Noxious Weed Management

Noxious weeds is a well deserved term for highly invasive and competitive weeds. Noxious weeds are designated by federal, state, county, or city government as injurious to public health, agriculture, recreation, wildlife, or property. Their rapid expansion is harmful to native vegetation as they can quickly dominate many sites and often cause permanent damage to valuable plant communities. Estimates indicate that 70 million acres of private, state, and federal land are infested with noxious weeds in just eleven western states. This is occurring in both disturbed and relatively undisturbed areas.

Curbing the Spread of Weeds

The goal of the Basalt Public Works Department and the intent of the Colorado Noxious Weed Act is to curb the degradation of our valued environment by managing the spread of noxious weeds. Noxious Weed Management may seem overwhelming, but through developing partnerships at all levels - local and regional, we hope that the likelihood of reaching our weed management goals will be high. The challenge for all involved is to develop management systems, support and direction for preventing the spread of weeds before the situation becomes even more serious and economically unfeasible.

Local Responsibilities

The Town and property owners will be required to manage town, counties (Eagle and Pitkin), and state listed noxious weeds in accordance with the Colorado Noxious Weed Act. Listed below are the Town's designated list of Noxious Weeds. Please refer to the Colorado Department of Agriculture's integrated weed management recommendations for individual species.

For questions or concerns regarding noxious weed within the town, please contact Lisa DiNardo, Town Horticulturist at 970-927-4723, ext. 404, or Brandon Wallace 970-927-4724, ext. 403.