_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - C1981017 ‎(293)‎

• Permit No: C1981017
• IBM Index Class Name: GENERAL DOCUMENTS
• Doc Name: Bid Documents ‎(IMP)‎
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

Distribution of the 1998 Colorado Noxious Weed Management Fund
In 1996, the Colorado Legislature created a statewide noxious weed management fund to
provide financial assistance to communities throughout the state to stimulate and support their
weed management efforts. The following year, the Legislature placed $225,000 in the Fund.
Consequently, the Colorado Department of Agriculture developed a process for soliciting and
evaluating applications for these weed management funds.
This year, the Colorado Department of Agriculture received 40 applications requesting a
total of$614,749 in assistance and providing a total match of$2,624,513 (4.27:1 overall
matching ratio). However, the amount available to distribute in FY98 is only $225,000.
Each application was evaluated by a committee of seven individuals that represent the
perspectives and experiences of professionals and elected officials of Colorado government,
weed science, agriculture, the environment, public natural resource management, and state and
local weed management.
After a careful review of each application for funds, evaluation committee members
scored the applications based on a number of factors including the nature of partnerships formed,
the urgency of the problem, the projected impact of the project, and the use of sensible strategies
and integrated pest management. For each application, an average score was calculated and
ranked against the other applications in descending order. This ranked list provided a basis for
the committee's discussions. After careful deliberation, the evaluation committee recommended a
number of projects for funding to the Agriculture Commission and the Commissioner of
Agriculture. The following projects have been selected to receive financial support, at the
indicated funding levels, from the 1998 Colorado Noxious Weed Management Fund.
1. The Upper North Platte Weed Management Area Plan (Jackson County) is an exemplary
working model of public/private partnerships that prioritizes target weed populations and then
provides management regardless of jurisdictional boundaries. This unique program is one of the
only projects in the nation to collaborate across a state line (Wyoming) to manage noxious weeds
in a contiguous watershed. Funds will be used to match a federal grant from Washington, D.C. to
purchase equipment and add additional management capacity.
$25,000 requested $5,000 allocated
2. The Mediterranean Sage Eradication Task Force (Boulder County) is a three year project to
contain and eradicate the only known Colorado population of a recent noxious weed invasion
that has the potential to rapidly spread along the Front Range and into New Mexico and
Wyoming. Mediterranean sage is an aggressive species, found throughout the Pacific Northwest,
that poses an enormous threat to Colorado rangelands. Funds will provide cost-share
opportunities to private landowners to contain and eradicate this species.
$25,000 requested $22,000 allocated