| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | CONTACT: Dave Burch |
| April 15, 2008 | (406) 444-3144 |
Weeds Added to Montana's Noxious List
HELENA, Mont. — The Montana Department of Agriculture adopted rules adding five plants to the state noxious weed list, which categorizes invasive weeds most likely to cause economic and environmental damage.
Through the state administrative rules process, a fourth category was added to the noxious weed list to curtail the spread of specific plants by nursery and other sales while studies determine whether the plants should be listed in other categories, if at all, said Ron de Yong, director of the Montana Department of Agriculture.
Propagation of state-listed noxious weeds is prohibited by law. Weeds on the list are categorized by establishment and management criteria.
Category 1 weeds are currently established and widespread, and control efforts are focused on education and containment. Category 2 weeds were introduced more recently and are capable of rapid spread. Category 3 weeds have not yet been detected in the state or are found only in localized infestations, but are known damaging pests in nearby states.
Among the recent changes in the state noxious weed list is the downgrading of Dyer's woad (Isatis tinctoria) to Category 3. Hard work has succeeded in severely limiting Montana infestations of Dyer's woad, de Yong said.
However, rush skeletonweed (Chondrilla juncea) and yellowflag iris (Iris pseudoacorus) have thwarted control efforts and were moved from Category 3 to Category 2.
New plants on the state noxious weed list bring the total number to 32. Hoary alyssum (Berteroa incana) added as a Category 1; blueweed (Echium vulgare) as a Category 2; and both flowering rush (Butomus umbellatus) and Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum, sachalinense & polystachyum) under Category 3. Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius) will be the first plant listed as a Category 4 noxious weed.
All five new listings are found on various other state, provincial or regional noxious weed lists, de Yong notes.
Descriptions and pictures of weeds on the Montana noxious weed list can
be found at http://agr.mt.gov/weedpest/noxiousweedslist.asp.
Other information about controlling noxious weeds and about landowner requirements
can be obtained from county weed coordinators.
