Russian Knapweed

Sierra County Cooperative Weed Management Area

Sierra SWCD - Your local leaders in natural resources.

“Noxious Weed”:

• Plants designated by federal law, state law, or county ordinance in accordance to the species potential threat to cause a negative economic or ecological impact.

 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 voluntary 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. In 2005, the Sierra SWCD lead the effort to convert the existing agreements into the Sierra County Cooperative Weed Management Area (CWMA). This conversion allowed the participants to become eligible for new funding efforts to implement noxious weed control programs.

Cooperators within the Cooperative Weed Management Area (CWMA) include:

Private Landowners
County of Sierra
Sierra & Caballo Soil and Water Conservation District
City of Truth or Consequences
Village of Williamsburg
City of Elephant Butte
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Reclamation
Gila National Forest
New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department
New Mexico State Land Office
New Mexico Cooperative Extension Service
New Mexico Department of Agriculture
New Mexico State Parks

   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 Sierra County CWMA. 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 Sierra County CWMA, 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 Sierra County CWMA.

   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 CWMA, this allows for the development of prevention practices and prioritization of treatment and monitoring strategies.        

   The Sierra SWCD currently employs a licensed public applicator, who is experienced in integrated pest management. He is available to provide technical advice associated with identification, containment, and treatment methods. Some herbicides and spray equipment are available through the CWMA 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 Cooperative Weed Management Area. Also, feel free to contact our office.

Sierra County Cooperative Weed Management Area MOU. (PDF)

Currently noxious weeds inventoried within Sierra County are:

If you believe you have seen any of these listed noxious weeds, please contact someone in our office as soon as possible. We need to place that location in our inventory and start a treatment method.

Links

New Mexico Soil & Water Conservation Districts

New Mexico Department of Agriculture

National Associations of Conservation Districts