Weed Watch!

Colorado Weed Management Association

3rd Quarter Newsletter 2023

President's Message

August marks the midpoint of summer and the beginning of the transition to fall and cooler temperatures. This spray season started late and was complicated by a wet spring, but nobody is going to complain about the much needed moisture we received. The CWMA Board of Directors hope that all of our members have been taking advantage of the summer weather and have been out hiking, biking, fishing, and spending time with family and friends outside of being stewards to the land.

Ethan Proud

President, Colorado Weed Management Association

Stay Tuned for the Opening of Registration by End of August!

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!

Live Webinars

Learn from the experts and interact with other participants in live, one-hour sessions about a variety of topics. The list includes:

• ATV Safety and Riding Skills
• CDA Pesticides Regulatory Update
• Aquatic Invasive Species Plan
• Using Postings and Notifications to Keep the Public Safe
• And more from previous years!

Online Courses

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.

Long-Term Invasive Winter Annual Grass and Noxious Weed Control Facilitates Ecosystem, Pollinator, and Wildlife Habitat Restoration

(offers 1 CE credit in category 107) Price: $49 per user

Click below:

CE credit version

Non credit version

Aquatic Invasive Species Identification, Ecology, and Management

(offers 1 CE credit in category 108) Price: $49 per user

Click below:

CE credit version

Non credit version

Rights-of-Way Weed Management

(offers 1 CE credit in category 109) Price: $49 per user

Click below:

CE credit version

Non credit version

Technician Training

Sit down and relax while training both new hires and returning technicians with these two new training offerings. These courses take the weight off the supervisor and cover all of the categories required by the Colorado Department of Agriculture for classroom instruction. Some additional training is required and a licensed applicator must be available to answer questions during the training. Register below for the technician course that is right for you!

New Hire Technician Training

Experienced Technician Training

Realtor Training

Learn about noxious weeds and their impact on our land and landowners, specifically their impacts on property values, grazing, agriculture, and biodiversity. Participants will also learn about the Colorado Noxious Weed Act and what it requires of landowners. Participants will receive 2 CE hours in land management if the course is completed and they receive a score of 70% or better on the ending exam.

Register HERE.

August Weed of the Month:

Common Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare)

Prepared by Alicia Doran, Jefferson County Invasive Species Management Coordinator

A List B perennial member of the sunflower family (Asteraceae). Originally from Europe and Asia, it is an escaped ornamental. It has been known in Colorado since 1890 and the US since the 1600s. Also known as bitter buttons, cow bitter, or golden buttons.

Common tansy forms thick patches. It reproduces by seed and rhizomes and grows to 1.5-6 feet tall. Stems grow from the root crown and are persistent. The stems branch near top and are sometimes purplish. 

Leaves are alternate, pinnately compound, deeply divided, 1-6 in wide and 2-12 in long. They have a strong smell when crushed.

Common tansy has rayless button shaped flowers. Each flower is ¼ - ½ inch wide and are in groups at the end of the branches. July-Sept.

Common tansy repels insects and is sometimes used as a companion plant. It is poisonous to livestock.

It has been used as an herbal remedy but is toxic at high levels. It contains thujone, a neurotoxin. Do not confuse it with Blue Tansy (Tanacetum annuum).

Control includes removal of new populations. For established populations, mow monthly and treat with herbicide in the fall.

References



www.jeffco.us/jcism

CWMA Nox Weeds of Colorado

Photo Credits

All images by JCISM 

Restoring Native Ecosystems and Ecological Services through Control of Winter Annual Invasive Grasses

Joe Swanson, Boulder County Invasive Plants Supervisor

...At Boulder County we are currently in our 8^th growing season on some sites post treatment. One application has provided the necessary control to eliminate winter annual grass seed from the seed bank and allow the continual release of native species

As our treatments have expanded, we have expanded monitoring sites. We are now up to 16 sites over the last 8 years.   

As a result of monitoring, we are seeing a consistent response across all sites. That response is an increase in native plants returning once the cheatgrass is removed...READ MORE

Spotted Coralroot, Corallorhizae maculata

By Ethan Proud, Archuleta County Weed and Pest Supervisor

Spotted coralroot is an unassuming orchid native to Colorado and the Rocky Mountains. It's maroon stalks grow to a height of eight to twenty inches and has discreet white flowers with maroon spots, and may be missed hikers and naturalists alike. It is mycoheterotrophic, meaning that it parasitizes fungi which are associated with nearby plants. Yellow stemmed varieties of this plant are fairly common as well.

It should not be mistaken for pine drops (Pteropsora spp), which are equally as interesting and often share a similar habitat.

Save $50 on boxes of 50 Noxious Weeds of Colorado Booklets - Order Today!

The 14th edition includes pictures and descriptions of the updated Colorado Noxious Weed List including Lists A, B, and C. The State removed the Watch List from regulation and our newest edition reflects those changes.

Order yours today before sale ends on August 31st!

CWMA Member Spotlight for Sustaining Partners and Sponsors!

Do you want your company to get featured in our e-blasts or quarterly e-newsletters? We have that marketing space for you in our Member Spotlight section! Every e-blast and e-newsletter is an opportunity to highlight the services and/or products of our CWMA Sustaining Partners and Event Sponsors.

If you are a Sustaining Partner, send your company logo and service and/or product brief (not more than 200 words) to info@cwma.org and we will schedule it in our marketing calendar.

Not a Sustaining Partner yet? REGISTER here to enjoy this benefit!

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.

How can CWMA work for you?

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 listed below.

Want to join a committee but don't know where to start? Contact us for more info!