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Background	Report Invaders	Benton SWCD Programs
Invasive Brochures	Related Links

What's All the Fuss About Invasive Species?

Weeds are expensive! Have you heard the news? A silent invasion is infiltrating Benton County and compromising the integrity of our habitats and natural resources. Invasive plants grow fast and tend to form monocultures, reducing biodiversity, decreasing water quality and contributing to erosion. Invasive species infest an additional 4,500 acres of public lands and waterways in the U.S. each day. The Oregon Department of Agriculture Director estimates that Oregon spends $81 million annually on invasives that are harmful to agriculture, water resources, or human health.
Characteristics of Noxious Weeds Produce many seeds Successful dispersal strategies Sexual and asexual reproduction Grow faster and mature earlier than natives Lack natural predators HARD TO KILL!
What You Can Do to Stop the Invasion: Choose native plants for gardening: BSWCD Native Plant Sale GardenSmart Oregon: A Guide to Non-Invasive Plants (PDF, 4.7 MB) Native Alternatives for Benton County (PDF, 82 KB) Don’t be a Weed Transporter! When hiking or boating, clean dogs, shoes, and clothes before you leave an infested area, even if uncertain of weeds in the area. When boating, take precautions to stop aquatic hitchikers. Be a Weed Spotter or have your land inventoried by a trained volunteer. Find alternatives to herbicides through the Roadside No Spray Program. Report sightings! ^ back to top

Report Invaders The most cost effective way to avert the economic and ecological consequences of invasive species is through Early Detection and Rapid Response. Check the list of Priority Invaders for Benton County. To report a sighting: For plants only: weedmapper.org For any invader: If you spot a potential invasive species in Oregon, please call the Invasive Species Hotline number, 1-866-INVADER (1-866-468-2337). This number is toll-free. You may also call this number if you have a question regarding a specific invasive pest. Follow sightings with the online map at oregoninvasiveshotline.org! ^ back to top

Benton SWCD Weed Programs
Roadside No Spray Program One of the primary means of spreading noxious weeds is through roadside corridors. The Benton SWCD has partnered with Benton County Public Works to assist landowners in controlling noxious weeds. By controlling noxious weeds on your property, you are a part of the solution! There are alternative methods to herbicides for controlling noxious weeds! Learn and employ weed management techniques from Benton SWCD technical staff. Here are two ways to find out more about the program: Visit the Benton County Public Works No Spray Program web site. Contact Sarah Dyrdahl by e-mail, or by phone at (541) 753-7208, for assistance controlling noxious weeds and establishing native plants in roadside areas. ^ back to top
Weed Spotters Be a trained volunteer member of the force to tackle invasive plants —OR— Have a Weed Spotters Inventory conducted in your yard! Become a Weed Spotters Volunteer! Volunteer Training: This 6-session volunteer training will familiarize you with the identification, costs and recommended control methods for some of our area’s MOST WANTED invasive species. The trained volunteer will conduct at least 4 weed inventories in the yards of Benton County. The Weed Spotter Volunteer will help identify weeds and provide residents with information about the invasive plants and additional actions and resources that will help STOP the INVASION! Training will be held from 7-9 pm on Thursdays from February 5 to March 12, 2009. Contact Heath to get on the list for the 2010 volunteer training. Sign up to receive a FREE weed inventory! If you just can’t figure out how to get rid of those blackberries or you don’t know what to replace your ivy with, Weed Spotters volunteers are here to help! Trained volunteers will conduct weed inventories on your property, and you will receive a binder of personalized information and a Native Plant Sale Gift Certificate! Contact Heath Keirstead if you are interested in either option. We can win this battle if we all PULL together! ^ back to top
Brochures Knotweed Download (PDF, 909 KB) 1 page (front and back), tri-fold, 11.18x8.68" January 2009 Note for printing: Because this is a non-standard page size, when printing you may need to set the "Page Scaling" to "Fit to Printable Area". "Page Scaling", if available, can be found under the "Page Handling" section of the "Print" window. Meadow knapweed Download (PDF, 1.38 MB) 1 page (front and back), tri-fold, 11x8.5" January 2009 Selected Noxious Weeds of Benton County Download (PDF, 978 KB) 1 page (front and back), tri-fold, 11x8.5" June 2009
Links Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health Statesman Journal’s series on invasive education Institute for Applied Ecology Download Field Guide to Weeds of the Willamette Valley The Nature Conservancy’s Invasives Website Marine Invaders Oregon Public Broadcasting Oregon Invasive Species Council Oregon Department of Agriculture weed list Oregon’s 10 Most Unwanted Invaders ^ back to top

Last updated: 16 Jun 2009 4:12 PM PDT

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