In the fall of 2001, steps were taken to establish a weed management area in the upper country of Fremont County.  Early participants in the effort were, the Shoshone National Forest, Dubois-Crowheart Conservation District and Fremont County Weed and Pest. The DCWMA soon added representatives from the Wyoming Game and Fish, Wyoming Department of Transportation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, Shoshone and Arapaho Tribes, and University of Wyoming Extension Service.  Private landowners are invited to participate. The goal of the DCWMA is to improve weed control in the upper country by preventing introduction of new weeds and rapidly eradicating any new infestations that are found.

          The advantage of a weed management area is the pooling of resources and interest with reduced concern over land ownership to the end that all land is treated the same, cooperation is enhanced and additional funds can be directed at the problem.  The DCWMA is better equipped to apply for grants and gain cooperative participation in the weed control effort than any single entity is.  A Memorandum of Understanding signed by all parties ties the participants together.  A management committee is made up of representatives of all participating entities.

The tax dollars collected from property owners is used primarily for treatment of weeds on County roads and property (public roads are one of the main corridors in the spread of noxious weeds), and also is used to cost share on most chemicals for people who buy them from the County. Along with the cost share benefit comes expertise in what chemicals to use, how much to use, how to properly mix them and also timing of the application of the chemicals. We also use the money to make sprayers available for rent for a nominal charge to assist people with the tools they need to do the work.

Most of the equipment and employees in the DCWMA are used to treat large contracts with the US Forest Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, the Bureau of Land Management, the Wyoming Department of Transportation, and Wyoming State Lands, along with the County property. All of these contracts are charged out by the hour and no cost share is given to these entities. We also do Hay certification to help provide resources for people needing certified hay to take to public lands.

At this point we have been getting some grants which enable us to put out a yearly insert in the local newspapers for public awareness and also other public awareness endeavors. We also have a grant which lets us help landowners with weeds on property adjacent to National Forest land with the idea of mitigating the spread of weeds to the public land.

For more information contact Fremont County Weed and Pest Control District (Lander office: 307-332-1052 or in Dubois: Bob Finley at 450-8704) or the Dubois – Crowheart Conservation District at (307) 455-3688.