Upper Snake River CWMA

The Upper Snake River Cooperative Weed Management Area (USRCWMA) was established by the Bonneville, Teton, Madison, Jefferson and Bingham County Commissioners in partnership with the state and federal agencies that manage lands within those counties. The USRCWMA provides a forum to coordinate area wide activities to detect, prevent, contain, control, and eradicate noxious weeds on public and private lands. In the USRCWMA, we believe that sharing funds, equipment, staff, and ideas across jurisdictional boundaries in a coordinated and cooperative weed fighting strategy will result in more effective "on-the-ground" weed control. The USRCWMA  supports an area wide integrated noxious weed control program that uses all available tools and techniques to combat noxious weeds. A steering committee provides the local leadership.  The steering committee meets monthly to plan and implement its programs. During 2007 the USRCWMA revised and updated its strategic plan.

Noxious weeds of major concern include Leafy Spurge, Spotted Knapweed, Diffuse Knapweed, Russian Knapweed, Canada Thistle, Musk Thistle, Plumeless Thistle, Hoary Cress, Dalmation and Yellow Toadflax, Purple Loosestrife, Dyer’s Woad, Rush Skeletonweed,  Houndstounge and Tamarisk.  The rapid spread of these noxious weeds is a serious threat to the ecology and economy of eastern Idaho.

The USRCWMA places a high priority on:

1. Developing a coordinated area-wide information and education program.

2. Initiating a noxious weed-mapping program using GPS and GIS technology.

3. Targeting and funding large scale weed treatment initiatives as well as smaller projects.

4. Implementing a research and monitoring program to locally evaluate the effectiveness of weed fighting techniques.

5. Early detection and rapid response to new infestations.

The Upper Snake River Cooperative Weed Management Area Description:

The area covered by Upper Snake River Cooperative Weed Management Area (USRCWMA ) includes all lands within Bingham, Teton, and Madison County, Idaho. It includes all lands to the south of Highway 33 in Jefferson County except the cropland area around Mud Lake and Terreton.  It includes all lands within Bonneville County that are north of the Palisades Ranger District’s southern boundary.  Land ownership is inter-mingled federal, state, county, and private holdings. The USRCWMA is bordered by the Henry's Fork, Jackson Hole, Wyoming , Highlands, Utah/Idaho, Power County, Blaine County, Lost River, and the Continental Divide CWMAs.  The CWMA contains approximately 3,515,838 acres.