Roger Batt is the spokesman for Idaho’s Weed Awareness Campaign, an innovative attempt to educate Idahoans about the dangers of the latest invasion of outlaw species to hit the West. How does Idaho’s weed control efforts compare to other states?

Idaho’s weed control efforts are actually head and shoulders above all the other states in the Union. We have cooperative weed management areas -- thirty two of them throughout the state -- which involves federal and state agency groups, private landowners, conservation groups and other groups coming together to control noxious weeds.

Noxious weeds cost Idaho $300 million a year.

We also have several different committees at the state and federal level. We have the Idaho weed coordinating committee, the Idaho weed control association, and the Idaho weed awareness campaign.

The Idaho weed awareness compaign is making a huge difference. We have a hot line number and a web site, which people are contacting on a daily basis. We have reached over 90% of all Idaho households. So, yes, compared to three years ago when there was no program established, Idaho is learning a lot about noxious weeds!

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.

Noxious weeds are like alien invaders. They thrive, choking out native vegetation.

How do they spread in Idaho?
Noxious weeds are like alien invaders. They come from other areas. They’re transported in many ways. One way is ATV use in the wilderness. Folks will drive through a patch of noxious weeds and spread it to another area.

Boats are another way. Eurasian water milfoil is now prevalent in pristine lakes like Hayden, Spirit, Pend Oreille, Payette. If you don’t clean your boat, water milfoil could be on your boat, and you could transport it from one pristine area to another.

Puncture vine, or goatheads, get in your bike tires, and bikers take it from one place to another.

The wind and water are two other ways it spreads. Also, some people will pick up what they think are pretty, ornamental flowers and will transport them home. The flowers will wilt and die on the way home, and then they’ll throw them in a ditch bank; and it starts a new infestation of noxious weeds.

The first documented case of rush skeletonweed in Idaho was in the 1960’s, in the Banks area. It came from Washington and it could have been eradicated. The budget instead was spent on Canada thistle at that time. Now it’s spread through most of Idaho.

If we did nothing, it would be catastrophic.

Do you have a noxious weed that worries you the most?
That would have to be Eurasian water milfoil. It’s an aquatic weed. It can hinder power generation. It can thrive in waters where the Ph is really high. It can survive under ice. It can survive out of water for two weeks. It can grow 18 inches in a day. They’ve found it in lakes up to depths of forty feet. It can destroy water quality and hinder boat recreation. With its capabilities, it’s extremely adaptable and deserves respect.

The other four in Idaho would have to be rush skeletonweed, leafy spurge, yellow star thistle, and spotted knapweed.

Why the funny sounding names?
Noxious weeds got their names a long time ago, when they came over from Europe and Asia and parts of Africa. None of us knew what to call the specific plants, so we had folks from those countries actually name the plants.

Do biological agents, or bugs, really work to control noxious weeds?
Biological control uses insects, whether it’s a root boring weevil or some kind of beetle, or a moth that lays larva on the plant. They take a lot longer to establish themselves, but once they do, they thrive in the area and start to slowly control the invasive plant species in that area.

It takes anywhere from seven to ten years to actually have a biological agent released into the U.S. Millions of dollars are spent and a lot of research is done. That particular species of insect will only eat that particular species of plant. That’s the reason they’re so effective.

The Nez Perce biological control center breeds these insects; they keep them there for distribution. We’re finding certain counties are collecting certain types of insects and transplanting them to new weed infested areas.

The best success story involves a bug called galerucella. We’ve seen patches of purple loosestrife eight to ten acres; and in five years time, the insects have it completely eradicated or there will be a small patch left over. There’s no damage to the environment, and it’s a completely natural way to eradicate the weed.

Is there a long term solution to the problem of noxious weeds?
I would say the solution to the problem is public awareness and outreach and especially education. If people do not learn about noxious weeds, about what they look like, who to report them to, and how to stop further infestations, then nothing is going to be done.