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Idaho has about 800 of the nations 2,000 weed species, most of which
are alien to the state. Idaho's noxious weeds have been introduced from
other regions. We do not have the natural systems to keep them in check.
Importing natural controls is not possible for all weeds, and it takes
decades to and vast resources to introduce naturals controls. As a
result, noxious weeds overwhelm native plant communities and disturbed
areas, spreading steadily year by year. Several species that were
previously unreported have been found each year over the last 10 years.
Recognition of invaders is the first step in dealing with them. |
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Noxious
weeds spread rapidly as if a cancer in the natural system. They
reproduce, multiply, and spread as an explosion of environmental
pollution, in slow motion, While many pollutants tend to decay and
become dilutes, weeds become concentrated and spread to new locations.
Once the habitat becomes infested it may never recover to a native
community even with intensive management |
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Prevention and inspection are the
most economical management system for reducing the rate of noxious weed
spread. Once noxious weeds have become established expect to spend $30
to $70 per acre for management on your land or in higher taxes for their
management on public land. |
What is a noxious weed?
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Noxious weeds are plant species that have been designated "noxious"
by law. The word "noxious" simply means deleterious, and all listed
weeds are deleterious by definition. There are hundreds of weed species
in Idaho; however, only 35 are designated noxious by Idaho law as of
1977. There are hundreds of weeds species in Idaho; however, only 35 are
designated noxious by
Idaho Law as of 1997. Currently, the Idaho Department of Agriculture uses the following
criteria for designation of a noxious weed: |
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It must be present in but not native to Idaho.
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It must be potentially more harmful than
beneficial to Idaho.
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Eradication must be economically physically
feasible.
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The potential adverse impact of the weed must exceed the cost of
control
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The
purpose of the Idaho Noxious Weed Law is to protect lands within
the state from invasion by noxious weeds. The
Idaho Noxious Weed Law requires landowners to eradicate noxious
weeds on their land, except in special management zones. |
Managing
Noxious Weeds
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The
procedure to control noxious weeds depends on the species of weed, the
habitat, the surrounding environment, and the availability of
equipment, materials and personnel. Eradication and restoration
require that weeds be killed. Their very nature make that difficult,
for they are invaders by nature and do not succumb to control except
at great cost. |
Guidelines to help lessen the spread of noxious weeds in Idaho
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Avoid driving in noxious weed infested areas. Seeds can become
stuck in tire treads or mud on the vehicle and be carried to
unaffected areas.
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Don't transport flowering plants that you cannot identify.
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If you find a small number of isolated noxious weeds that have no
flowers or seeds, pull the weeds and leave them where you found them
to dry out.
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If you find noxious weeds and they have flowers or seeds, pull
them, place them in a plastic bag or container to avoid spreading
seeds, and either burn them or dispose of them in a sanitary landfill.
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Report newly-found noxious weeds to the county weed superintendent
or county extension office. If you need help in identifying new weeds
here is the procedure.
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© 1999 University of Idaho:
Text and photographs for these pages from Idaho's Noxious Weeds, by
Robert H. Callihan and Timothy W. Miller (revised by Don W. Morishita
and Larry W. Lass).
Please contact: Ag Publishing, University of Idaho, Moscow,
Idaho 83844-2240; 208 882-7982 visit the Resources for Idaho website at
http://info.ag.uidaho.edu, for more information about this or other
publications.
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