A Landowner’s Guide DEVELOPING A NOXIOUS WEED MANAGEMENT PLAN Contents 1. Introduction 2. Understanding the Noxious Weed Issue 3. First Steps for Developing Your Plan a. Identify the Cause of Your Infestation b. Decide How You Will Use the Land c. Will the Site Need Revegetation? d. Decide What Success Will Look Like 4. Learn to Identify the Weeds You Have 5. Mapping 6. Learn What Treatment Methods to Use a. IPM - Integrated Pest Management b. Prioritization c. Choosing a Treatment 7. Treatment Records 8. Monitoring and Follow Up 9. Final Notes 10. Appendices A Landowner’s Guide Developing a Noxious Weed Management Plan 2 | Page Introduction This guide is meant to help landowners begin to understand the steps needed to develop a long-term noxious weed management and land stewardship plan. The plan each landowner develops will be unique to their property. The steps involve evaluating current and desired conditions; identifying and mapping noxious weed populations; controlling the weeds and then monitoring the results. The goal is to help the land become more resistant to future noxious weed invasions. By understanding the different elements, a landowner will be able to make choices that meet their needs. A Landowner’s Guide Developing a Noxious Weed Management Plan 3 | Page Understanding the Noxious Weed Issue MYRTLE SPURGE Noxious weeds are invasive non-native plants that displace desirable plants. They arrived here from areas outside Colorado, usually from Europe, Asia, or Africa. Some arrived here as contaminants in seed, packing, and hay. Some were brought here as ornamentals or forage plants but have escaped and moved into agricultural and natural lands. Some came here as hitchhikers on vehicles and equipment. Noxious weeds are well adapted for survival. Some have seeds that expel from their seedpod, some have hooks, some auger like a corkscrew into the soil, and some last in the soil for 50-100 years. Many have deep spreading roots, dense shallow roots, or modified structures called rhizomes and stolons. Some noxious weeds have thick leaves that help them retain water, spines that prevent animals from eating them, modified leaf petioles that help them float, or growth buds that let them regenerate from small plant fragments. Impacts Natural Lands Noxious weeds disrupt ecosystems by altering the movement of soil, water and sometimes fire. They displace the native plants that birds, animals, fish, and insects need for food and shelter. Many times, noxious weeds form large patches that do not allow other plants to grow resulting in a smaller number of species and less individual plants. A Landowner’s Guide Developing a Noxious Weed Management Plan 4 | Page Many times, when a noxious weed takes over, the wildlife that rely on native plants to survive will be forced out of an area. Agriculture Noxious weeds invade rangeland and pastures reducing the LAND USES amount of forage that a site may produce. They compete with crops for water, sunlight, and space. They contaminate hay. Some are toxic to livestock. Landscaped Areas Noxious weeds move in to landscaped areas and compete with desirable plants for resources. Riparian Noxious weeds infest water bodies and along the edges of lakes, streams, and water ditches. They change the movement, clarity, and chemistry of the water which changes what animals, fish, and invertebrates can live in an area. The weeds also may alter the temperature of the water. This occurs when invasive weeds crowd out the native plants that create the canopy that provides shade. Transportation corridors Noxious weeds take over areas next to our highways, roads, and trails. Some weeds are more flammable and can create a higher fire risk next to road and railroad rights-of-way. Weeds can also affect how animals shelter next to and cross roadways, often creating higher risks to motorists. Recreational lands Noxious weeds affect recreational lands by creating barriers, changing the aesthetics, and impacting plants and wildlife. Colorado’s Noxious Weed Law Colorado enacted the Noxious Weed Law in 1990 and updated it in 2003 to include a prioritized list. Colorado’s weed list is divided into List A, B, C and Watch Lists that are based on the occurrence of the different weeds within Colorado and within regions of Colorado. List A weeds are ones not known to occur in Colorado or whose populations are limited. List A weeds must be eradicated (completely eliminated). List B weeds may be widespread in some areas and limited in others. The State determines where list B populations must be eradicated, contained, or suppressed. List C weeds are common and widespread. Their control is recommended. A Landowner’s Guide Developing a Noxious Weed Management Plan 5 | Page The law requires property owners to control their noxious weeds. Each county and municipality must have a noxious weed management plan and must provide notice to property owners when weeds requiring eradication are discovered. The State, counties and municipalities must control weeds on their properties the same as private properties. Counties and municipalities may also enforce the requirements of the Weed Law. A Landowner’s Guide Developing a Noxious Weed Management Plan 6 | Page First Steps for Developing Your Plan Identify the Cause of Your Infestation There are basic steps a land manager needs to take DISTURBANCE when developing a noxious weed management plan. The first step to a successful plan is identifying why you have them. Things to Consider Soil disturbance - when soil and existing vegetation is disturbed it creates an opportunity for weeds to move into an area left open or for seeds in the soil to be exposed and germinate. Contaminated materials - Weeds often are introduced unintentionally as contaminants in seed, soil, hay, or revegetation materials. Contaminated vehicles, equipment, or gear - Weed seeds and plant fragments can easily be moved by becoming lodged on vehicles and equipment. Seeds also move easily by attaching to clothing, shoes, and gear. Animals - Pets, domestic livestock and wildlife may spread weeds when seeds attach to their coats or through their droppings. Environmental - Wind, water, and soil can move seeds and plant fragments. Weed Biology - Not all weeds are moved the same way. To understand invasion, you will also need to learn how the weeds you are managing grow and reproduce. A Landowner’s Guide Developing a Noxious Weed Management Plan 7 | Page Decide How You Will Use the Land Deciding how you will use the land will help guide you in DIFFUSE KNAPWEED developing your strategy. Landscaped - If you are refurbishing or replanting a landscape or lawn, you need to consider what techniques you will use to manage your weeds as the landscaping or lawn gets established. You will need to consider weed control methods and timing. Natural - You need to learn about the desirable plants on your land so that you can choose appropriate vegetation management methods and timing. Agricultural - You need to learn about management methods that will result in long-term results, increased production, and lower costs. Will the Site Need Revegetation? Often, once the weeds are controlled, an area will need to be reseeded or replanted. This is done to create healthy, competitive vegetation that will help resist invasion. Natural Areas Revegetating natural areas in Colorado is best done in the spring or fall and normally do not require fertilization. Colorado’s native plants have adapted to low nutrient soils and most do not do well when fertilized. Hay and Grazing If you are planning to hay or graze your land, you should decide which desirable plants you want to promote and choose techniques that benefit the beneficial plants. Hay - Hay may be native or introduced; grasses or forbs; or a combination. How you manage your hay-lands will depend on timing and the control methods you use. Do you irrigate, do you cut once or multiple times, do you fertilize, do you reseed? If using herbicide, how long must you wait to cut? Graze - Rangeland and pastures may be native or introduced; grasses or forbs; or a combination. How you manage your grazing lands will depend on timing and the control A Landowner’s Guide Developing a Noxious Weed Management Plan 8 | Page methods you use. Do you irrigate, do you graze small numbers for long periods or large numbers for small periods, do you fertilize, do you reseed? If using herbicide, how long must you wait to graze? Decide What Success Will Look Like Clearly identifying your ultimate goal and deciding what success will look like for your property will help you devise a plan that will provide long-term success. It will allow you to choose techniques based on the weeds you have, your site conditions, and the resources you have available. When deciding what your goals are, you will need to factor in the state’s required level of control. In Colorado, noxious weeds are regulated and are prioritized based on their abundance in the state. Their level of control is mandated based on their location and prevalence. A Landowner’s Guide Developing a Noxious Weed Management Plan 9 | Page Learn to Identify the Weeds You Have If you are not already familiar with the noxious weeds found in your area, one of your first steps towards noxious weed control is learning to identify the plants on your property. There are many resources available online that will provide descriptions and pictures of the noxious weeds in your area. See the Resources section in Appendix A Before you can decide on a management plan you need to understand the weeds you will be controlling so that you can choose methods that will be effective, timed correctly, and support your long-term land management goals.