every plant was a friend. Now I know 

 the power of one noxious weed to 

 propagate and outcompete native 

 plants. 



We head back to the truck for a 

 quick trip to the local diner for coffee 

 and so I can take some notes. In the 

 process. I retrace the rolling fields to 

 the base of the Mission Mountains and 

 marvel at the abrupt break between the 

 massive base of this revered range of 

 mountains and the acres of grasses, 

 reeds, and glacier-carved ponds that 

 spread out from them. No foothills 



here. In this breathtaking place, it is 

 little wonder herbicides were not an 

 option for many years, based on 

 opposition from surrounding communi- 

 ties. 



In 1984. responding to the 

 legislature's mandate to control 

 noxious weeds. FWP researched area 

 residents" concerns about the long- 

 range impact of herbicides and pre- 

 pared an environmental assessment. 

 Resulting public agreement supported a 

 plan that included responsible and 

 appropriate use of herbicides at 



FWP'S 

 NOXIOUS 



I- COCRAM 



Adam Brooks 



Building local weed coali- 

 tions and increasing public 

 education and awareness are 

 the two focal points of noxious 

 weed management in Montana. 

 Many of FWP's land managers 

 are active members of local 

 weed associations in addition to 

 being members of the Montana 

 Weed Control Association. FWP 

 has 34 employees licensed by 

 the Department of Agriculture 

 for herbicide application. 

 Adam Brooks, FWP's statewide weed coordinator, is a member of the 

 Montana Weed Control Association, Chairman of FWP's Weed Program 

 Coordination Committee, ex-officio member of the State Weed Trust Advi- 

 sory Council, and a member of the Statewide Weed Mapping Task Force. He 

 is also involved with the Statewide Weed Awareness Campaign and several 

 local weed control committees. 



FWP's noxious weed control program includes: 



• Early detection and prevention. 



• Cultural controls (grazing, cultivation, and irrigation). 



• Mechanical controls (pulling and mowing). 



• Chemical controls (herbicides). 



• Biocontrols (insects). 



Hunters, anglers, and other recreationists can help by being "weed aware": 



• Learn to identify noxious weeds. 



• Avoid parking, walking, or driving in weeds. 



• Wash vehicles (especially undercarriages) before and after hunting trips. 



• Ensure that clothing, equipment, and hunting dogs are weed-free. 



Ninepipe — another milestone in 

 transforming this poster child from 

 "lost cause" to "role-model." 



In the early 1990s, Grant came to 

 the job alreadN belie\ing in a variety of 

 controls. Over time he refined these 

 choices into an integrated strategy of 

 herbicides, biological controls, mow- 

 ing, burning, tilling and planting grain 

 and other crops, hand clipping and 

 hand pulling. Today he uses selective 

 herbicides formulated for low soil 

 persistence to treat a variety of noxious 

 weeds and other invasive plant species 

 including whitetop. St. Johnswort, 

 knapweed, teasel, tall buttercup, 

 common tansy, hound's tongue, and 

 oxeye daisy. One characteristic of the 

 land — that the soils are rocky, heavy 

 and slow to accept water — helps to 

 further prevent herbicides from 

 percolating through or persisting in the 

 soil. 



When we get to the diner. I surren- 

 der my St. Johnswort sample to Grant 

 to slash in a nearby waste can and we 

 continue our conversation over coffee. I 

 tr) to press him for the details I think 1 

 need about his work. But it becomes 

 clear that what I have here is more the 

 mind of a Thoreau than a Ralph Nader. 

 a man who knows the details but 

 focuses on the big picture. 



He wants to get to the good stuff, the 

 real storj . which is the land. " "^'ou 

 have to listen to the land first," he 

 insists. "You need to give the land time 

 to talk to you." One of Grant's favorite 

 stories is about the misidentification of 

 plants. "If you have the plant 

 misidentified — and it's easy to do — 

 you aren't going to be using the best 

 control methods for that noxious weed. 

 In a ver\' short time the ineffective 

 control translates into a huge over- 

 grow th of that weed and you have a big 

 problem." 



When Grant came to Ninepipe he 

 was told that Russian knapweed was 

 diffuse knapweed. Diffuse knapweed 

 can be controlled by tilling, which was 

 the control bcinc used at the time. 



10 stPTEMBER/ocTOBER ;oco MONTANA OUTDOORS 



