How many noxious weeds are there in Idaho?
There are 36 noxious weeds in the state. They’re hard to remember, unless you really study and learn what they are. Are they really a threat? A lot of people still joke about noxious weeds as a threat to Idaho’s lands, until they actually come out to a place like where we’re at here, where you see rush skeletonweed prevalent all along the landscape, and they really see the seriousness of this threat. These noxious weeds create soil erosion in certain areas. They undermine the productivity of crops grown in Idaho. They destroy and damage the Idaho economy by about $300 million dollars a year. It affects all aspects of wildlife. They choke out native vegetation, and rob wildlife of their natural food supply. You’ll see elk herds migrate to different areas because of rush skeletonweed or spotted knapweed. So, yes, noxious weeds are a very serious issue. If we did nothing for the next ten years, it would be catastrophic.
