Jefferson Valley Sportsman's Association Teams Up with BLM to Control Weeds

On June 12 Jefferson Valley Sportsman's Association (JVSA) and two employees of the Butte Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) sprayed noxious weeds in the southern portion of the Bull Mountains north of Whitehall. Most of the spraying was done along the Paul Gulch Road (Dump Road) on Public Land to Mud Springs on the Beaverhead – Deerlodge National Forest. Portions of the Tomahawk Ranch (Doug and Sara Salsbury) were also sprayed. The primary weed species were houndstongue, spotted knapweed, and whitetop with lesser amounts of leafy spurge, henbane and common toadflax.

Don Drake, Association president, says "that he appreciated the BLM employees, Lacy Decker and Steve Knecht giving up their Saturday for the weed control effort. Their expertise in weed identification and the proper mixing of herbicides was invaluable".

These weeds are invasive species that crowd-out native plants and in some cases contribute to soil erosion. Dense stands of weeds can reduce grasses, shrubs and wildflowers which in turn reduce forage and habitat for wildlife. Some species such as hounds tongue and henbane are poisonous to livestock.

Here are a few things the average recreationist can do to reduce the spread of noxious weeds:

• avoid patches of weeds when walking or riding a vehicle

• if weed seeds get attached to clothing or your vehicle, remove them and place in a container, then put in the trash.

• try not to disturb the ground when traveling or camping. Weeds readily establish themselves in areas of bare soil.

• regularly wash your vehicle to prevent transporting weed seeds.

The spraying was coordinated with the Butte Ranger District of the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest.