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by mM<d *npT©K 



FWP biologist John Grant 

 balances weed control with 

 habitat considerations at 

 Ninepipe Wildlife 

 Management Area 



manage. "What we've lacked in the 

 past." he says, "is someone to concen- 

 trate on the big picture. Someone to 

 document FWP weed activities 

 statewide, to review and report results, 

 oversee budgets and facilitate coniniu- 

 nicalion between headquarters and the 

 seven regions," 



Brooivs is charged with painting that 

 big picture, and with raising "ueed 

 awareness" so sportsmen and women 

 and recreationists will become more 

 involved \\ ith weed control aclivities in 

 areas where they recreate. It is his idea 

 that I travel to Ninepipe WMA to hear 

 a story that captures the complexity, the 

 people, and the issues that personify 

 FWP's approach to weed management. 



Shortly after crossing the dam at 

 Ninepipe Reservoir. I see the turn John 

 Grant told me to watch for. A long lane 

 leads to an old farmhouse, barn, and 

 outbuildings. John is waiting for me in 

 the yard. Surrounding him is a scene 

 out of m\ childhood, an old Montana 

 farm lacking only the leghorn chickens 

 pecking in the yard and a litter of 

 kittens under the porch. A chisel plow 

 stands in front of the bam and John's 

 summer assistant is tinkering with il. I 

 feel right at home. 



We waste no time jumping in his 

 truck to take a look at the land — at least 

 some of it. In all. the WMA takes in 

 3.462 acres. As Grant's truck bumps 

 alon<j the drive and out onto the dirt 



road that travels the edge of Ninepipe 

 Reservoir, he explains that his noxious 

 weed work often goes against the 

 existing wisdom in one way or another. 

 "I have to compromise between what is 

 best for vvalerfow 1 nesting and what is 

 best for weed control," he says. "I 

 sprav weeds in the spring when they 

 are most susceptible to herbicides and 

 before they go to seed, but I try to be as 

 careful as possible not to disrupt bird 

 nesting." Grant sprays through summer 

 as various weeds go through their 

 development cycle. 



By fall, another prime time to spray 

 for weeds, hunters are packing their 

 gear and loading their bird dogs for the 

 hunt. "We cet hundreds of bird liunters 



MONTANA OUTDOORS strrbMBER/ocroBtR :ik«i 7 



