Project Name: Russian Olive/Tamarisk Control & Removal project
Introduction
Applicant: Piute Conservation District
Project Start Date: July 1, 2019
Funding:
| STATE-ISM | FEDERAL-NRCS | TOTAL |
| Grant #1: $40,000.00 | $50,000.00-Piute County | $90,000.00 |
| Grant #2: $40,000.00 | $50,000.00-Sevier County | $90,000.00 |
| $80,000.00 | $100,000.00 | $180,000.00 |
Treatment
A Strategic Funding Proposal through the Natural Resource Conservation Service was applied for and received for both Piute and Sevier Conservation District areas in the amount of $50,000.00 a year for 3 years for each area.
Areas Treated (listed by initial due to federal requirement of section 1619 privacy act; which prohibits the use of names)
| NAME | COUNTY | ACRES | STATE | FEDERAL | TOTAL |
| A | Sevier | 5.1 | 0 | 15,210.00 | 15,210.00 |
| A | Piute | 3.5 | 0 | 8,600.00 | 8,600.00 |
| J | Sevier | 2.4 | 2,761.70 | 8,145.00 | 10,906.70 |
| F | Piute | 54.2 | 18,573.90 | 57,353.00 | 75,926.90 |
| J | Piute | 4.0 | 0 | 10,692.00 | 10,692.00 |
| S | Piute | 20 | 50,000.00 | 0 | 50,000.00 |
| Admin | Payment 1 | 2,240.24 | |||
| Admin | Payment 2 | 5,000.00 | |||
| 89.2 | 78,575.84 | 100,000.00 | 178,575.84 |
Both the Piute and Sevier Conservation Districts have the removal of Russian olive and Tamarisk as a high priority in their long-range plans and resource assessments; and both conservation districts have been instrumental in working with the local landowners in education about the programs available. USU Extension agents in both counties have been a valuable resource in helping to find landowners who wanted to work with this program and as a result, we have a long list. And the conservation districts have made this a priority to continue to apply for as many grants as they can to keep the funding and projects continuing. Both County Commissions have also declared it as a noxious weed for their counties.
Most of the treatments were done by the cut stump method where the trees were cut and then immediately treated with herbicide. One landowner that started their project with NRCS decided to have their Russian olive masticated and then sprayed. This is a new method for us, so we will be doing follow-up monitoring on this project extensively. All treatments will be monitored for re-growth. For the treatments that were cut, the trees were put into piles to dry out for 2 years and then they will be burnt.
Sevier After 
Sevier Before 
Overview
Graphic A
In the summer season of 2019, the Invasive Species Mitigation grant from Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) provided for the treatment of approximately 1,495 acres of knapweed, Canada thistle, musk thistle, and dyer’s woad infested forests and rangelands. The project spanned four large private ownerships as well as small amounts of USFS lands that total more than 16,000 acres. Approximately 35 miles of unimproved roads and trails across all ownerships were monitored and treated for weed infestations. Numerous new or undiscovered weed infestations were identified and treated during this project, which originally targeted only 195 acres of known weeds. (See Graphic A) (more…)
Utah Weed Supervisors and Utah State University Publish Noxious Weed Posters
By: Jerry Caldwell, Kevin Bailey and Amber Mendenhall
The Utah Weed Supervisors Association published a poster detailing identification for the Utah noxious weed list. Many county weed supervisors contributed to the creation of the poster. Special thanks to our collaborators, Utah State University and the US Forest Service. Corey Ransom and Heather Olsen helped edit and format the poster. Posters are available through your local county weed supervisor.
Project Summary
The EDRR Weed Control project in Summit County is funded through the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, Invasive Species Mitigation Fund, and partner matching funds. The project is focused on the Class 1B state noxious weed, garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolate) and the Class 2 state noxious weed, spotted knapweed (Centaurea stoebe (C. maculosa)). In April of 2019, Park City Municipal Corporation, and the Summit County CWMA were awarded $200,000 for the treatment of Garlic mustard and spotted knapweed during the 2019-2020 fiscal year with Park City Municipal Corporation as the fiscal agent. (more…)
Fall Feature: FFA Tackles Spotted Knapweed for Ag. Issues
By: Jolene Christensen and Amber Mendenhall
The South Summit FFA in Kamas, Utah is taking on spotted knapweed in their community. A group of FFA students has chosen to tackle the spotted knapweed infestation near Kamas for their Agriculture Issues Forum in Career Development.
Students from the South Summit FFA have been involved in the treatment and control of spotted knapweed in their community since 2015. During the summer of 2015, Dave Bingham, the Summit County Weed Supervisor, spoke at a community meeting in Kamas to begin developing a plan to control spotted knapweed. Dave began using a grant from the U.S. Forest Service to conduct herbicide treatments in most of the spotted knapweed infestation.
Jolene Christensen, Jake Wolstenhume and the FFA Students met with Summit County to discuss the use of biocontrol in sites where herbicide was not a good option. FFA students selected three sites and two biocontrol agents. The seed head weevil, Larinus minutus, and the root weevil, Cyphocleonus achates, were selected for use on the spotted knapweed infestations. L. minutus reduces spotted knapweed populations by feeding on seeds to prevent the spread of this noxious weed. C. achates can kill spotted knapweed by feeding on the roots.
A group of FFA students travelled to the Squarrose knapweed collection field day in July 2015. Students collected 3000 knapweed seed head weevils and transported them to the three selected sites in Kamas. The Summit County Weed Department released 100 knapweed root weevils in one of the selected locations during the same year. FFA students conducted SIMP transect monitoring and root sampling to test for biocontrol agents at all three sites in 2015. The FFA continued to monitor and release both biocontrol agents in 2016 and 2017 with the assistance of the Summit County Weed Department.
With three years of community service, weed control and monitoring, the South Summit FFA decided to use their accomplishments for the Agriculture Issues competition. In order to compete in the Ag. Issues competition, students must research and present an issue such as spotted knapweed. They are required to work on their project with professional cooperators. Students present the issue with proposed solutions to community forums and groups of professionals. Students form a portfolio from the data collected and solutions applied. Students then present this portfolio at a national competition. We would like to wish our FFA students the best in their competition!
Invasive Species Mitigation Gets a New Monitoring Specialist
The Utah Department of Agriculture (UDAF) has hired a new Vegetation Monitoring Specialist. Brittany Duncan will be the primary monitoring specialist for the Invasive Species Mitigation Program(ISM). Brittany will work closely alongside Jan Reinhart. Jan has been monitoring the ISM projects since the program began. Jan splits her time between the ISM and the Grazing Improvement Program (GIP). We are fortunate to have Brittany come on board. Cooperators will be able to get help monitoring ISM projects with Brittany and Jan.
Brittany is a Utah native and graduated from Utah State University (USU) with a Master’s Degree in Ecology. She has spent significant time at USU on rangeland monitoring including Phragmites Brittany says she never expected that she would be monitoring noxious weeds but she is enthusiastic about the opportunity to work in such a unique program. Brittany’s experience will bring a new perspective to our ISM program. When Brittany is not at work she is busy spending time with her family and her two girls ages one and seven.
Award Recipient 2019
Biocontrol Award: Carol Randall, US Forest Service
Carol is a vital part of biocontrol in Utah. Carol facilitates region wide coordination and helps Utah stay at the forefront of biocontrol. No matter how busy Carol is, (and she’s always busy), she takes time to make sure all of our needs are met.
Award Recipient 2019
Excellence in Industry: Scott Pratt, Providia Management Group
Scott has an entrepreneurial vision. He has continued to innovate in the weed control field by using new equipment and technologies to improve efficiency. Scott has cooperated with multiple agencies across Utah in participation with difficult to solve weed issues.
Award Recipient 2019
Weed Board of the Year: Daggett County
The Daggett County Weed Board held regular quarterly meetings and served as an active board through difficult times and big changes. As a board, all members take an active role in promoting weed awareness throughout the county. The weed board is united in support of the County Weed Supervisor. They always maintain a position of mutual cooperation and are supportive of moving the noxious weed program foreword.
Award Recipient 2019
Outstanding Weed Worker: Scott Ziedler, Utah Division of Forestry
Scott participates with the Weber River CWMA to promote healthy, weed free forests in Northern Utah. As a member of the CWMA, he has assisted landowners with advice, funding assistance and direct treatment of weeds. Last year Scott organized a spray day for garlic mustard at East Canyon State Park. This year Scott helped East Canyon to apply for an ISM grant to continue the work that he started. Scott’s enthusiasm and dedication is greatly appreciated as he works to conserve forests – one of the most valuable natural resources in Utah.
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