County Seal  
email: weeds@co.shoshone.id.us  
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INLAND EMPIRE COOPERATIVE
weed
MANAGEMENT AREA
Strategic Plan

The Inland Empire Cooperative Weed Management Area (IECWMA) was formed in 2002 from the Coeur d’AleneSt. Joe Basin groups of the Panhandle Weed Management Area (PWMA).  The intent of the IECWMA, as with its predecessor the PWMA, is to bring together those responsible for and interested in weed management in an effort to coordinate weed management efforts while erasing jurisdictional boundaries.  The two major purposes in the formation of the PWMA were to identify and control weed populations with coordinated integrated pest management and to increase public awareness and support of weed management programs in the Panhandle Area.  The IECWMA aspires to the same goals, but over a smaller geographic scale to facilitate administration.

Land managers and concerned citizens can accomplish weed management objectives over a large and diverse area by collaboratively setting priorities for a unified approach to controlling certain weeds, by sharing resources, and by keeping informed about new and on going weed control efforts and the latest developments in weed management technology.

Weed infestations and the fiscal abilities of land managers and land management agencies change annually.  Thus, the IECWMA will need to review the Strategic Plan and adopt new Annual Operating Plans prior to each weed season.  The Annual Operating Plan will be the guide for specific actions to be taken for on-the-ground treatment.
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Geographic Area

The Inland Empire Cooperative Weed Management Area (IECWMA) has defined geographic boundaries based upon 1) the watersheds of the St. Joe Basin (which feeds into Coeur d’Alene Lake) and the Coeur d’Alene Basin (which includes the Coeur d’Alene River and the Spokane River), 2) the Interstate 90 corridor from Mineral County, Montana through Shoshone and Kootenai Counties in Idaho, and into Spokane County, Washington (this corridor is often adjacent to and parallels the Coeur d’Alene River/ Spokane River system), and 3) The drainages of all the small lakes (Hayden, Hauser, Twin, and Spirit Lakes) in the northern portion of Kootenai county and the Rathdrum Prairie aquifer, which is also situated in Spokane County Washington (Appendix 3).

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Federal Agencies are major stakeholders in this effort; the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management manage more than half of the area in the IECWMA.

Size and terrain are major factors in performing actual weed control throughout the combined jurisdictional area (more than 100 miles in either direction).  It is not possible to control all weeds on all lands simultaneously.  As a group, the IECWMA must pick its battles and determine priorities for the IECWMA geographical area.

Active members manage the IECWMA. Active membership is open to anyone who wishes to attend.  Currently, members include local, federal, state, and regional representatives plus interested citizens from the three states and two countries (see Appendix 1).

The active members focus on “the big picture” (see Figure 1 below).  Active members will provide for overall planning and direction, consider projects that benefit all IECWMA stakeholders, look at overall public awareness campaigns, investigate funding sources, and administer funds, as well as maintain the focus and energy necessary for continued efforts.

The 7-member Executive Board is a cross-section of the Active Membership.  This group helps to keep the Cooperative Weed Management Area “on task”, raises issues for discussion at meetings, reviews requests for reimbursement of project funding, and other administrative functions.
The IECWMA is responsible for weed management planning within its area, setting priorities for weed control efforts, determining needs for its areas, taking advantage of specific educational opportunities, and performing actual on-the-ground treatment programs.

The IECWMA organized to facilitate cooperative weed management efforts.  By organizing responsible land managers and interested citizens the IECWMA strives to make weed management efforts more effective and efficient than the efforts of individual land managers.  IECWMA efforts are concentrated on three major facets of the weed issue as follows:
      • Education and Awareness
      • Weed Management and Control
      • Restoration of Weed Infested Lands
      • By bringing interested parties to a common table, the IECWMA strives to
      • Establish and maintain coordination between weed managers and weed management efforts within the geographic boundaries of the IECWMA.
      • Facilitate coordination between IECWMA and other cooperative weed management areas.
      • Increase public awareness of the weed problem and encourage more active public participation in responding to it.
      • Map and inventory existing weed infestations so that weed management efforts can be conducted with better understanding of the problem.
      • Work with researchers to recognize and quantify ecosystem responses to weed invasion and develop restoration efforts to insure treated lands can be maintained in the most natural and weed resistant state possible.
      • Identify and apply for appropriate funds to enable completion of projects identified in the Annual Operating Plan.

The weed problem has many facets and trying to respond on all fronts can be overwhelming.  The IECWMA focuses its collaborative efforts on five facets as follows:
  • Public Education and Weed Awareness
  • Eradication Efforts
  • Containment Efforts
  • Managing Established Weed Species
  • Restoration of Weed-Infested Lands to a Weed Resistant State
Priority 1 – Public Education and Weed Awareness

One of the keys to the overall success of weed management is to inform landowners, land managers, and the public at large about 1) why weeds are a problem, 2) how the weed problem impacts them, 3) what can they do to help.  Once these concepts are understood, then efforts to educate the public about what particular weeds look like, and what strategies are available to manage them are more readily accepted.

Public awareness and education efforts need to be tailored to specific audiences.  The weed problem impacts a homeowner, a rancher, a forest manager, and a county weed superintendent in different ways, and for that reason each places a different value on the problem.  To be effective, public awareness campaigns and education opportunities need to reach the target audience and deliver a relevant message.  The IECWMA, with its diverse membership, can draw upon members in each target audience to tailor relevant public awareness campaigns.

IECWMA public awareness campaigns will emphasize prevention and immediate eradication of new invading noxious weed species, including those not yet designated by the State of Idaho but which have been proven to be problems in surrounding areas. 

Getting the message out to target audiences can occur in many ways, including media attention, publications and informational brochures, tours, etc.  Ideas and actions taken to disseminate the information include:  Display boards are available for use in public locations, such as lobbies, malls, fairs, etc.
  1. Display boards are available for use in public locations, such as lobbies, malls, fairs, etc.
  2. Printing of a regional weed informational brochure, which includes both established species and potential invaders.  All of the original printing of 35,000 copies by the PWMA were distributed during 1999 and 2000.  Another 35,000 of that brochure were printed in 2001, along with 35,000 copies of a companion booklet. The front lists “who to call” for more assistance.
  3. A list of speakers has been prepared and distributed to various clubs and organizations.
  4. Educational workshops, specifically targeting the private citizen, to disseminate information about the impacts of noxious weeds on the environment and the quality of life in Idaho.
  5. Relationships are being developed with teachers in local school districts to get students educated and involved in weed control.
  6. Continue to cultivate relationships with the media and interest groups.
To assist in raising awareness, the IECWMA continues to support the efforts of counties offering cost-share programs with their citizens to assist them in the costs of weed control.

Another aspect of weed awareness is developing complete weed distribution maps.  Mapping efforts are considered a key component to the development of comprehensive weed management strategies, and an important tool in helping educate publics about the scope and nature of weed problems.

Priority 2 – Eradication Efforts

Public Education and Weed Awareness Table 1 lists the weeds designated for eradication upon discovery or that are within contained colonies and have not yet escaped.

TABLE 1:

Contained Colonies or
Occasional New Invaders
 Potential
Invaders

Blueweed*  (Echium vulgare)

 Brazilian elodea* (Egeria densa)
Common bugloss* (Anchusa officinalis) Common crupina  (Crupina vulgaris)
Dwarf snapdragon* (Chaenorrhinum minus) Dyer’s woad (Isatis tinctoria)
Hoary cress (Cardaria draba) Hydrilla* (Hydrilla verticillata)
Kochia* (Kochia scoparia) Medusahead* (Taeniatherum caput-medusae)
Meadow knapweed (Centaurea pratensis) Parrotfeather* (Myriophyllum brasiliense)
Musk thistle (Carduus nutans) Plumeless thistle* (Carduus acanthoides)
Russian knapweed (Acroptilon repens) Silvery cinquefoil* (Potentilla argentea)
Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius) Squarrose knapweed* (Centaurea squarrosa)
Scotch thistle (Onopordum acanthium) Texas blueweed* (Helianthus ciliaris)
Tansy ragwort  (Senecio jacobaea) Toothed spurge (Euphorbia dentata)
Yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) Water primrose* (Ludwigia uruguayensis)
Annual (small) bugloss (Anchusa arvensis)
*Not listed as noxious by State of Idaho

Once identified, weeds for eradication will be treated with the method most likely to permanently remove the plant from the environment while protecting the integrity of the residual plant community. 

Priority 3 – Containment Efforts

Some weeds are not yet widespread and can be contained.  By containing these infestations IECWMA hopes to prevent them from becoming widespread problems.  Some of the weeds that appear on the “Eradication” list have also been found in colonies that cannot be eradicated in the short term, but can be contained with a longer-term campaign to reduce or eradicate.  Weeds for containment efforts are as follows:

TABLE 2:
Contained Weed Species
Black knapweed (Centaurea nigra) Blueweed (Echium vulgare)

Diffuse knapweed (Centaurea diffusa)

Dwarf snapdragon (Chaenorrhinum minus)
Eurasian milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) Houndstongue (Cynoglossum officinale)
Jointed goatgrass (Aegilops cylindrica) Leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula)
Perennial sowthistle (Sonchus arvensis) Plumeless thistle (Carduus acanthoides)
Rush skeletonweed (Chondrilla juncea) Tansy ragwort (Senecio jacobaea)

  Strategies to achieve containment:
  1. Set up containment areas for weeds that are not yet widespread and solicit cooperation from all stakeholders (public & private) in that area.
  2. Perform cooperative “control days” in an area to contain or treat weeds as one cohesive effort.  Protect sensitive or clean areas, which may include the use of bio-controls.
  3. Encourage media participation.
Priority 4 – Established Weed Species

Established weed species cannot easily be contained or eradicated.  The priority for these plants will be to attempt to slow the spread to other areas, to assist landowners and land managers in their efforts to keep their lands under control, and to protect the clean or sensitive areas from these invading species.  Established species include:

TABLE 3:

Widespread Weed Species
Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) Common Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare)
Dalmation toadflax (Linaria dalmatica) Diffuse knapweed (Centaurea diffusa)
Field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) Meadow hawkweed (Hieracium pratense)
Orange hawkweed (Hieracium aurantiacum) Oxeye daisy (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum)
Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) St. Johnswort (Hypericum perforatum)
Spotted knapweed (Centaurea maculosa) Sulfur cinquefoil (Potentilla recta)
Yellow toadflax (Linaria vulgaris)

Strategies to deal with established weed species:
  1. Find the “leading edge" of widespread weeds and focus on preventing the spread of such species beyond that point.  Raise landowner/manager awareness along the boundary to assist in the effort.
  2. Mapping of infestations to assist in coordinating with landowners in the future.
  3. Actively participate in searching and obtaining bio-controls for the widespread noxious weeds.
  4. Rehabilitate areas to reduce chances for new colonies or re-infestation.
Priority 5 – Restoration of a Weed Resistant State

Weed infestations are often indicative of a plant community that has become susceptible to invasion.  Successful integrated weed management strategies focus on the health of the plant community, not just the removal of a particular weed species.  Much of weed management research and development to date has focused on methods to kill or reduce the abundance of target weeds.  More recently research has begun to focus on strategies to rehabilitate infested plant communities to a level of sustainability and weed resistance.  The IECWMA strives to support the efforts of researchers and members who are looking beyond removing weeds to restoring a weed resistant plant community.

Strategies to encourage restoration:

  1. Invite researchers to speak to IECWMA members about current restoration technique
  2. Maintain open communication with researchers and encourage them to conduct studies on lands managed by IECWMA members
  3. To the extent possible, support research efforts
  4. Encourage members to develop weed management projects that have a strong restoration component