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I I I I . I I I I I I I I I I I I I I D 002 03 EXECUTIVE ORDER Directing State Agencies To Coordinate Efforts for the Eradication of Tamarisk on State Lands Pursuant to the authority vested in the Office of the Governor of the State of Colorado, I, Bill Owens, Governor of the State of Colorado, hereby issue this Executive Order directing the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, in consultation and cooperation with other appropriate state and federal agencies, to coordinate efforts to eradicate the tamarisk plant on public lands. 1. Back2round and Purpose The State of Colorado, like the rest ofthe Western United States, faces the immense challenge of dealing with noxious weeds that cause harm to the ecosystem. The most destructive non-native invasive species in Colorado is the tamarisk plant, also known as saltcedar. Tamarisk is rapidly spreading throughout Colorado and the surrounding region. Efforts to control this aggressive plant species have been unsuccessful. It is now estimated that the plant has overcome native species on 1.5 million acres throughout the region and it is has become apparent that the plant is causing serious ecological and environmental problems within the State of Colorado. The tamarisk plant consumes an enormous amount of water. A single tamarisk tree can transpire up to 300 gallons of water per day. As a comparison, an average acre of native cottonwood trees uses 845,000 gallons of water per year, while an acre of tamarisk uses 1.3 million gallons of water per year. An accumulation of tamarisk plants close to a watershed can effectively limit or dry up an entire water source. The disproportionate consumption of water by a non-native invasive species is cause for serious concern for Colorado as it continues to endure one of the worst droughts in state history. In addition, tamarisk species are inedible to most animals. As a result, wildlife over browse the surviving native plant species, further speeding the tamarisk invasion