Cross-boundary cheatgrass partnership of UW, BLM off to a strong start

The Bureau of Land Management’s promising new partnership with the University of Wyoming and the Intermountain West Joint Venture to address the threat of cheatgrass in northwest Wyoming saw a productive first year.

Together, the partners supported a new invasive annual grass (IAG) coordinator position to work with Big Horn, Fremont, Hot Springs, Park and Washakie county weed and pest districts, private landowners, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, the BLM and other agencies. The IAG coordinator advances a cohesive, cross-boundary strategy to tackle cheatgrass infestations on both public and private land in the Bighorn Basin.

IAG coordinator Nancy Webb and her team have covered 20,000 acres and collected over 1,000 points of vegetation data on both untreated lands and those previously treated for cheatgrass. Detailed maps and summaries of the monitoring data from those efforts are now being used by the many partnering agencies to help them in their cheatgrass management planning.

According to Big Horn County Weed Supervisor Cliff Winters, having Webb stationed in the Bighorn Basin has significantly benefited their operations.

“The invaluable information she’s compiled has empowered us to make well-informed decisions regarding the locations and methodologies for future treatments,” said Winters. “Nancy’s expertise and the data she has provided have proven to be indispensable assets in our ongoing efforts to manage invasive grasses.”

Monitored locations will be revisited within two years of herbicide application to understand treatment longevity and effectiveness, vegetation health and recovery, and to provide land managers with a guide for where to apply treatment if further treatment is needed.

Additionally, five herbicide demonstration plots were sprayed in easy-to-reach locations in Hot Springs, Park and Washakie counties for future education and outreach purposes. Interested individuals, groups and agencies will be able to see the benefits and effectiveness of different herbicides on cheatgrass and associated native vegetation, and may begin to imagine their own future possibilities and successes in combatting cheatgrass.

“Success with invasive annual grasses is a long-term proposition,” said Webb. “Our close collaboration and shared decision making are critical to successfully manage invasive annual grasses across boundaries.”