Paradox Coordinated Weed Management Area Plan

The UP Project and the WMA Partners (USFS, BLM, Montrose County, NRCS, and The Nature Conservancy) have begun work on the Paradox Coordinated Weed Management Area Plan. The Paradox Weed Management Area (WMA) consists of 116,000 acres located on the southwest part of the Uncompahgre Plateau in western Colorado.   This will be the third CWMA Plan drafted by the WMA partners for West Montrose County.  The Horsefly CWMA Plan, completed in 2006, encompasses 143,000 acres.  The Tabeguache CWMA Plan, completed in 2007, encompasses 213,816 acres. With the completion of the Paradox CWMA Plan, the WMA partners will have successfully inventoried and developed integrated weed management strategies for almost 500,000 acres! 

These efforts have been made possible by a 2005 Uravan Mill Natural Resources Damage Fund Grant that was awarded to Montrose County, the US Forest Service, The Nature Conservancy and the Bureau of Land Management for natural conservation and reclamation through weed management.  The UP Project received grant money from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, National Forest Foundation, EnCana, and the Center for Invasive Plant Management Grant to develop Coordinated Weed Management Area Plans and Treatment Programs for this area.  Because of the varied land status of the Uravan Area and the awarding of funds to the different entities, it was agreed that a collaborative effort was needed in order to accomplish an effective and efficient program.

The purpose of this project is to facilitate cooperation among all land managers and private landowners for the mapping, monitoring, control, and prevention of weeds within a WMA.  The formation of a CWMA Plan replaces jurisdictional boundaries that can be barriers to proper weed management with natural and more logical boundaries.  An exciting aspect of the current grant money awarded is the opportunity to provide a Cost Share Program for private landowners in the West End of Montrose County. 

Coordinated treatment of the “West Montrose County WMAs” was initiated in 2006 by the WMA partners and will continue through 2011.  Treatment will commence in Spring 2008, following the treatment strategies outlined within the CWMA Plans.   Efforts will focus on the highest priority noxious weed species.

Boundary maps of the West Montrose County WMAs

 

Public Outreach - "Spread the Word, Not the Weeds!"

The WMA partners have established Noxious Weed Best Management Practices for users of public lands. The BMPS are:

Early Detection- Rapid Response

• Learn how to identify high-priority weed species.
• Inspect high risk areas such as roads, ditches, stream banks, trailheads, parking areas, campgrounds and any areas with bare soil for new weed infestations.  Report new infestations to your County Weed Department (Montrose 249-5216, Delta 234-5096, San Miguel 327-0399) or the BLM/USFS Office (240-5300).
• If you find a small isolated patch of weeds, collect the seeds or flowers in a plastic bag for disposal and pull the weeds.  Contact the County of BLM/USFS about the infestation.

Prevent the Spread of Weeds

• Use weed free forage for horses and livestock.
• Avoid transporting weed seeds on clothing, pets, horses, recreational vehicles (ATVs) and vehicles by not traveling through areas that are highly infested with weeds.
• Clean all vehicles, trailers and equipment before entering public lands.

Maintain Healthy Plant Communities

• Restrict travel to established roads and trails.

An educational flyer of these BMPS has been created and will be posted at high traffic areas including parking areas, campgrounds and trailheads. To view a copy of the flyer, click here.

Spotted Knapweed Treatment Project

Within the 143,000-acre Horsefly WMA, coordinated treatment of noxious weeds is on-going.  One particular project is to control an outbreak of spotted knapweed that covers about 4,800 acres in the Ute Area.  Since 2007, the UP Project has been working cooperatively with private landowners, NRCS, Montrose County, utility companies and the US Forest Service to treat this aggressive invader.  The UP Project was successful in receiving a $37,000 –Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) grant, administered through the NRCS, to treat noxious weeds on private lands.  In Summer 2007, a commercial pesticide applicator treated approximately 125 chemical acres of high infestation areas on four private properties.  Through the grant, the spotted knapweed will be treated twice a year for three years.  These private landowners are also able to take advantage of Montrose County’s Weed Cost Share Program, initiated with the help of the UP Project, to defray the costs of treatments.  The local Habitat Partnership Program (HPP) has also awarded $4,750 for herbicide costs for this project. 

In addition, the UP Project has coordinated the treatment of spotted knapweed in areas adjacent to these private lands, including the right-of-ways of the Trans Co. pipeline and Tri-State powerline.  Montrose County is treating the county roads in the area and the US Forest Service is treating its lands in the area.  Through this cooperative project, we can increase the effectiveness of our treatment efforts.

Spotted knapweed infestation on private land in the Ute Area.

 

Roubideau Canyon Russian Knapweed Project

This summer, in coordination with the BLM, the UP Project will hire a contractor to treat Russian knapweed in an 18-mile stretch of Roubideau and Potter Canyons.  This is the third year that this rugged and hard-to-reach section of canyons will be been treated.  In Summer 2007, 35 chemical acres were treated via horseback over 11 days. The UP Project was successful in receiving a $2,400 grant from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation to assist with this project.

Spraying weeds via horseback in Roubideau and Potter Canyons

25 Mesa Yellow Toadflax Project

The UP Project was successful in receiving a $4,000 grant from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation for the treatment of yellow toadflax in the 25 Mesa area.  Yellow toadflax is a perennial forb with bright yellow flowers, resembling a snapdragon.  Although it may look attractive, it aggressively pushes out native grasses and other perennials, reducing diversity and forage production for livestock and wildlife.  Treatment of this noxious weed will begin in Summer 2008. 

BASF Project

The UP Project was successful in receiving a $15,000 grant from the BASF Chemical Corporation for the treatment of purple loosestrife and tamarisk on private and public lands within the West Montrose County WMAs.  Purple loosestrife is a Colorado State List A Noxious Weed.  This designation dictates that counties, land management agencies and private landowners must eradicate any known infestations.  The funding secured by the UP Project will assist the WMA partners in meeting this mandate.  Purple loosestrife is a highly aggressive invader of wetland sites. If left unchecked, a wetland will eventually become a monoculture of loosestrife. This plant poses a severe threat to waterfowl habitat and can impede water flow in irrigation ditches.  Tamarisk is a shrub or tree native to the Mediterranean, China and Central Asia.  This plant is currently infesting waterways throughout the west.  Tamarisk shrubs contain salt that they deposit onto the soil through their leaves.  Other riparian species are unable to survive the salty conditions and tamarisk can then become the only plant growing in an area.

To learn more about our Invasive Species Management Programs, click here.

Back to Current News Page.