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| 1,300 acres of noxious weeds targeted in eastern Crook County | ||
| 08/07/2007 | ||
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19 private landowners and 5 public entities coordinate efforts With help from the Oregon Lottery, public and private landowners in eastern Crook County are conducting a campaign to reduce noxious weeds, and several projects are in process. Currently, treatments on Whitetop are ending, and project partners are preparing to take on perennial pepperweed and Russian knapweed. The multi-year project began in May with chemical treatment of noxious weeds along several roads and on the fringes of agricultural land. This round of work focused on Whitetop but also dealt with Scotch thistle, houndstongue, and spotted knapweed. The Crooked River Weed Management Area coordinates weed control and site rehabilitation efforts among the various landowners. Debra Bunch was the organization’s coordinator at the time of the project’s inception. “Noxious weeds are very damaging to agricultural lands and native ecosystems, out-competing desirable vegetation and allowing runoff, erosion, and sedimentation,” Bunch explained. The 1.1 million acres of land assessed in this project consists of about 55% public land and 45% private land. surveyor has met with the various landowners to discuss the specific weed treatments needed on their land. Landowners implement treatment themselves, using primarily chemicals but also manual and mechanical methods. Most weed sites will revegetate naturally. If native plants fail to grow on their own, landowners will reseed the sites, Bunch said. The Crooked River Weed Management Area has worked with landowners, Oregon State Weed Board, U.S. Forest Service Ochoco National Forest, Crook County Soil and Water Conservation District, Bureau of Land Management, Crooked River Watershed Council, Crook County Weed Control, and the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, which granted over $33,000 in Oregon Lottery funds toward the total project cost of about $352,000. This summer, two landowners have targeted perennial pepperweed. The focus will shift to Russian knapweed in the fall. In September, project partners will hold a workshop to educate the public about noxious weeds. “This project will help us understand the real extent of noxious weeds in the watershed and get a plan for better control of the infestations,” said Bunch. “Restoring these areas will benefit wildlife, fish, and the public,” she added. When the project is completed in 2009, noxious weed densities at all sites will be reduced by at least 75%. Bunch noted that landowners are adopting land management practices aimed at encouraging native vegetation and keeping out noxious weeds.  This spring, landowners near Beaver Creek sprayed Whitetop (right) and other noxious weeds, which suppress native vegetation and disturb wildlife habitat. |
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