JACKSON, Wyo. — The Wyoming Weed and Pest Council (WWPC) and the University of Wyoming (UW) have published a report on the potential economic impact of invasive weeds in Wyoming, detailing 10 different invasive species and the estimated costs each can have on every county in Wyoming.
According to a press release, all 23 weed and pest districts joined UW to collaborate on the report. Estimates from the report showed that, if untouched, the 10 invasive weeds that were studied could cost Wyoming more than $300 million per year alone. Those weeds include cheatgrass, hoary cress, leafy spurge, medusahead, palmer amaranth, perennial pepperweed, Russian knapweed, Russian olive, ventenata and yellow starthistle.
In addition to the 10 from the study, the State Designated Weed List currently consists of 21 other invasive weeds. WWPC writes that the possibility of newer, yet to be identified plants was also excluded from the overall estimates of the study.
“It’s easy to write off invasive weeds as just another minor nuisance, but as this report shows, they can cost Wyomingites millions of dollars every year.”
WWPC President Donley Darnell
“It’s easy to write off invasive weeds as just another minor nuisance, but as this report shows, they can cost Wyomingites millions of dollars every year,” Donley Darnell, WWPC president, said in the release. “It is critical for us to understand where these plants grow, how they spread and how they impact us. If left unchecked, everything from livestock, native plants and animals, rangeland and crops could be negatively affected.”
According to the most recent data compiled in the report, the total acreage in Teton County where the 10 selected invasive weeds are present is 2,565,120 acres, most of which is occupied by cheatgrass. Erika Edmiston, supervisor at Teton County Weed & Pest District, tells Buckrail that cheatgrass is a very big concern.
“We have been working extremely hard to get ahead of the infestations we have before they become a much bigger problem,” Edmiston says. “This species is impacting our wildlife habitat (especially south-facing slopes that mule deer depend on) throughout the area. The potential loss of suitable habitat for that alone is estimated to be over $200,000/year.”
WWPC is encouraging all Wyoming residents to learn about invasive plants and report them to local weed and pest district so that officials can work to prevent their spread. Resources and online reporting can be done here. Plant species designated or declared noxious and invasive in Teton County can be found here.
