Thanks for lessons on worrisome weeds that harm farms, animals
I want to thank Taos Soil and Water Conservation District and their board of supervisors for the excellent recent workshop on the identification and management of several troublesome plants in our area. And special thanks to TSWCD’s Tanya Duncan, who designed (for Taos) and coordinated the event and to the many other groups and individuals who contributed to making it such a fine experience. We were treated to Dr. Richard Lee of Colorado State University (who is also the integrative pest management specialist for the BLM), and to Dr. Leslie Beck, extension weed specialist and assistant professor at New Mexico State University, [as they gave] fascinating lectures on the identification and life cycles of several plants including correct timing for their management.
Downy brome (cheat grass) was one of the plants featured. Having come to our continent from the Mediterranean area of Europe, downy brome had in 2005 infested an estimated 56 million acres in 17 western states. In 2015, it was identified as the most common plant in the western United States. Cheat grass wipes out other plants, including those important for grazing, by germinating in the fall or very early spring and drinking up all the water before any other kind of plant or grass can get what it needs. It is also a fire hazard once it has gone to seed and dries out by late spring/early summer.
After the lectures, there was a nice lunch provided by Ace Hardware, SMU-Taos and the Wolf Springs Ranch. After lunch, the 100 of us (or so) got onto two buses and were given a tour of some of Taos’ infested areas. We were also walked through part of the beautiful new Río Fernando Park, operated by the Taos Land Trust where significant infestations are being met head-on with integrative approaches. Ben Wright of the TLT talked to us about those.
A most disturbing drive-by was to view the many acres behind the county administration buildings massively infested by hoary cress (also called white top by some). There were jokes about our luck being fairly close to the hospital in case anyone had a heart attack from viewing such a sight. The highly aggressive downy brome was also viewed in many locations. In addition to our education about such long-time local kinds of infestations, we were also alerted to and shown a couple of the relative newcomers to our area, the management of which is more easily accomplished – if we don’t ignore them. Russian knapweed (which can kill horses) and spotted knapweed were both shown to us in a vacant lot on Paseo del Pueblo Sur.
When I asked Dr. Lee, who has been in the troublesome weed management business for 35 years, if he was depressed by what he saw, he answered no, but he said he felt sad that in the 30 years since he last visited Taos, then as the New Mexico State University weed specialist, today he couldn’t see that anything had be done. I wonder if many residents and officials like myself just didn’t get how letting nature do its thing, in the case of these invasive plants (many of which came from other continents), can cause serious degradation of our wild, farming and ranching lands, adversely affecting a more ecologically balanced tapestry of local plants and animals.