Weed Management
The herbicide and reseed cost share program
will be available for 2024!
Cost Share Form
Check out the new FAQ page
Noxious weeds are more than plants out of place; they are non-native plants that are disrupting our native vegetation and ecosystems. Noxious weeds thrive because they have no natural controls and are able to adapt to varied climatic conditions. They flourish in areas that have been disturbed and lack native vegetation.
Our Mission
The purpose of the Weed Management Program is to provide compliance, information and county roads/properties weed management services to landowners, residents and visitors so they can benefit from reduced weed infestations
Have you seen any of the plants listed on the Colorado State Watch List? If so contact the Weeds Dept. ASAP!
Program Overview
The goal of La Plata County Weed Management Program is to manage and/or eradicate noxious weeds in our region. We do this by controlling the weeds on County Roads and County Properties, and also through educating and helping landowners with vegetation on their property.
Large infestations can be stopped, reduced, managed and sometimes eventually eradicated. Smaller invasions can most times be fully eradicated before they have a chance to become established, and then spread throughout a sub region in the County. By accomplishing this landowners and managers help stop noxious weeds from forcing out native plants and animals from their natural environment.
La Plata County has an aggressive program when it comes to weed management. We have developed our own methods for tracking and controlling weeds and have worked with many landowners to help manage weeds on private properties. Below are some of the methods that have helped to control weeds thus far in La Plata County.
What we do:
Consultations to Landowners
- On Site: Property walk through, with County Weed Manager
- For private landowners, subdivision members or property managers
- Identify both Noxious Weeds and Native Plants
- Weed Management Plan: control methods related to species, control times and native plants to help rehabilitate
- No cost
Off Site: La Plata County Weed Office
- Bring plant samples into the office for ID- Call 970-328-6470 to make an appointment
- Control method suggestions or Weed Management Plan written
- Please call for an appointment to make sure staff is available
Control roads and property weed management
- Promptly manage starting weed invasions along county road right of ways
- This limits spread to adjacent private properties and public lands
- If you see a county road or a property that has A or B listed noxious weeds please fill out a County Roads Form
Mapping Noxious Weeds
- Generate infestation maps for private land owners, subdivisions, and public land agencies to aid in weed management
- Accurate data collection of weed infestations using a GPS/GIS system
- Historic data comparison (track weeds over time)
- Landowner notification
Priority and Enforceable Weeds
- The Colorado Department of Agriculture lists certain plants as noxious and sets the legal framework for enforcement
- The La Plata County weed office is responsible for enforcing properties that have significant amounts of weeds that are on the State Weed list
- County Noxious weed codes are used to mandate control
- All landowners and land managers with these weeds are required to manage and stop their spread
Another informative website is the Colorado Department of Agriculture state weed list site. This page lists the different state issued and enforceable noxious weeds with fact sheets for each species.