Managing pests prevents damage to ag

By Sara Waite

Journal-Advocate managing editor

Dave Appelhans

Since 1990, Colorado law has required management of non-native plants that threaten or disrupt the state's natural and agricultural resources.

The Colorado Noxious Weed Act, revised in 2003, establishes priority lists - A, B and C -- for weed control and enables county and city governments to manage noxious weeds through their own programs.

In Logan County, weed control dates back much farther than the state law. The Logan County Pest Control District is made up of five weed control district established as early as 1967, that consolidated in 1972.

Dave Appelhans, Pest District supervisor, said that while the consolidation "left some holes in the map," the district serves virtually all of Logan County. Cities and towns do not pay into the district, which is funded by a tax levy of 1 mil on properties in the district. The district also receives some state funding.

Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) is a List A noxious weed that can be found in Logan County. List A species must be eradicated wherever they are found, according to Colorado law. (Noxious Weeds of Colorado/ / Colorado Weed Management Association)

The first, five-member advisory board for the district was tasked with controlling six weeds: Canada thistle, field bindweed, silver-leaf poverty weed, woolly leaf, poverty weed, and whitetop.

Today, the number of plants on the control list has grown, but many of the same weeds remain a problem. Among the known noxious weeds in Logan County are: field bindweed, Canada thistle, musk thistle, Russian knapweed, diffuse knapweed, spotted knapweed, skeletonleaf bursage or silverleaf povertyweed, woolly leaf bursage or woolly leaf povertyweed, whitetop or hoary cress, perennial pepperweed or tall whitetop, jointed goatgrass, leafy spurge, purple loosestrife or purple lythrum, and showy milkweed. Purple loosestrife is a List A plant, which means it is designated for elimination on all county, state, federal and private lands. List B plants, including Canada thistle, Russian knapweed, diffuse knapweed, spotted knapweed, perennial pepperweed, jointed goatgrass and leafy spurge, should be stopped from spreading. The plants on List C, such as field bindweed and puncturevine, are selected from recommended control methods.

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Managing pests prevents damage to ag