Weed Prevention Areas

A long-term approach to the protection of rangelands from weed spread is being conducted through the Montana Weed Prevention Program at Montana State University, funded by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

Weed Prevention Areas are a designation aimed at keeping rangelands that currently have few or no weeds from being infested. These local level prevention systems direct proactive approaches to weeds, which are more successful than common reactive approaches that focus on land already dominated by weeds. In a WPA, stakeholders collectively 1) implement site-specific strategies to protect weed-free landscapes from invasion over time and 2) design local education campaigns to influence public opinion and policy for long-term support and investments in prevention.

Weed Prevention Areas are underway across 4.4 million acres in several eastern Montana counties (located east of the Continental Divide), a region largely dominated by weed-free plains grassland.

Blaine (two WPAs, north and south)
Phillips
Garfield (two WPAs)
Prairie
Hill
Liberty/Toole
Teton (two WPAs)
Custer
Prairie/Fallon/Wibaux

Image courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey, Flagstaff, AZ.

How Weed Prevention Areas Are Developed in Montana

A regional awareness campaign begins with a call to action. Advertisements and seasonal messages appear in local and regional newspapers; public service announcements are heard on on local radio.
County weed leaders work together to identify and delineate high-priority rangelands and critical zones where weeds are advancing.
Weed-free conditions of WPAs are maintained via rancher-designed plans, specific for each WPA, and formulated with a knowledge network approach.
WPA plans are evaluated annually and include local-level education, weed exclusion, detection and mapping, eradication, and ecosystem management components.
Communication within and among WPAs is improved with annual prevention symposiums.
Efforts are made to secure incentives and permanent funding for local-level early detection/rapid response.
Guidelines are formulated to coordinate weed prevention, including training protocol for ranchers to develop ranch-specific weed surveys.

NRCS Invasive Species
Technical Note MT-15

Developing Invasive Weed Prevention Areas for Rangeland Ecosystems

Locating Invasive Plants
Range Riders
Range riders are experts at identifying weeds and have GPS experience, so they can assist WPA ranchers with early detection surveys. Range riders collect rancher knowledge on weed spread, survey susceptible sites, and help ranchers protect the weed-free status of their ranch. Large weed-free areas are mapped by range riders (also called weed scouts) and prioritized for protection from weed spread by public and private landowners. Complete 2006 Report
Detection Dogs
To support eradication of invasive plant populations in WPAs, project coordinator Kim Goodwin is researching the use of search dogs to improve detection rates for small or obscure plants that frequently go undetected by surveyors and escape control. Small plants that go undetected can reproduce and prolong eradication and increase operational costs. Slide show and video of detection dogs in action Weed Hound Abstract presented at 2007 Society for Range Management meeting July 2007 article from Montana State University News Services 2003 CNN Science and Space International article December 2003 article from Montana State University News Services

Resources
	Attention All Hunters Logo A series of eastern Montana newspapers ran this ad in 2007 and 2008 to encourage hunters to call local weed districts if they find spotted knapweed. This example is for Blaine County. View larger image
	Protect Riparian Areas Logo Riparian areas in semi-arid grasslands are vulnerable to weed invasion. Weed seeds are transported by water from upstream areas to new sites with favorable conditions resulting from the natural disturbance associated with spring flooding. Rivers and streams can be corridors of invasion whereby infested waterways act as source populations for the invasion of upland sites. Land managers should anticipate invasion of riparian areas and frequently monitor these sites for quick detection and removal of new invasions. View larger image
	Weed Prevention Areas Logo View larger image
	Awareness Advertisement Awareness messages are placed in local and regional newspapers and magazines to increase awareness of the problem of weed spread and promote the urgency of early intervention. View larger image
Publications Contact Kim Goodwin for information on how to order the following publications.
	Weed Threats to Eastern Montana Houndstongue Knapweed Leafy spurge Saltcedar Toadflax Yellow starthistle Whitetop
	Montana State University Extension Service program pamphlet Weeds Not Welcome Describes collaboration efforts in the Phillips County weed prevention area and other counties with similar inter-agency weed prevention area partnerships.
	Rancher and Hunter Partnerships Weed-free Rangelands & Wildlife Habitat Hunters have a vested interest in protecting healthy rangelands which many game species depend on for survival. This brochure provides photos and plant characteristics of weed threats to eastern Montana, outlines prevention actions hunters can take to minimize the risk of invasion, and requests hunters to report new invasions.