RBC I Don’t be fooled by that pretty yellow flower. Yellow toadflax is an invasive, noxious weed in the Flat Tops mountain range of Rio Blanco County. Like other invasive and noxious weeds, these plants are a problem for Colorado range and forest lands as they out-compete the native plants that provide much more desirable forage for wildlife and livestock. Native perennial plants also provide better upland wildlife habitat, provide better streambank protection, and therefore enhance fishery habitat and are generally better at holding soils in place, protecting the land against erosion. Many invasive weeds have growth cycles that contribute to fire cycles, increasing fire danger during the spring and summer months. All of these factors combine to mean that an increase in invasive and noxious weeds leads to a decline in our range and forest conditions. On private land that means a decrease in property values.
So what can be done about this situation? You can help when visiting our public lands. Before entering or leaving our campgrounds or using trail systems: check your shoelaces, off-road vehicles, bikes and pets for weed seeds. Clean your gear and prevent a noxious weed infestation from getting established in new places. With the increase in off road vehicle use, it is easy to spread seeds along remote Forest Service roads and locations that are not getting regular weed treatments. We need your help to stop the spread of more unwanted weeds.
Various federal, state, and local agencies have programs to combat weed problems.
The U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and Natural Resources Conservation Service all have programs working with farmers and ranchers on long-term integrated resource management plans using many coordinated approaches to combat the establishment and spread of noxious and invasive weeds. Innovative grazing programs can be used to graze weeds at their most vulnerable growth stage to decreased seed formation and dispersal. Used in conjunction with grazing grasses at times when they are most resistant to grazing can lead to improved range conditions over time.
The Colorado Department of Agriculture runs the Palisade Insectary. Biological control is a sustainable approach to pest management that utilizes the natural enemies of noxious weeds or pests. The Palisade Insectary imports, rears, researches and distributes biological control agents for the state of Colorado. Successful biological pest control reduces production costs, decreases the amount of chemicals entering the environment and establishes colonies of beneficial insects offering a permanent pest control solution. For more information, follow this link: https://ag.colorado.gov/conservation/palisade-insectary
Locally, the Rio Blanco County Weed Department has a program to spray weeds on county, state and federal lands through cooperative financial agreements to control weeds along county roadsides, in campground sites and along Forest Service roads, crossing multiple land ownership jurisdictions. The department also sells pesticides to the public on Thursdays from 7 a.m. to noon from May 1 to the end of August. This program is very successful in controlling the spread of noxious and invasive weeds. To find out more about the County Weed Control Department, call Jane Turnburke at 970-878-9670 or follow this link: https://www.rbc.us/305/Weed-Pest-Control
Colorado State University has an Extension office at the RBC Fairgrounds. Every February, the Extension Office provides pesticide applicator training for private and professional pesticide applicators to renew their licenses. This training helps ensure that those handling restricted chemicals are doing so in a manner that is safe to themselves and the environment.
Additional services available at the extension offices include plant and weed identification. Extension personnel can provide information on trees, plants and weeds. If you need a plant or weed identified, contact Linda Masters at the Extension office: 970-878-9490. She can hand out or email fact sheets on various plants or make site visits to ID plants or pests in your yard.
If you would like an app for your phone to help ID Colorado noxious weeds, follow this link for a download:
https://appadvice.com/app/colorado-noxious-weeds/833042035
By LINDA MASTERS AND JANE TURNBURKE – Special to the Herald Times
