What Are Noxious Weeds?
Noxious weeds are invasive plant species designated for management under the Colorado Noxious Weed Act. These plants can establish and spread aggressively, particularly in disturbed areas, and may negatively affect agriculture, native plant communities, wildlife habitat, waterways, recreation, and other land uses.
Noxious weeds can spread in many ways, including through soil disturbance, vehicles and equipment, animals, people, waterways, contaminated seed or forage, and the movement of soil or plant material.
Colorado classifies designated noxious weeds into List A, List B, and List C based on statewide management objectives.
List A species are designated for eradication statewide.
List B species are managed according to state and locally established management objectives intended to stop their continued spread.
List C species are widespread species for which management is generally focused on education, research, biological control, and other locally appropriate management strategies.
Fremont County Management Priorities
Fremont County Weed Management prioritizes management of List A and priority List B species in accordance with state requirements, the Fremont County Noxious Weed Management Plan, local management priorities, available resources, and applicable grant or cost-share funding.
This prioritization allows limited resources to be directed toward species where early detection, eradication, containment, or suppression can provide the greatest management benefit.
List C species and other common weeds may still be addressed through education, identification assistance, landowner guidance, biological control when available, and other appropriate management resources. However, these species may not receive the same level of County-funded treatment as higher-priority noxious weeds.
How Can I Help Prevent the Spread of Noxious Weeds?
- Learn to identify priority noxious weeds and monitor your property for new infestations.
- Use certified weed-free forage when appropriate.
- Clean mud, seeds, and plant material from vehicles, equipment, recreational vehicles, animals, footwear, and clothing before moving between sites.
- Avoid transporting contaminated soil or plant material.
- Revegetate disturbed areas with appropriate desirable vegetation when possible.
- Report new or unusual infestations early so they can be identified and addressed before they become established.
Early detection and rapid response can greatly improve the ability to manage new infestations before they spread.
Why Is Noxious Weed Management Important?
Noxious weeds can affect agricultural production, rangelands, native plant communities, wildlife habitat, riparian areas, waterways, recreation, and other land uses.
Once established, some species can be difficult and expensive to manage. Preventing new infestations and addressing priority species early can reduce long-term management costs and help protect agricultural and natural resources.
How Does Fremont County Weed Management Operate?
Noxious weeds do not stop at property boundaries. Effective management often requires cooperation among neighboring landowners and multiple jurisdictions.
Fremont County Weed Management works with private landowners, municipalities, neighboring counties, state and federal agencies, conservation organizations, researchers, and other land managers to coordinate noxious weed management across property and jurisdictional boundaries.
Partnerships may include shared funding, grants, biological control, treatment coordination, monitoring, education, equipment, labor, technical assistance, and other cooperative management efforts.
Learn More
Weed Identification
View information about noxious weeds and other commonly encountered weed species in Fremont County.
Integrated Noxious Weed Management
Learn about prevention, cultural, mechanical, biological, and chemical approaches to weed management.
Colorado Department of Agriculture – Noxious Weeds
Learn more about Colorado’s noxious weed program and statewide noxious weed lists.