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Russian Knapweed |
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Sierra County Voluntary Noxious Weed Control Program |
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Sierra SWCD - Your local leaders in natural resources. |
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“Noxious Weed”:
Noxious weeds have spread throughout the Western United States experientially and millions of acres have been impacted. These infestations have a nationwide annual economic impact of 7.8 billion dollars with the reduction of property values, agriculture production, wildlife habitat, and recreation. For this reason some have described noxious weeds as a “Biological Wildfire”. This comparison is unequal when one understands that the impact of wildfire is temporary while noxious weed infestations change the ecology permanently. Lands affected by wildfire are able to heal naturally, while areas infested by noxious weeds are unable to return to pre-infestation conditions on their own. The Sierra County Voluntary Noxious Weed Control Program, (SCVNWCP), was implemented in 1999 as a cooperative weed management area. The purpose of forming the SCVNWCP was to educate the public of the threat associated with noxious weeds and encourage a cooperative relationship for the management of noxious weeds through a integrated management plan. Cooperation between land managers is imperative due to the diverse land management within Sierra County.
Cooperators within the SCVNWCP consist of: Private Landowners Due to the increased mobilization of our present society, seeds from these invasive plants are capable of moving greater distances then anytime in the past. These species are showing up in areas that have not been historically associated with these exotic weeds. This is the main reason that a educational component is emphasized in the SCVNWMA. The greater number of people looking for noxious weeds and understanding their potential, the sooner small infestations can be managed at an economically beneficial level. Noxious weeds are capable of spreading at 14% of their existing acreage annually. Cooperation between land managers allows for integrated weed management to be carried out across property boundaries as weeds fail to recognize human devised perimeters. The Sierra SWCD was chosen as the lead agency in the SCVNWMA, due to the District’s ability to work on private, federal, or state managed lands. While the Sierra SWCD is the lead agency, the other cooperators provide assistance through technical advice, labor, equipment, and monetary resources which can be utilized anywhere within the SCVNWMA. Working with the above parties the Sierra SWCD is able to map and inventory infestations throughout the county and coordinate management efforts of identified infestations. Management implementation is purely voluntary and coincides with your current land management goals. The ability to inventory and map infestations is another priority of the SCVNWMA, this allows for the development of prevention practices and prioritization of treatment and monitoring strategies. The Sierra SWCD currently employs two licensed public applicators, who are experienced in integrated pest management. They are available to provide technical advice associated with identification, containment, and treatment methods. If you so desire, you may request them to implement treatment methods upon the property you manage, at no cost to you. Herbicides and spray equipment are also available through the SCVNWMA for your personal use if you opt to treat any of the listed noxious weeds yourself. A small refundable deposit is attached to the equipment in the event of damage which might occur while the equipment is in your possession. For further information, please read the attached Memorandum of Understanding that defines the Sierra County Voluntary Noxious Weed Control Program. Currently noxious weeds inventoried within Sierra County are: Russian knapweed (Acroptilon repens) |
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