September 2015

Welcome to the Teton County Weed and Pest District newsletter! We plan on updating subscribers monthly on useful information pertaining to Mosquitoes and Invasive Species.

 

In this edition you will find information regarding:

  • How to win the noxious weed battle once and for all!

  • Hunting with Integrity
  • Early Detection, Rapid Response - Old Bill's Fun Run 2015
  • Weed Free Forage - Now is a great time to buy!
  • Upcoming Events - September 12th JHWMA at Old Bills Fun Run, Annual Weed Tour & Board meeting in Alta
How to win the noxious weed battle once and for all! 
By Rachel Daluge - Office manager
As the current office manager for Teton County Weed & Pest District (TCWP), I get a lot of questions. One question that seems to prevail is "How to win the noxious weed battle once and for all!" I like to sum it up in 3 words 1) Know, 2) Prevent, and 3) Control. Here I have outlined the necessary measures to be taken to accomplish these goals.
Matt, 2015 seasonal crew member 
1)     Know what weeds you have. Often time's people call or come into the office saying they have thistles. One of the more easily identifiable plants, thistles top the list of most reported weeds in Teton County. Since thistle species are so widespread and relatively easy to control, they actually are considered a lower priority for TCWP.  Plant species such as dyer's woad, leafy spurge, St. Johnswort, whitetop, perennial pepperweed, and field bindweed are a higher priority because they are more rare, and our mission is to eradicate them or prohibit further spread from current locations. For more information on weed species and priority designation visit our noxious weed ID and priority list page at www.tcweed.org/Noxious-Weed-ID.php. Feel free to stop by our office to pick up a weed pocket guide, schedule a site visit at no charge with a TCWP employee, and check out our website www.tcweed.org to make sure you really know what weeds you're dealing with.
 
2)     Prevent weeds from seeding. Timing is also a commonly asked question. For a complete weed management plan, one should judge when to control weeds not by how large they're getting, rather by paying close attention to if you are seeing a flower or not. No matter how small a weed is, if you're seeing flowers you're running out of time. While you can still control a plant once it goes to seed the best bang for your buck will be right before they are about to bloom, followed by treatment as new growth occurs.  Another opportune time for treatment of recurrent, perennial species is in the early fall following the first hard-killing frost.
 
3)     Control future infestations. Prevention is the most important method to control invasive species.  Prevent introduction of weed species on your property by cleaning recreational equipment (bikes, boats, ATV/UTV's, tents), boots, and feeding weed free forage to animals. Another great way to reduce the chances of infestations is to provide conditions inhospitable to weed seed germination. A few ways to do this include developing a weed management plan, eliminating bare ground by planting native species, and handling weeds wisely. Weeds that have been pulled should go in a black trash bag and thrown away. Be sure to be thorough and don't ignore the small plants! Many weed species have a two year life span with the first year being called a rosette. This circular arrangement of leaves close to the soil is the very best time to treat a weed. For information regarding native plants, contact Teton Conservation District at (307) 733-2110 or www.tetonconservation.org.  If revegetating an area, we also encourage you to visit www.tcweed.org/Revegetation.php for advice on the entire process. 
 
Good luck and as always please don't hesitate to call the office at (307) 733-8419, email us at office@tcweed.org, or visit us at 7575 S. Highway 89 in Jackson, Wyoming. We encourage the questions as the more you know the easier it is for all of us. 
Hunting with Integrity
By Amy Collett, Marketing and Education Coordinator 
           The recent chill in the air rouses excitement that awakens one in the wee hours of the morning, to layer up for the frosty dew, to spend time in the outdoors, to hunt. Whether you hunt to fill your freezer, for sport, or to just spend quiet time in the outdoors we all have a responsibility to care for this place. This place that is rich in vegetation, water, mammals, and birds does not need our presence; however we need it to survive and to hold a sense of peace in our lives. Hunting, boating, rock climbing, mountain biking, camping, hiking, whatever you love to do in the outdoors requires integrity. This is having the courage to do the right thing all the time, in every circumstance whether or not anyone is watching. There are many things you can do: Reduce Reuse Recycle (RRR), Leave No Trace, conserve water, compost, and PlayCleanGo to name a few.
PlayCleanGo is an education and outreach campaign for outdoor recreationists developed to promote awareness, understanding, and cooperation by providing a clear call to action to be informed, attentive and accountable for stopping the spread of invasive species. PlayCleanGo is as easy as brushing your teeth when you wake up, washing the dishes after you eat, or taking a shower after a long day. Actually it's easier! Go out and PLAY! When you get back to your vehicle or home CLEAN your pants, socks, shoes, and pets of any seeds, wash off any mud that may be on your shoes or equipment, then GO! This is so much easier than trying to identify every invasive species everywhere you recreate. If you do see an invasive that you are familiar with, avoid it. Easy right? 
Learn about the JHWMA's Early Detection, Rapid Response at Old Bill's Fun Run 2015!

Stop by our booth on run day to learn more about Prevention and Early Detection, Rapid Response! 
Weed Free Forage - Now is a great time to buy!
By Travis Ziehl, TCWP Assistant Supervisor
            Every year Teton County Weed & Pest District certifies a few thousand acres of forage to the North American Invasive Species Management Association's (NAISMA) weed free forage standards. Fields as well as hay storage areas are inspected for propagating plant parts to help ensure the end users are receiving a quality forage product with the intended purpose of helping to reduce and prevent the spread of invasive species where the material is being utilized. Further, the District has a county-wide quarantine requiring forage brought in to the area be certified to the NAISMA standard. To complement the quarantine many federal partners also have the same requirement for people entering our national parks and forests.
          There are three ways to determine if hay is certified as weed free; it can be wrapped in the NAISMA twine which is purple and yellow, it can have a bale tag attached to every bale, or it can have a signed transit certificate and the supporting paperwork documented.
          As September rolls around and hunting season starts many folks are in need of certified hay. The District maintains a list of producers that raise certified weed free forage and it is available by contacting our office at 
733-8419.  
Upcoming Events
Saturday - September 12th - The JHWMA will host a booth at Old Bill's Fun Run from 8 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. on the Town Square. Stop by to learn how we are protecting the ecosystem with our Early Detection, Rapid Response program! 

Tuesday, September 22nd -The Teton County Weed and Pest will hold their annual weed tour at 5 p.m. and monthly board meeting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, September 22nd in Alta. Please call the district office for meeting location at 733-8419.
Thank you for subscribing to the Teton County Weed and Pest District Newsletter. We hope that you find the information useful! If there are any topics that would be of interest to you, please email me your suggestions. 

 

 

Sincerely, 

Amy Collett
Teton County Weed and Pest District
7575 S. Hwy 89 Jackson, WY 83001
307-733-8419

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