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Introduction
Noxious weeds come in a variety of shapes in forms, but to best
understand the idea of a noxious weed one can refer to the Federal Noxious Weed
Act of 1974 that defines a noxious weed as,
“…any living stage (including seeds and reproductive parts) of a
parasitic or other plant of a kind which is of foreign origin, is new
to or not widely prevalent in the U.S., and can directly or indirectly
injure crops, other useful plants, livestock, poultry or other
interests of agriculture, including irrigation, navigation, fish and
wildlife resources, or the public health.”
This description encompasses issues related to economic damage and
threats to human interests. The term noxious weeds does not encompass
all invasive plant species in a region. To contrast noxious weeds, invasive
species , sometime referred to as invasive alien species, are
plants that are not native to an area.
In the state of Idaho there are 57
listed noxious weeds that are categorized into three tiers of
concern. However, there may be more than 57 invasive plant species in
the state of Idaho.
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Summary of Rules, Regulations, and Responsibilities
There are two major pieces of legislation that affect Idaho regarding
noxious weeds. The Federal Noxious Weed Act of 1974 was enacted during
the Nixon administration. As mentioned in the introduction the act is
concerned by economic threats caused by invasive species. The Idaho Code,
Title 22, Chapter 24 is more pertinent to the Palouse area in
regard to citizens’ rights and responsibilities when noxious weeds are
present on their property. Specifically, the document contains five
duties of landowners and citizens:
1) It shall be the duty and responsibility of all landowners to control
noxious weeds on their land and property, in accordance with this
chapter and with rules promulgated by the director.
2) The cost of controlling noxious weeds shall be the obligation of the
landowner.
3) Noxious weed control must be for prevention, eradication,
rehabilitation, control or containment efforts. However, areas may be
modified from the eradication requirement if the landowner is a
participant in a county-approved weed management plan or
county-approved cooperative weed management area.
4) The landowner shall reimburse the county control authority for work
done because of failure to comply with a five (5) day notice, as
outlined in section 22-2405, Idaho Code.
5) If an article is infested with noxious weeds, it shall not be moved
from designated premises until it is treated in accordance with the
applicable rules, or in accordance with the written permission of a
control authority.
The first duty for landowners and citizens, “to control noxious weeds
on their land and property,” can only be achieved if individuals are
able to identify noxious species on their property.
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Why Does PCEI care about noxious weeds?
The Watersheds Program at PCEI dedicates a good portion of its time
restoring ecosystems in the Palouse Clearwater region with native
plants. Native plants grow in native soil and support native wildlife
in a way invasive, noxious weeds do not. The AmeriCorps members that
work in these restoration efforts spend time identifying and
eliminating noxious weeds in order to help native flora and fauna
flourish. By helping the native biodiversity grow, the Palouse
Clearwater ecosystems improve. Hence that is why PCEI does care about
removing noxious weeds from the region.
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The Economic Cost of Noxious Weeds
If pulling weeds to aid native ecosystems does not seem reason enough to
join the struggle, perhaps their detrimental costs will. Gleaned from
the article,“What
We’ve Learned From Idaho’s Past,” written by Roger Batt, is a
revelation of the exorbitant prices paid due to invasive weeds. The
article states:
“It is estimated that invasive weeds will impact Idaho’s economy by
approximately $300 million this year. Idaho farmers and ranchers spend
in the upwards of $15 million a year to fight this ecological war. And
nationwide, noxious weeds are spreading at an alarming rate of 4,600
acres a day if left untreated and are costing our nation’s economy
approximately $18 billion annually.”
Native ecosystems and the economy are both suffering from the spread of
weeds! So do something good for the environment and the economy – volunteer to help pull
weeds!
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