only $35 for members!
On-Demand Online Courses Available Now:
-Long-Term Invasive Winter Annual Grass and Noxious Weed Control Facilitates Ecosystem, Pollinator, and Wildlife Habitat Restoration (107 Rangeland Pest Control)
-Aquatic Invasive Species Identification, Ecology, and Management (108 Aquatic Pest Control)
Click Here for the Complete Course Listing!
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A New Conceptual Model for Managing Invasive Annual Grasses
by Steve Ryder, State Weed Coordinator
Colorado Department of Agriculture
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Models and plans are popular discussion topics, no matter the discipline or profession. Reason being, they simplify complex situations or phenomena in a way that makes them more accessible to understanding and acting in a more focused, coherent manner. However, we must also heed the advice of Albert Einstein, who stated that everything should be kept as simple as possible, but not simpler.
WGA/USDA Implementation Tool
The reason I bring this up is as an introduction to a newish model for approaching the seemingly intractable challenge of invasive annual grasses.
In 2019, the Western Governors’ Association, USGS and U.S. Department of Agriculture joined together to get a handle on the large-scale infestations of invasive annual grasses in the western U.S. The result of their partnership was a “toolkit” for the management of invasive annual grasses.
The toolkit consists of a “roadmap” for invasive annual grass management, case studies to illustrate two initiatives in Idaho and Wyoming, and a new geospatial data layer to help with assessing, identifying and planning cross boundary management opportunities.
The road map consists of a conceptual model that focuses on identifying core areas where invasive annual grasses are either not present, or present at very low levels. For these core areas, the strategy is to “defend the core” by proactively treating any new invasions and otherwise maintain the healthy perennial grass – shrub biome. The second step is to “grow the core” by pushing back the invasives with aggressive treatment and large-scale restoration in the transition zones between core and degraded areas. This management approach can be costly over a longer time-frame. Finally, perpetual management for degraded areas is required in a largely defensive mode that protects life and property.
Comparisons To Our Current Statewide Strategy
This new conceptual model has similar components to the existing Colorado Strategic Plan, which forms the basis of our current approach to managing all noxious weeds in the state. Our approach is based on Steven Dewey’s model paralleling the wildland fire-fighting practices of first, containing the core area of a fire, and then aggressively eradicating the smaller spot-fires to limit the fire’s spread.
The Colorado Strategic Plan has familiar goals:
- Curb the introduction of new noxious weed species into the state;
- Prevent the establishment of newly introduced noxious weed species;
- Stop the spread of noxious weed species that are already so well-established that eradication is no longer possible; and
- Restore lands of exceptional agricultural and environmental value.
The “core areas” concept is reversed between the two models, with the core areas in the WGA/USDA model being the most desirable or important areas, compared to the core areas of a fire (or weed invasion) which are the most degraded sites. The transition zones are the battlegrounds, both in the WGA/USDA model and Colorado Strategic Plan. Undesirable species can advance or retreat based on the intensity and consistency of treatments. These areas may have more than one noxious weed species, and may be well-established. The transition areas may fit the description of areas with one or more List B species whose presence may be either growing or shrinking.
Can The WGA/USDA Model Be Useful Elsewhere In The State?
The WGA/USDA model may be useful in different circumstances than invasive annual grasses, but these are just preliminary thoughts. Let’s keep in touch, especially those of you with considerable amounts of invasive annual grasses in your jurisdictions, as assessing the WGA/USDA model, perhaps in a trial format, will be very important in determining how it may be employed in the future. If this model can help us prevent the introduction of additional invasive annual grasses, it will have served its purpose.
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Using Mapping Data for Education
by Ethan Proud, Archuleta County Weed and Pest Supervisor
Mapping is a powerful tool for invasive species management, it helps us managers understand the scope of an infestation, whether or not eradication is feasible, and the potential for spread. This data can serve another purpose though: public education.
My county GIS specialist suggested I use ArcGIS StoryMaps to showcase successes in my department or for education. He showed me a few demos and I was impressed, but waited four months before playing around in the app. I thought, I have way too many weeds in this county to make a concise presentation to share to the county website or the weed and pest facebook page. Also I had more pressing projects. As the snow piled up outside, I decided to give it a shot and narrowed it down to my nemesis, leafy spurge. In Archuleta County it is limited in population compared to the other offenders on the noxious weed list.
The finished product yielded bite sized information for residents that illustrated the scope of the infestation, specimen photos, and text detailing how it was being controlled. I highly recommend using StoryMaps or mapping data when communicating with the public!
You can check out my first attempt here.
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CWMA Noxious Weeds Calendar and Door Hangers on Sale Now! |
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2021 Noxious Weed Calendar
Order a bundle of 25 for only $100 normally sold at $150
These are perfect gifts to hand out to clients, partners or staff.
A single copy remains at $7
Noxious Weeds Know NO Boundaries Door Hangers
Order a bundle of 100 for $5 normally sold at $10
These are a handy tool to let property owners know they may have noxious weeds with space on the front to add your contact information.
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Weed Awareness Campaign
February Weed of the Month: Common Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)
prepared by Tina Travis, El Paso County Environmental Technician
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Common mullein, also known as woolly mullein, was introduced into the United States in the mid 1700’s. It was used as a fish poison for easy collection of fish. Introduction into Colorado is not known but was noted as a common weed in Boulder in 1905. This species occurs in all states to include Alaska and Hawaii and is often mistaken as a native plant.
First year plants have soft, fuzzy leaves that are gray-green. Second year plants can grow to more than 7 feet tall, leaves and stem are covered with woolly hairs.
Plants flower from June to August. Flowers are yellow, saucer-shaped and attached to an erect stem.
Common mullein is a biennial plant that reproduces by seed. It can produce 250,000+ seeds per plant. Seeds have been known to germinate after more than 100 years. Common mullein seed was found in archaeological soil in Denmark, this seed was dated from 1300 AD and germinated.
Integrated management techniques include chemical, and mechanical. If flowering, bag and dispose of plants to prevent the spread of seeds.
The Weed of the Month is part of the Weed Awareness Campaign and is prepared by Alicia Doran and Tina Travis who are on the committee.
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Promoting CWMA Membership:
How Can We Help?
Do you know someone that should be a member of CWMA? Learn all about CWMA benefits and membership types at www.cwma.org/membership. Use this information as talking points to encourage colleagues to join and get active with CWMA.
Or, perhaps you are unsure whether someone you know is already a member? Search for them in our directory located in the members-only online portal. You can also use this site to renew your membership, register for CWMA events, and update your contact information.
Need help promoting CWMA? Let us know how we can assist you.
Monica Groh, CAE
Colorado Weed Management Association
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Exciting Changes for PlayCleanGo and the Introduction of a Cryptic New Team Member!
by Ethan Proud, Archuleta County Weed and Pest Supervisor and PlayCleanGo Advisory Board Member
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2020 was a successful year for PlayCleanGo, the nonprofit promoting responsible outdoor recreation to prevent the spread of invasive species. Colorado invasive species managers may be familiar with the organization and might have even installed a few of their bootbrush stations at popular trailheads within their jurisdictions.
Last year, PlayCleanGo merged with the North American Invasive Species Management Association, meaning that NAISMA members now get PlayCleanGo benefits and access to their store can be found on the NAISMA site.
The staff and advisory council are preparing for PlayCleanGo week in the summer of 2021 (June 5-12), so keep your eyes peeled for their free promotional material in May.
This last year PlayCleanGo welcomed a new and unlikely team member: Bigfoot. To name this loveable cryptid, PlayCleanGo asked their community for appropriate, wilderness inspired names. Out of 1000 entries and over 200 votes, the consensus was that Steward was the best fit for our furry, conservation-minded ally. Stay on the lookout for the revamped PCG website to learn more about Steward!
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Call for Submissions: Are You a Writer or Have a Story to Tell?
If you have a success story or event you'd love to share...we want to help!
Colorado Weed Management Association is always looking for new content, exciting stories in integrated management, and alerts on new weed species!
Send in an article, write up, or pictures and we can share them in our quarterly newsletter.
All submissions are subject to review.
Newsletter contributors do not have to be CWMA members.
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President
Kayla Malone
President Elect
Casey Cisneros
Secretary/Treasurer
Ethan Proud
Board of Directors:
Tina Travis
Curtis Marshall
Derek Sebastian
Mike Auciello
Joe Swanson
Marisa Neuzil
Montana Cohn
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Ex-Officio Members:
Steve Ryder
Mark Eike
Elizabeth Brown
Executive Director:
Monica Groh
7187 W. 79th Drive
Arvada, CO 80003
(303) 210-7077
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How can CWMA work for you?
Do you want to make a difference with CWMA? Would you like to influence the direction that CWMA is leading? Join a committee by reaching out to the chairs and co-chairs listed below.
Training and Education
Casey Cisneros
Alicia Doran
Communications and Social Media
Ethan Proud
Kayla Malone
Colorado 4 Healthy Landscapes (C4HL)
Tina Travis
Legislative
Casey Cisneros
Joe Swanson
Membership, Nominations and Scholarship
Mike Auciello
Publications
Tina Travis
Alicia Doran
Strategic Plan Task Force
Casey Cisneros
Want to join a committee but don't know where to start? Contact us for more info!
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Job Opportunities:
Looking to further your career in stewardship, conservation, and natural resources? CWMA shares job postings from natural resource employers!
To view job listings and descriptions, click here.
To post a job, click here.
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