JACKSON, Wyo. — In a Nov. 19 announcement, the Wyoming Weed and Pest Council (WWPC) confirmed that cheatgrass will be added to the state’s Designated Noxious Weed List.
According to a WWPC press release, cheatgrass was voted to the list in a meeting earlier this year, on Oct. 31. Also known as downy brome, cheatgrass is found in 5.3 million acres throughout Wyoming, says a recent University of Wyoming study, and it is estimated that an additional 10 million acres have a presence of the grass in low amounts. Agricultural losses on impacted rangelands are estimated at $29 million, which WWPC suggests could reach $110 million if all suitable habitats become infested.
Recent wildfires have only amplified these concerns.
WWPC says that this noxious plant is capable of overtaking native plants, affecting both native wildlife and agriculture. But while the grass has been present in the state for a while, WWPC says recent science and policy advances have improved the ability to manage it in Wyoming. The designation is expected to further support these programs.
“There is no greater threat to Wyoming than cheatgrass.”
Hale Redding, Weston County Weed and Pest District Supervisor
“It is our job to protect Wyoming from invasive weeds and pests,” Hale Redding, Weston County Weed and Pest District Supervisor, said in the press release. “There is no greater threat to Wyoming than cheatgrass.”
The designation, originally proposed by the Sublette County Weed & Pest District, will now go before the Wyoming Board of Agriculture. According to WWPC, cheatgrass is set to become the 32nd noxious weed on the state list pending final approval, joining two other invasive annual grasses: ventenata and medusahead rye.
Pending approval from the WY Department of Agriculture, WWPC aims for the designation to further improve cheatgrass management programs that are already in place throughout Wyoming. In Jackson, The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) has been conducting an ongoing study of cheatgrass and the best ways to eradicate the invasive species and support regrowth of native plant populations.
Teton County Weed and Pest (TCWP) has also been using biological control agents, or host-specific natural enemies, to reduce the competitiveness of seven invasive species, and is looking into preliminary research being conducted on cheatgrass biocontrol through the Biotechnology Biocontrol Agency. While cheatgrass biocontrol is in its infancy of the research stage, TCWP Entomologist Mikenna Smith says it has the potential to be very impactful to western states that are suffering from invasive grasses like Wyoming.
