WWPC update: Wyoming counties vote to label cheatgrass as a noxious weed

During the final business meeting at the annual Wyoming Weed and Pest Council (WWPC) Conference, held Oct. 29-31 at the Ramkota Hotel and Conference Center in Casper, Wyoming’s 23 weed and pest districts voted to list cheatgrass on the state’s invasive and noxious weed list. 

“There is still another step for cheatgrass to be added to the Wyoming designated noxious weed list,” stated Natrona County Weed and Pest Supervisor Matt Jolivet. “As it stands, the WWPC voted 14 to nine to add it to the list. The petition will now be sent to the Wyoming Department of Agriculture’s Board of Agriculture, and it must be adopted there as well.”

What is cheatgrass?

Cheatgrass goes by various names and can be identified by its drooping head and hairy leaves, among a few other characteristics. 

It’s highly competitive and will push out other grasses, and it’s known for not playing fair, which is how it got its name.

According to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) website, cheatgrass is an annual grass which is native to Europe and eastern Asia, not North America.

It was brought over by settlers in the mid- to late-1800s and is now found in at least 49 states, including Wyoming.

Cheatgrass has found optimum growing conditions and is now dominating landscapes across the Cowboy State, creating fuel for fires along with many other issues.

Why is cheatgrass bad?

According to BLM, cheatgrass, unlike perennial native grasses, grows in the spring and then dies off between April and June, depending on local precipitation patterns. It dies just in time to provide fuel for fire season.

Cheatgrass dries out much earlier than native vegetation and can lengthen the fire season as well.

Additionally, cheatgrass has very fine leaves and stems, which makes it ignite easily and causes fires to spread rapidly.

Cheatgrass plants also grow very close together – up to 10,000 plants in a square meter – creating a continuous fuel base, according to BLM.

Basically, cheatgrass can be compared to tissue paper covering the landscape, allowing fires to quickly ignite and spread rapidly.

However, cheatgrass has adapted to efficiently use the increased nitrogen in the soil after a fire and invades empty spaces made by the fire, creating a vicious cycle.

Jolivet noted, while some may consider cheatgrass unmanageable, there has been extensive research done to prove both sides of this issue.

“I don’t think cheatgrass is unmanageable. However, eradication is not a reasonable outcome at this point,” he stated.

“The University of Wyoming and Colorado State University have done extensive work on invasive annual grass treatments, and we are seeing a lot of success in areas with potential for recovery,” he commented. “Treated lands cannot be beyond the threshold for recovery, meaning beneficial, native and perennial grass species need to be present in sufficient quantity on the site for herbicide application to be of benefit and make the site suitable for treatment.”

He continued, “We have tools to manage the species that work, but increasing funding and technological advancement, imaging and application technology will make positive outcomes likely and more practical across the state.”

He noted all of these advancements will require continued thoughtful investment.

Wildlife and range impacts

Cheatgrass has a shallow root system and absorbs much of the water and nutrients during spring growing season, outcompeting native plants for limited resources, according to the BLM website.

The loss of native plants means losing their deep root system, which creates healthy soil, roots of sagebrush and other native shrubs to help maintain the cycle of nutrients in the soil and utilize deeper water sources.

Cheatgrass can also affect the diversity and abundance of soil microorganisms, which may reduce the ability of native plants to grow in the future.

As for wildlife, the biggest threat is the loss of habitat due to increased wildfires and the conversion of diverse native plant communities to monocultures of annual grasses.

Plus, cheatgrass doesn’t meet the nutritional needs of most wildlife, as it does not stay green long enough to provide nutrient-dense forage during the summer and fall, nor does it provide structure for many species which need cover or nesting habitat.

Cheatgrass management

According to Jolivet, the implementation of cheatgrass control will look different in each county, but there are many options for cheatgrass management and each county can choose the tools which work best for their individual situation.  

“Some infested lands have the opportunity to respond favorably to herbicide treatment, and some lands likely will not recover without substantial inputs in addition to herbicide application,” he stated. “Herbicide treatments range from eight dollars to $75 per acre, with the more expensive options being more effective. However, the more expensive options do give three to five years of efficacy, and they do not have to be applied annually.”

“Herbicide treatments are not the only way to control the spread of this invasive annual grass,” Jolivet mentioned. “Timed grazing and mowing can be effective depending on the situation.”

He noted cheatgrass is far too established and widespread to reasonably treat all infested acreage, so prioritization and excluding spread to valuable and sensitive habitats will be the focus in the near term. 

However, during the convention it was mentioned some districts did not want to add cheatgrass to the noxious weed list because it would hurt seed sales in the area.

According to Jolivet, the law governing seed certification is separate from the Wyoming Weed and Pest Designated Species List, and there is not a zero-tolerance policy for cheatgrass seed. This designation would not affect that.  

“With this said, we would like to provide resources for agricultural producers to reduce the likelihood of spreading cheatgrass. This listing increases the resources for reduction across the state,” he added.

Jolivet hopes, from a personal view and for Natrona County Weed and Pest, all county entities will do their part to be neighborly and “ride for the brand,” doing what they can and being reasonable within their programs to combat this threat, as the cost of doing nothing will be high.

Melissa Anderson is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.