addition to surveys conducted by the Extension Service and Department of 

 Livestock, were the basis for a bill that was passed in the 1975 legislative 

 session wherein the state was divided into three areas and a biologist was 

 hired for each area to begin work on initiating control measiires for rodents 

 and predators in each area. The 18 eastern counties acquired the services 

 of Craig Swick under this program. He handles the rabies control programs, 

 M-44 cartridge program, and deals with rodent and predator control. At the 

 present, Mr. Swick is evaluating the use of various chemical agents for pr- 

 airie dog control. He has also begun work on monitoring the expansion of 

 prairie dog towns by using aerial photos. 



In 1974» the Montana Department of Livestock acquired a helicopter for 

 predator control. In 1976 they added a second helicopter. The normal proce- 

 dure is to use a federal trapper as the gunner. At times this has led to 

 some delay in responding to requests for assistance. We are attempting to 

 correct this problem by having a rancher in each county designated as a gunner. 

 Then if there is a delay caused by coordination of activities of federal gunner 

 and pilot, the pilot could fly into a county and pick up the designated rancher 

 gunner and go after the problem predator. This rancher gunner would know 

 the lay of the land as well as the farmers and ranchers in an area. This is 

 not fully implemented at this time as we have not talked to all of the county 

 commissioners. 



In 1975» we addressed the problem of noxious weeds. Considerable con- 

 cern was expressed over the spread of leafy spurge in the Yellowstone drain- 

 age. It was felt that this noxious weed had been introduced into the area 

 by hay which had been hauled into the drainage. The extensive infestation 

 of leafy spurge has been aided by wildlife and by irrigation on the bottom 

 lands. It was the opinion of the group that the islands in the Yellowstone 

 were a continuing soiirce of infestation due to the lack of leafy spurge con- 

 trol because of jurisdictional problems between Montana and the federal au- 

 thorities as to who owns these islands. It was also felt that there was no 

 need for employing state weed coordinators if the weed control districts 

 would exercise their authority. They have the power to cooperate on a multi- 

 county level in order to control weeds according to water drainages rather 

 than individual districts which are delineated by arbitrarily drawn lines on 

 a map with no relation to topography. 



102 



