The 7th annual Johnson County Weed Bounty program, led by Johnson County Weed and Pest, kicked off on June 12. Wyoming Game and Fish Department personnel have participated in and supported the program since its inception. The program’s goal of fewer invasive plants on the landscape benefits wildlife, livestock and the health and productivity of Wyoming’s native rangeland.
Efforts from that day’s event, combined with volunteer work throughout the summer, results in the removal of thousands of pounds of weeds from the landscape. In addition, hundreds of thousands of weed seeds are prevented from establishing. Last year, weed bounty program participants collected more than 32,000 pounds of noxious weeds.
The weed bounty program pays volunteer participants $1.00 per pound for spotted knapweed, houndstongue and mullein and pays $1.25 for oxeye daisy and orange hawkweed. A $50 reward is offered for reports of new locations ventenata or medusahead.
“Protecting native plant diversity is a priority and Game and Fish works with local Weed and Pest agencies to control invasive plants throughout Wyoming,” said Sheridan Region Terrestrial Habitat Biologist Todd Caltrider. “Invasive plants can damage native rangeland diversity and can have significant impacts on forage availability for wildlife and livestock. Volunteer participation in this program and other assistance from the public throughout the summer to identify, report and help prevent the spread of invasive plants will be particularly important in the coming years as hundreds of thousands of acres of rangeland begin recovering from large-scale wildfires in 2024.”
Sheridan and Johnson county weed and pest offices have information about and photos of invasive plants on their websites to aid in identification.
Hunters, anglers and other recreationists have a big part to play in reducing the spread of noxious weeds. By cleaning all potential carriers of mud and plant material every time you come in from the field, you can help limit the spread of these invasive plants from one location to another. This includes clothes, footwear, truck tires and undercarriage, recreational vehicles and dog paws and fur.
At many public access areas, including Game and Fish Wildlife Habitat Management Areas, local Weed and Pest agencies have provided cleaning stations for brushing off footwear. Anyone recreating on a WHMA is encouraged to use these stations before entering and after leaving the area. Members of the public recreating on WHMAs are encouraged to be familiar with identifying noxious weeds and report any they see to a regional Game and Fish office.
