Chaffee County Noxious Weed Program

12/19/2024

I had the honor of being selected for the Colorado W**d Management Association's W**d Manager of the Year for 2024 for some of my contributions to the world of W**d Management in Colorado.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to be recognized by my peers, and I would like to say thank you to this community and to all of the individuals that have stepped up to the plate of land management and stewardship. Successful conservation depends on all of us.

Thank you, and Happy Holidays!
-Kayla Malone

SALIDA, COLO - Kayla Malone, Chaffee County’s Noxious W**d Department Director, has been named the 2024 Colorado W**d Manager of the Year in recognition

09/17/2024

PUNCTUREVINE AKA GOATHEADS!!!!

This species is not yet widespread across the county, and until recently, was not formally known to occur in Chaffee County (though it has been shared that this plant has been locally around for at least 30 years!). Within the past 5 years, the population has spread widely around the Salida area. Seeds are being imported and moved with contaminated fill materials, and as accidental hitchhikers. This movement of seeds, coupled with disturbance and development is creating a perfect storm for the spread of puncturevine. It has been observed increasing areas within and around the S Mountain trail system. The seeds are sharp enough and firm enough to pop bicycle tires and can severely injure our four-legged friends.

This species is an aggressive annual that re-grows from seeds every season. This means that mechanical efforts that include disposing of seeds are effective at reducing the spread of this species. The recommendations are to dig out or hand pull plants at the center of the rosette, and then bag and throw away in a garbage can or burn the seeds. Since seeds have already been produced, herbicide treatments are ineffective at preventing future plants. Seeds can remain viable in the soil for over 5 years, so repeated control and removal is required for adequate control.

More information on this species can be found here: https://ag.colorado.gov/conservation/noxious-w**ds/noxious-w**d-species-id/puncturevine #:~:text=Puncturevine%20is%20a%20summer%20annual,5%20to%208%20oval%20leaves.

05/29/2024

Let's talk about hemlock! There is a post making the rounds, and I thought it would be good to provide some local context:

There are two species of hemlock located in Chaffee County. (There are also several other look-alike species.) We have both Water hemlock, which is a native species, AND Poison hemlock, with is a C-list Noxious w**d species. Both of these plants have the ability to kill people, pets or livestock by accidental consumption, and both pose serious risks, regardless of their native or non-native status. There are significant known populations of these species moving along ditches and waterways, creating dangerous situations where deadly plants are growing in agricultural areas, residential backyards, and pasturelands where livestock are likely to encounter them. These populations are locally managed by individual landowners, and the seeds are going to continue to move downstream and continue to spread. Livestock will typically avoid these plants if quality forage is available, however if it is in hay, it is nearly impossible for livestock to avoid.

Livestock have died in Chaffee County as a result of hemlock poisoning. People in Chaffee County have mistaken the identity of these plants and poisoned themselves (no known deaths that the w**d department is aware of). This is a very real problem and one that will continue to occur if active management and awareness does not occur.

Signs of poisoning usually appear within an hour after an animal eats the plant. Animals die from respiratory paralysis in 2 to 3 hours. Signs to look for in animals include:
-a loss of appetite
-excessive salivation
-bloat
-a rapid but feeble pulse
-evidence of muscular incoordination
-appearance of great abdominal pain.

More information about these species, management options, and toxicity information, please see this website from Oregon State University: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/crop-production/pastures-forages/poison-hemlock-western-waterhemlock-deadly-plants-may-be-growing

05/02/2024

Great information from Archuleta County W**d and Pest ! Thanks for the reminder!!

04/30/2024

This week’s w**d report:

Noxious W**ds - Information on these species (and more) can be found in the Chaffee County W**d Department Shared Resource Drive at:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1CJB3bQxTqurJE5gB_awIEOVCFvEu6h6A?usp=sharing

Cheatgrass – C-list: This species is up, growing, and near flowering at southern locations in Chaffee County. Look for the light brown thatch layer and remaining stems for hints that you may be dealing with Cheat grass. This species is an annual and depends on preventing seeds to effectively control. Mechanical controls can be effective. Herbicide treatments are difficult to execute effectively. This species is common in disturbed habitats across Chaffee County.

Hoary Cress B-List: This species has emerged and is currently in the rosette, bolting, or pre-flower stages depending on your location, warmth, and moisture availability. This species is an aggressive colonizing perennial plant that emerges in the spring, blooms aggressively, and often dies back all in the springtime, making the management window for control extremely short. Effective controls include spot treatments with selective herbicides and require restoration of native grass species.

Field Bindw**d – C-list: This species breaks ground in bare dirt, pavement, sidewalks, and other edge habitats. As a true perennial species, it is extremely difficult to control effectively in the spring while this plant is pushing up nutrients. Consistent control with defined goals are critical to the successful long term management of this species. Common across southern Chaffee County.

Red-stem Filaree C-List: This species is actively flowering. Seeds will be setting soon. This species does not compete well with other vegetation, so any management should include revegetation with competitive grasses. Common on roadsides and waste areas.

Common Mullein C-List: This species is a biennial and rosettes are up. Mechanical control such as hand pulling and digging out rosettes are effective at controlling this species. Herbicide treatments require the use of good surfactants to pe*****te the hairy leaf surface. Common on roadsides, disturbed sites, railroad tracks, parking areas, etc.

03/21/2024

"If you think controlling or managing invasive plants on
your property is a daunting task, you’re not alone. Though
this topic is getting lots of attention from federal, state,
and local government agencies, as well as the media, the
basic question for most homeowners is simply, 'How do I
get rid of the invasive plants in my own landscape?'"

If you have wondered about how to actually go about controlling invasive plants on your property, here is great (but brief) guide on management options for controlling Invasive Plants. Utilizing a range of methods to prevent and control invasive species is called Integrated W**d Management. Ensuring you have an Integrated W**d Management Plan can help reduce your dependence on herbicides, while helping to support our native plants.

I found this great document from New England Wildflower Society and wanted to share it with you. While most the species examples they use are not typically a concern in Colorado, the management techniques and strategies are critical to local success of w**d management.

Linked Document: "Managing Invasive Plants Methods of Control" by Christopher Mattrick. Conservation Notes of the New England Wildflower Society
https://extension.unh.edu/sites/default/files/migrated_unmanaged_files/Resource000988_Rep1135.pdf

03/18/2024

It may be hard to believe, but the w**ds were already growing and will be taking full advantage of the spring moisture. Are your w**d management plans ready?!

Early season many annual w**ds are small and can be easily controlled with mechanical methods. Consider checking out your problem areas as the snow melts back and start your removal work now. This is a post from a couple years ago, but the pictures and recommendations are just as accurate now as they were then.

It is also a great time to get those native seeds out onto your bare ground sites to take advantage of some spring precipitation and scarification in the wide temperature swings we are experiencing. Did you know that many native seeds require several weeks to (sometimes) months in order to germinate??

03/14/2024

Do you love our amazing natural areas? Are you looking for a meaningful career in local conservation? Do you want to spend your summers exploring exciting public lands while directly contributing to large scale stewardship in your community?

Then look no further!!

The Chaffee County Noxious W**d Department is hiring for the 2024 season and beyond! We are currently looking for a permanent, full time program assistant to join the team. In addition to this permanent position, we are also recruiting for summer seasonal employees.

See the Chaffee County website for full job descriptions!

https://www.chaffeecounty.org/finance-and-hr-employment-opportunities

07/06/2023

Puncturevine has been moving around the lower part of Chaffee County. Populations have appeared in town in both Salida and Poncha Springs. The seeds are hard and sharp enough to pop bike tires and injure people and pets.

Please be on the lookout for this nasty noxious w**d!

06/07/2023

FYI: the beautiful yellow plant that is currently blooming across the county IS NOT toadflax. I have received a few calls and comments about, so I figured I would try to get the word out.

The species currently blooming are called "Golden Banners" or "Golden Peas", Thermopsis montana, and is a native plant. . Conditions have been ideal for this plants growth and blooms this season, and robust populations have been identified in several different areas. All of the Golden Banners are in the pea family. They can be identified by their hooded flowers and leaves in groups of three.

Both of the toadflax species bloom at the end of summer. Yellow toadflax has narrow, linear leaves. Dalmatian toadflax has large, heart-shaped leaves.
Edit: photos were shared today, June 7th with photos of blooming Dalmatian toadflax. I was not aware of these species overlapping with blooms before. Thanks for sharing your photos with us!

Edit: We have an extensive digital library of materials that you can access, print and use. This library is FREE and available all the time! It includes fact sheets, posters, worksheets, and lots of printable materials.

The library of content can be accessed here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/111u3mnomhf_dkycxgYO_gXj9LxD3FNh_?usp=sharing

05/16/2023

Chaffee County Noxious W**d Program and Colorado State University Extension Services is hosting a landowner workshop (at no cost!) next week at the Chaffee County Fairgrounds. Come join me for a day of education related to noxious w**d control, identification, and responsible herbicide use. Please plan to bring your clean (triple rinsed) sprayer to the event and we can help you calibrate it!

See you next week!!