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.. <br />SECTION VII. ~ ;-."' _ ... <br />v _... <br />"ASSESSMENT OF THE NOXIOUS WEED PROBLEM <br />, <br />,- . ,. :''"'' `Ar' HISTORIC OVERVIEW OF PROBLEM .. -_...._.: <br />•" In the states of 'Montana,' Colorado,'. Wyotiung, North Dakota, South <br />" ~ 'Dakota, Kansas, Idaho,'Washington, and Oregon a host of plant species have <br />" ' ' ~ ' appeazed that virtually destroy, the value of the land they infest. Most states have <br />'~ ' "~ ~' ~` declared these weeds to be public enemies by desienating them as "noxious," and <br />have launched efforts to 'controlthem:'~°~ -~ ' '`" <br />Most noxious weeds-are non native plant species. -They were introduced. <br />•-"•'' ~° ~'~~ ='=- -from other couatrtes and became establtshed due to the lack of natural enemies or <br />dtsease to keep them'in check: 'The most'threatenut2 of these weeds aze spurge, <br />• ,i,,:>?v.: the lmapweeds Canada Hustle ' mask thistle and;~btndweed. Others, including <br />yelIaw '-startfiistle `"prickly pear cactus; skel'etoitweed", 'toadflax and various <br />poisonous. weeds can also be problems in certain:areas. Where-these weeds grow <br />m significant infestations they can render the larid useless fgt'grazirig by wild and <br />,- <br />~''~' ~ -``'"`' doiiiesnc animals ''~I`ot only "do the weeds `stze and rapid growth crowd out <br />'vaI'uable'vegetadon,'t6ey also`pievent animals and man from using the areas they <br />' infest One `sixth weed, knapweed (spp.),. can actually _be toxic to nearby grasses. <br />:,~`_ .._ <br />- But no matter how_they do it, "it's cleaz the weeds are, ~yinning the battle. <br />_.... : .. <br />' Weed management has been a concem.to,Pueblo County ranchers and <br />farmers for several years. The Colorado S;tafe University Cooperative Extension <br />- Office sponsored educational. meetings and a survey ryas conducted in early May <br />- of 1987. Selected producers were surveyed at that time to deternvne the_ degree <br />and presence of a number of noxious weeds"including-several thistles, Leafy <br />spurge," bindweed and white top (hoary cress). The knapweed species were not <br />considered in'the initial survey presumably because they were not considered to <br />be a threat in Colorado at that time. <br />The initial survey in 1.987 was sent to 27 people selected for their interest <br />in weed control problems. A total of 17 inquiries were returned from the 27 <br />people receiving the request for survey information. Based on those results, a <br />map was developed in cooperation with the Soil.Conservation Service indicating <br />the' primary location of leafy spurge infestation. At that time leafy spurge was <br />found along North Creek approximately five miles northwest of Beulah with an <br />~- additional sightine north of the Town of Rye, Colorado (Exhibit 3). <br />The adoption of the Colorado Weed Management Act in 1990 focused <br />attention on weed management problems, particularly leafy spurge and the three <br />knapweeds--diffuse, Russian, and spotted. The Colorado State University <br />Cooperative Extension Office in Pueblo County, with the acknowledgments of <br />the Pueblo County Commissioners, conducted a survey in excess of 500 <br />