Weed Watch!

Colorado Weed Management Association

2nd Quarter Newsletter 2025

Newly Emerged....

The CWMA Marketing & Communications Committee is proud to offer our newly revised quarterly publication "Weed Watch". We hope that our content will not only educate and inform members, but will also inspire individuals to be champions of our cause. While readers can still expect to find a wealth of information related to control options, species profiles and noxious weed related happenings across the state just as our former newsletter offered, readers can also expect to see a considerable amount of content that explores where we have been, the challenges faced and the victories we have forged together in a longer content format.

With this year being the 35th anniversary of the passage of the 1990 Colorado Noxious Weed Act, our feature article in this newsletter is an interview with the original sponsor of the Act, former Colorado State Senator Lewis Entz. To know where we are going we have to know where we have been…. 

Photo: Hoary Cress in Middle Creek, Huerfano County

Credit: C. Bryant

The Man That Helped Us Get Our Act Together

An Interview with CWMA's Greatest Legislative Ally, Former Colorado Senator Lewis Entz

By: C. Bryant, Huerfano County Noxious Weed Manager/CWMA Board Member

Things That May Have Never Been

As I drove westward over La Veta Pass on a particularly beautiful early spring day I couldn’t help but reflect upon how fortunate I was to have the occupation that I do. This profound sense of gratitude felt particularly heavy on my mind as I had the sobering thought that were it not for the individual that I was about to interview, the career, colleagues, organizations and even landscapes that myself and other CWMA members value so much may not have ever been realized, or would possibly be in a very different form than what we know today. I thought of the soul enriching experiences that this line of work has provided; everything from the wonderful people I have met to the awe inspiring sights that I am blessed with every morning. 

The Scent of Home

These feelings bordered on a gratitude filled sensory overload as I was greeted with the aroma of tires, fertilizer, leather and slightly burnt Folgers coffee that permeated the air of our meeting place at the Monte Vista Co-Op. This combination of smells evoked the memory of countless hours of my youth spent among the daily roundtables that are held in locations like this, where the elders of the area diagnose the world’s problems and offer their solutions all in the space of thirty minutes before returning to their daily duties of plowing, harvesting, repairing equipment, irrigating or working cattle. As I made my way towards the rear of the store where these daily councils are held I was greeted by the subject of my interview, the 94 years young prime sponsor of the Colorado Noxious Weed Act, former State Representative and Senator Lewis Entz. Mr. Entz sat at the head of the table and extended his hand, with my senses once more being heightened as I shook his hand, the contours felt being those sculpted by nearly a century of work among the potato fields of the San Luis Valley. Adorning a United States Marine Corps cap symbolic of his selfless service provided to our country during the Korean War era, Mr. Entz wasted no time in hearkening back to his contribution of the crucial piece of legislation that we know today as the Colorado Noxious Weed Act, known at that time as the Colorado Undesirable Plant Management Act of 1990. 

CWMA's Critical Role in the Act

“The first one came about in 1940, I passed mine in 1990, but that’s only been 35 years ago” exclaimed Mr. Entz as he swirled his cup of coffee. “Are you having any problems with it?” he asked. “No Sir” I replied, with my mind still awash with the feelings I previously described. “I actually wanted to thank you for your legislation, without it we very well may not be having this meeting today, in fact, I probably would not have the occupation that I do today.” A subtle smile creased across his face as he realized the importance, appreciation and impact of this piece of legislation that he helped forge in cooperation with the CWMA so many years ago. In fact, Mr. Entz provided the legislative muscle that helped the fledgling CWMA organization of the late 1980’s gain relevancy and a statewide platform to help advance our cause, going as far as to hold public workshops with early CWMA leaders like Brian Burnett of Boulder County and Norma Hogan of Routt County among others.[i] During the course of research in preparation for this interview and as I sat with Mr. Entz discussing the need for the creation of this legislation, it became overwhelmingly clear that the challenges we face today are not unlike those of 35 years ago, especially as it relates to patchwork approaches, consistency, dedication and funding.

Assessing the Act

 Mr. Entz went on to describe his observations concerning the efficacy of the Act. “It takes devoted individuals and commissioners to get anything done” he remarked, recalling “go-getters” that share the same passion as current day CWMA members and that did “a whale of a job” towards controlling invasive plant species. Mr. Entz described the ebb and flow of enthusiasm among elected officials and staff members, recalling ambitious individuals of the past that embraced and furthered the tenants of the Act. He went on to describe the perceived apathy of metropolitan based lawmakers regarding rural concerns and how even during that time period the control of invasive plant species took a backseat to other topics that may not have been of the highest priority for rural Colorado residents. He also recognized the practical difficulties in getting buy in from rural government officials, many of whom thought the new Act was an unfunded governmental overreach and who were hesitant to exercise the powers enumerated in the Act, considering them a political liability in their small interconnected communities.

"Nowadays that bill would not happen"

Our conversation turned towards the challenges that we face funding the ambitious approach that the Colorado Noxious Weed Act lays out. While it didn’t make it into the final form of the 1990 Act, a 1% excise tax on the retail sale of all herbicides in Colorado was considered to help fund the creation of mandatory weed control districts and their efforts for each county, an approach similar to that taken by the state of Montana in 1985 and that is still in place today. The Act actually remained in true unfunded state mandate form until it was somewhat supplemented by the Noxious Weed Fund appropriation of 1996, though many argue that the Act is simply an “underfunded mandate” now, especially in light of the drastic cuts to it in 2025. After hearing of these cuts, Mr. Entz’s brow creased as he offered the following advice, tapping the table with his knuckles to drive home the point; “We need the Department of Ag to help on this deal. I’ll tell you; nowadays something like that bill would not happen.”

The Lost Art of Bipartisanship

Mr. Entz was certainly the right man in the right place at the right time, being the ONLY Colorado State Senator of his era that held water rights and that operated an actual working family farm. Mr. Entz is reported to have “been at his legislative desk in the morning and back at the farm in the San Luis Valley by the afternoon”, being able to do so thanks to his flying skills learned in the Marine Corps Airwing.[ii]   Having served sixteen years as an Alamosa County Commissioner prior to being elected to the State Legislature where he eventually served over twenty years, his connections and contributions were and continue to be far reaching. Mr. Entz recalled a seemingly bygone era of bipartisan cooperation within the State Assembly where he was able to garner overwhelming support from both sides of the aisle to advance the Act and other important pieces of legislation for rural Coloradans. “It didn’t matter what your party was, we worked together to get things done.” He went on to recall how he often found himself at odds with his fellow Republican lawmakers, especially when it came to issues like the exportation of San Luis Valley water resources for front range metro development. Through his ability to find common ground with the opposing political party, Mr. Entz was able to carry through pieces of legislation that might not be possible in today’s volatile political climate and that greatly complemented each other. As a legislator he carried over 70 water protection bills and either sponsored or co-sponsored numerous pieces of legislation that both created and enhanced public lands in Colorado. One of the most notable that he supported (and largest in state history to date) being the acquisition of over 30,000 acres of land for public use in Las Animas County, known as the Bosque del Oso.[iii] 

Knowing Our Role

As we neared the end of our meeting, Mr. Entz lightheartedly asked “So what have you learned today”. In the moment I could only express my gratitude once again for the actions he took so many years ago, and it has honestly taken a few days to clearly articulate the value and lessons learned from our conversation. I believe the greatest takeaway is that we all need to be the “go-getters” that perform “a whale of an effort” in our own area of operations, just like the founding members of the CWMA that worked alongside Mr. Entz to advance the Colorado Noxious Weed Act were. By being champions of our cause and instilling that passion in others, we can prevent the patchwork approach that control efforts often devolve into in the absence of dedicated individuals. Our work means so much more than a paycheck and so much more than simply removing exotic plant species from our native environments. If I dare say, it is more so a lifestyle; a lifestyle that allows one to be intimately connected to the subtle changes in each season, one that provides an in-depth understanding of the natural forces that bind us together, one that provides countless opportunities for personal enlightenment while basking in work environments that others could only dream of. While the future holds a high degree of uncertainty in our industry, perhaps our efforts today can be a source of inspiration for future generations as Mr. Entz’s have been for us. Let us too be ready for legislative sessions in the morning and back on the farm in the afternoon…

[i] https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=EVE19890202-01.2.25

https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=STP19881208-01.1.15

[ii] https://www.yourwatercolorado.org/cfwe-leadership-activities/cfwe-presidents-award/143-free-citizen-guide-download/513-diane-hoppe-and-lewis-entz-2012-presidents-award-winners/

[iii] https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=ADN19981115-01.2.22

https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=STT19980304-01.2.31

1st Photo Credit: Duane Howell-Getty Images (Used according to fair use doctrine)

2nd Photo Credit: The Monte Vista Journal (2022, Used according to fair use doctrine)

Noxious Weed Enforcement in Colorado: A Brief Overview of Enforcement History

By: Mark Giampietro - Archuleta County Land Stewardship Specialist

In the southern reaches of the Western Slope, a mild winter has given way to an early spring, and weeds such as myrtle spurge and hoary cress are already poking their heads up above the ground. Which for me, the county’s Land Stewardship Specialist charged with enforcing our County Noxious Weed Ordinance, pursuant of the Colorado Noxious Weed Act (CWNA), means the enforcement season has officially begun. The season’s first wave of educational courtesy letters is already on the way to citizens’ mailboxes. These letters are the first step in enforcement here in Archuleta County. Contacting the landowners, informing them of the infestation present on their properties, what should be done to manage it, and outlining the consequences of civil penalties – fines - if they do not manage their noxious weeds.

The Need for Change

However, this process wasn’t always the case in Archuleta County. Until 2020 the county followed a structure of forced entry management outlined in the CWNA. A process of enforcement that many counties in Colorado use today. Though for many counties and weed districts, especially smaller counties typically underfunded or understaffed, this is a difficult process to follow through with at the height of the busy season when rights-of-ways, open spaces, and other county- owned land demand time and resources. This is why Archuleta, Routt, and Garfield Counties have adopted a fining structure of enforcement more along the lines of traditional code enforcement.  

Creating a Solution

After a few seasons of being overrun with neighbor complaints regarding weed infestations and only having one or two seasonal employees in his ranks, the Archuleta County Weed and Pest Manager knew something needed to change in the county’s noxious weed enforcement strategy. In 2020 he met with county attorneys to revise the county noxious weed ordinance to include a fining structure in lieu of the forced entry model, with hopes of making enforcement a more manageable task. This was the first interpretation of the CWNA that included civil fines as a means of enforcement. In 2024, Routt County Attorneys and Commissioners, with the assistance of the Routt County Weed Manager, helped push Senate Bill SB24-031 Local Authority Enforce Violation of Noxious Weed Act into legislation. This fully opened the doorway into this model of enforcement. In Archuleta County we only sent out educational courtesy letters to landowners with noxious weed violations in the 2024 season, giving them a fair chance to begin managing their weeds.

The Ultimate Goal

Which brings us today, the dawn of the 2025 weed season. As we begin to navigate somewhat uncharted territories here, this space will be used to examine the challenges, strategies, successes and procedures regarding noxious weed enforcement in Colorado. The goals of enforcement, at least in my opinion, are not to levy as many fines as possible for our county. It is to educate the public about the environmental and economic impacts of noxious weeds on our lands. It is to raise awareness and make people care about noxious weeds, even if that care only comes from the threat of fines. If no one in Archuleta County is fined this year because they were instead educated and shown how to manage their weeds, that would be a huge success. Of course, for a few people who ignore the science or flat out don’t care about the issue, fines may be inevitable. Still, there is hope that great progress in noxious weed management can be made through this enforcement process.

Weeds in the West News

Arizona: Pinal County has been awarded $192,000 by the State of Arizona to assist with their noxious weed related control efforts within Pinal County’s open space area at Peralta Regional Park near Gold Canyon. Target species included in this 3 year program are: tamarisk, stinknet and bufflegrass. (Source: https://www.pinal.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1503)

California: The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Weed Management Area Grant Program has $6 million in funding available during 2025 to assist eligible weed management areas with their control efforts. This non-competitive grant provides up to $120,000 for eligible programs.(Source: https://www.grants.ca.gov/grants/2025-wma-grant-program-wmagp/)

Colorado: The State Legislature has reduced the annual Noxious Weed Fund Appropriation from $700k to $450k. (Source: Colorado Joint Budget Committee https://leg.colorado.gov/committees/joint-budget-committee/2024-regular-session) 

Idaho: The Idaho Weed Awareness Campaign has developed a new children’s video featuring “Elwood the Elk” to help raise noxious weed awareness among elementary school aged children in the state. Receive a copy by calling 1-866-IDWEEDS.  (Source: https://www.idahonoxiousweedcontrol.org/news--links.html)

Montana: Senate Bill 167 will provide an additional $6 million (reduced by amendment from $10 million) to the state’s $10 million Noxious Weed Trust Fund (NWTF). Bill pending Governor Gianforte’s approval.Source: https://projects.montanafreepress.org/capitol-tracker-2025/bills/sb-167/

Nebraska: The Nebraska State Legislature indefinitely postponed Senate Bill LB145 which would have reinstated budget appropriations for noxious weed control grant programs in the state to the tune of $6 million a year. (Source: https://www.bairdholm.com/blog/senators-introduce-34-bills-impacting-agriculture-the-environment-cannabis-and-natural-resources/ )

Nevada: The Nevada Department of Agriculture is enrolling participants in their Noxious Weed Free Gravel Program which is modeled similarly to Colorado’s Noxious Weed Free Forage Program. The program uses NAISMA standards to certify weed-free gravel, topsoil, sand and rock mining operations in the state. https://agri.nv.gov/Plant/Noxious_Weeds/Programs_CertifiedWeedFree_Gravel(1)/)



New Mexico: The New Mexico Department of Agriculture is administering their annual Noxious Weed Management Grant. Eligible project can receive up to $60,000 for EDRR, treatments, education, planning and capacity building. (Source: https://nmdeptag.nmsu.edu/media/pdf/Noxious-Weed-Grant-Program.pdf)

Oklahoma: The state’s 2025 noxious weed list remains scantly occupied by only three thistle species after Governor Stitt vetoed House Bill 3186 last year. HB 3186 would have included kudzu and poison hemlock on the state noxious weed list. The only state list noxious species in Oklahoma are Scotch, musk and Canada thistle. (Source: https://www.kosu.org/local-news/2024-04-25/bill-adding-plants-to-oklahoma-noxious-weed-list-vetoed)

Utah: A cooperative treatment effort towards the treatment of Myrtle spurge infestations are set to begin this spring along Salt Lake County’s eastern bench. Public lands treated include: Parley’s Point, H Rock, Grandeur Peak, Millcreek Canyon, Mt. Olympus Trailhead, Old Mill Golf Course and Big Cottonwood Canyon. (Source: https://www.saltlakecounty.gov/health/weeds/myrtle/)

Washington: The Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board updated their Class A Noxious Species List to include: round-leaf bittersweet (Celastrius orbiculatus) and marsh thistle (Cirsium palustre). (Source: https://www.nwcb.wa.gov/whats-new) 

Wyoming: On April 15^th the Wyoming Board of Agriculture declined to include the addition of Downy brome (cheat grass) to the state’s noxious weed list, a stance counter to the formal position taken by the Wyoming Weed and Pest Council on October 31^st, 2024. (Source: Derek Grant, WDA Media Liasion, https://wyoweed.org/weed-and-pest-districts-vote-to-add-cheatgrass-to-state-noxious-weed-listing-pending-approval-from-board-of-agriculture/ )

CWMA Online Training and Education for CE Credits: Easy to Use at Home or Work!

Need credits? CWMA has you covered year round with online education approved by the Colorado Department of Agriculture! Attend a live webinar or take an on-demand course that offer CEC’s, under $40 for CWMA members!

These courses give you on-demand access to credible, curated and convenient online training activities. We currently have two options: one for those seeking CE credits and one for people who are not. Here is the full list of courses and their registration links.

Aquatic Invasive Species Identification, Ecology, and Management

(offers 1 CE credit in category 108)

Price: $49 per user

Click to register:

CE credit version

Non credit version

Rights-of-Way Weed Management

(offers 1 CE credit in category 109)

Price: $49 per user

Click to register:

CE credit version

Non credit version

Coming soon: Live Webinar Offering 107 Credit!

Hoary Cress (Lepidium draba)

List B perennial member of the mustard family (Brassicaceae).

Originally from Europe and Asia, this aggressive perennial's root system can spread 15-30 feet per year and is among the first noxious species to emerge for the season. Each plant produces up to 4,800 seeds with a viability of around 3 years, though rhizomatous spread is the most prolific and problematic. Hoary cress prefers moist sites, but it is capable of occupying normally arid areas when ample moisture is available such as the upland pinion\juniper site pictured to the left below.

Plants form dense monocultures and often serve as a host for common garden pests like flea beetles and cabbage worms\moths. The CDA's Palisade Insectary is currently performing field trials throughout our state using the biological control Aceria drabae (hoary cress gall mite).

Read NAISMA's technical bulletin related to this new biological control here: https://bugwoodcloud.org/resource/files/27963.pdf  

Photo Credits: C. Bryant

Locoweed, (Oxytropsis sericea & Oxytropsis lambertii)

By: C. Bryant, Huerfano County Noxious Weed Manager/CWMA Board Member

This native perennial in the Fabaceae family is perhaps the most infamous plant of the southwest. O.sericea is commonly known as white locoweed while O.lambertii is called purple locoweed due to the obvious coloration of their flowers. Plants contain the alkaloid toxin swainsonine which causes a condition known as locoism in livestock\wildlife after prolonged ingestion. The chronic neurolgical damage caused by this toxin includes loss of coordination, depression, blindness, emaciation, deterioration of the coat, seizures and death.

While these effects are alarming, livestock and wildlife will generally avoid the consumption of locoweeds when other desirable forms of forage are available, though animals that ingest high enough amounts often develop a propensity towards grazing on it.

Being a native plant, most public weed managers nowadays forego treating this species. However, the infamous locoweed was the first "weed" that Colorado implemented control regulations for back in the 1880's, though these laws were shockingly absurd to put it kindly and were repealed after a short period. Read about the insanity below....

One of Colorado's Most Loco Laws



When we think of bounties in the frontier days of Colorado, most envision spur-clad outlaws, wanted dead or alive posters and men atop horses exchanging shots from six-shooters. What many may not realize is that the genesis of Colorado’s weed control efforts (though severely mistaken at the time) were based upon a bounty system. Case in point, the loco “Loco or Poison Weed Act of 1881”. At the time of enactment, Colorado had been a state for less than five years and was the epitome of the “Old West”, with the livestock industry being one of the primary drivers of the newly formed state’s economy. Unlike today, there was little appreciation as it relates to the vital role that native plants like the infamous loco weed play in our native ecosystems. Though reports detailing the deleterious effects of our modern day non-native enemies like Canada thistle were found in territorial newspapers that predate our statehood by more than a decade, our Colorado legislators in 1881 were preoccupied with our native Oxytropis species.

The 1881 “Loco or Poison Weed Act” allowed citizens to “dig up not less than three inches below the surface of the ground any “loco” or poison weed during the months of May, June or July and shall receive a premium of one-half cents per pound for each pound of such weed dug up, to be paid out of the state treasury as hereinafter provided; provided, that such weed shall not be weighed in a green state, but shall be thoroughly dry when weighed”.

The Act went on further to describe how the loco weed bounty hunters of the state were to deliver their dried loads of loco weed to their county clerk within two months of their digging. Upon delivery to the clerk of the county where the weeds were gathered, the clerk was to weigh the load and require those seeking reimbursement to sign an oath stating:  “I do solemnly swear that the weed here produced by me this day is ‘loco’ or poisonous weed of X amount of pounds, dug up by me within two months last past.” Upon the recitation of this somber oath the county clerk was to “forthwith destroy such weed by burning” and issue a certificate for payment that was to be paid by the county, with the county later being reimbursed from the state treasury after their submission of an annual report that detailed the amount of loco weed gathered and to whom bounties were paid.



By 1885 it became glaringly apparent that the loco weed bounty program was unsustainable to say the least and rife with fraud. The February 12th, 1885 edition of the Rocky Mountain News[i] lambasted the “loco industry” and pointed out the handsome sum of $8,727.27 that had been paid out in one month alone to El Paso County, equivalent to over $283,333 in today’s dollars. The coverage went on to question how over half a million pounds could be collected in El Paso county in a month, going on to illustrate how the monthly loco weed bounty expenditures for El Paso County were on par with the total monthly operating cost of the Colorado State Penitentiary. It was only six days after this scathing review that Colorado legislator Rep. Abraham Bergh of Park County led the repeal effort and the state finally did away with perhaps one of the most “loco” laws to ever be enacted in Colorado[ii].  



[i] https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=RMD18850212-01.2.24

[ii] Colorado General Assembly, "To repeal chapter sixty-seven, of the General Statutes of the state of Colorado, entitled "An act to be entitled and act concerning loco or poison weed," approved March 14th, 1881." (1885). Session Laws 1861-1900. 1788. https://scholar.law.colorado.edu/session-laws-1861-1900/1788

NEW EDITION ALERT! The new 15th Edition of the Noxious Weeds of Colorado Booklet is available for purchase.

Discover comprehensive updates to noxious weed profiles with detailed identification guides — all crafted for enthusiasts, professionals, and nature lovers. Don’t miss your chance to get your hands on this essential resource.

Please provide a USPS-compatible address, as all products will be shipped via USPS.

Please note that due to summer staff travel books purchased between June 4-June 25 will be shipped the last week of June.

Why Be A Member?

Simply put, we help you and your employer IDENTIFY and MANAGE invasive species and CONNECT you to the right resources and support. Membership gives you special access to:

• A network of peers for support, advice and solutions
• Science based research and training
• CE courses and events to help you maintain your license
• A library of curated resources
• Opportunities to advance your career and develop leadership skills
• Member discounts for events, webinars, and publications
• And more!

What else? CWMA fights for the industry by ensuring that rules and regulations at the state level help and not hurt your ability to perform your job. We increase environmental awareness among decision-makers and the broader public.

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Do you want to make a difference with CWMA? Would you like to influence the direction that CWMA is leading? Join a committee by reaching out to the chairs and co-chairs.

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If you have a success story or event you'd love to share...we want to help!

Colorado Weed Management Association is always looking for new content, exciting stories in integrated management, and alerts on new weed species!

Send in an article, write up, or pictures and we can share them in our quarterly newsletter.

Email submissions to Communications Committee at info@cwma.org.

Please limit pieces to 500 words. All submissions are subject to review.

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