_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - C1981017 (293)

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Project Name: Eradication is Job One Project area: Honda County, Motor Oil watershed Prepared by Eric "the Renovator" Lane on April 3, 1999 Purpose: At the most fundamental level, each county must be able to eradicate any new species or small populations that become established if it will be able to successfully manage noxious weeds throughout its jurisdiction. The Motor Oil watershed is the origin of multiple species introductions each year in Honda County due to its high levels of traffic, recreational impacts, and alien abductions. This project was developed to help enhance Honda County's ability to kick the snot out of new invasive plant species and populations through the acquisition of mapping equipment and additional staff time. Partners: Partners included Honda County, City of Motor Oil, the U.S. Forest Service, the Motor Oil Horseman's Association, 4-H, Boy Scouts, Runny Nose Creek Homeowners Association, SSU Cooperative Extension, and the Sahara Club. Honda County provide project oversight, overhead, and use of flame-thrower. City of Motor Oil provided . . . Additional funding provided by the Weed Whacker's Foundation and Motor Oil Foundation. Specific use of funds: Monies from the Colorado Noxious Weed Management Fund were used to reward individuals and groups for reporting new weed infestations, purchase Global Positioning System equipment and Geographic Information System software for Honda County, and hire two seasonal lackeys to scout, map, and kick the preliminary snot out of infestations. Progress: We searched every inch u: Motor Oil watershed (32,240,887,443,238,343 square inches), detected and mapped 104 new populations (including Godzilla's breath, cat knapweed, and Gent's rocket), and kicked the pith out of each population by applying herbicides and hand- pulling the little buggers. A work plan laying out follow-up treatments for next year has been developed. Partners are presently contributing the necessary resources to carry out this plan. Project status: Although the GPS and GIS equipment was purchased, installed, and used successfully in 1998, this project will continue indefinitely with the continued involvement of the U.S. Forest Service and 4-H. With initial start-up funds for the project and the enhancement of the county's capabilities, we expect the project to continue until all weeds are eradicated from the face of God's Green (and native) Earth. No funds remain from the Colorado Noxious Weed Management Fund. Evaluation: Everything worked well due to fabulous, authoritarian control and coordination as well as the eye-catching "Wanted" posters that improved public response. Any landowners that balked were shipped to Siberia and the remaining populace quickly and "enthusiastically" reported new invasive populations. Our only significant failing was that we did not realize that Godzilla's breath spews fire as a defensive mechanism to hand-pulling. Consequently, we "lost" one lackey. The remaining seasonal lackey successfully "fired" back with a flame-thrower to combat this menace and roasted all remaining seeds. P.S. Thanks for the state funds which provided an invaluable trip to Tahiti to further research Godzilla's breath. We couldn't have completed the project without your help and our passports.