The Colorado Department of Agriculture's Noxious Weed Program is
responsible for creating and updating the Colorado Noxious Weed Rule. The goals
of the program are to:
Prevent the introduction of new invasive plant species
Eradicate species with isolated or limited populations
Contain and manage
those invasive species that are well established and widespread in Colorado
The Weed Rule is used to implement strategies to accomplish these objectives.
As of 2003, the Noxious Weed Species ID List was reformatted into 3 Lists:
A List Weeds
These weeds warrant mandatory eradication
because there are very few of them in the state. The idea is to prevent these
weeds from getting a stronghold in Colorado by rapidly responding and quickly
controlling these species.
B List Weeds
These weeds are well established in some
areas of the state but not in others. Every year, the State Weed Program writes
management plans for select List B species, designating areas of the state for
eradication, suppression and containment. In order to implement a coordinated
effort, the management plans call for specific timelines and recommend control
methods.
C List Weeds
These species are widespread throughout the
State and are here to stay. They can be a high priority for Parks, due to
interference with visitor experience.
Stay up to speed on the Weed Rule by visiting the State Weed Program regularly. The rule changes every year, as
new management plans are written for List B species. The process begins in
September with the statewide mapping of specific species and continues through
March. New rules go into effect every May.
Colorado State Parks Resource Stewardship contributes to the statewide
mapping of noxious weed species and supports the State Weed Program's
objectives.
