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GET INVOLVED

BOARD OF DIRECTORS & COORDINATORS

What: Board of Directors of Century West Neighborhood Association consists of one representative from each of seven wards and four at-large members. In addition, coordinators representing homeowner associations within CWNA, regularly attend bi-monthly board meetings. Volunteers for these positions are always needed.

When: Ongoing.

Where: Monthly meetings are held on the second Wednesday at The Fireside Room in Mt. Bachelor Village at 7 p.m.

Who: Any registered member of CWNA may volunteer.

For more information contact:  Jason Moyer, Chair/President,  jason@cascadetec.com

Upcoming Event:
CWNA Spring General Meeting
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
6:30pm - Open House
7:00pm - General Meeting
Sunrise Village Clubhouse
Guest Speaker - Jim Clinton, Bend City Council

 

 
       

The CWNA Weed Report

An Update on Noxious Weeds--an issue critical to residents of Century West Neighborhood Association

 

 

 

 

spotted knapweed

 

 

 

dalmation toadflax

Urgent Attention is Needed Now on a Growing Problem

For a lot of people, it won't be enough to say, "We've got a terrible infestation of a couple of noxious weeds, Spotted Knapweed and Dalmation Toadflax, in the Bend area, and they are blooming right now, and we all need to get out there and pull, or dig out, any weeds we see near our homes, or places we work or play. Otherwise, they'll be all over the place!"
 
For some, it won't even work to state: "Helping your neighbors clean up a serious problem we have in Central Oregon with two state-registered noxious weeds is a matter of pride. These weeds have the ability to take over vast areas of rural and urban ground if not checked. Every weed we remove means fewer seeds and spreading root systems that can produce a whole lot more weeds. Eradicating them is the right thing to do."
 
But nearly everyone will probably relate to the effect that untreated knapweed and toadflax infestations will have on their pocketbooks. Here are a few economic considerations to mull over:
  • Weed-infested agricultural ground makes food more expensive. It costs a lot of money to treat productive ground for weeds that are competing with food crops for moisture and nutrients. Weeds that are not controlled lower both the yield and the quality of food crops, increasing its cost to consumers. And many noxious weeds are either unpalatable or poisonous to livestock, causing weed-infested pastures to be less productive. On top of that, farmland that is heavily infested by noxious weeds loses its market value, impacting the availability of good-quality arable ground and thus, again, raising the cost of food for consumers.
  • The Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the State of Oregon, and Deschutes County all spend money--the money they get from you and me in taxes--trying to eradicate and control the spread of noxious weeds on public lands. (According to a recent Bend Bulletin editorial, the county alone will spend $115,000 this year on weed eradication efforts.) Imagine what other things that money could be spent on, or what we could use it for ourselves, if we could get rid of most of those weeds once and for all?
  • Noxious weeds affect private property values. Most people know that such weeds are not easy to get rid of permanently, and once started and not controlled, they usually tend to take over ground from native plants. Now, if you were considering the purchase of property that was infested with noxious weeds, how would it impact your purchase offer? Or, would you lose interest in the property all together?
  • And if that isn't enough, consider the intangible value of native plants that we consider desirable but may find it difficult to put a monetary value on, that are being crowded out and overtaken by invasive noxious weeds.
Okay, so now you're a bit riled up, and feel like you want to do something about it, even if it's just for an hour or two near your home or somewhere particularly nasty in your neighborhood. How do you get started? Here's a little check list:
  1. First, you need to be able to identify what you're after. Above are some photos of two major noxious weeds in our area, Spotted Knapweed, and Dalmation Toadflax. Here are links for seeing even more photos: http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/plantsci/weeds/w842w.htm and http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/plantsci/weeds/w1239w.htm. Get real familiar with them, like they were a Friday night date. For those of you inclined to be obsessively inquisitive, here are a few more links to get even more information about noxious weeds in general, and our two pests in particular: http://www.co.deschutes.or.us/go/objectid/8C9B69DC-BDBD-57C1-9C64DC53B659CBCE/index.cfm 
    http://www.co.deschutes.or.us/download.cfm?DownloadFile=CB34B5C1-BDBD-57C1-96135C5EAE6F1953
  2. Then you need to know how to deal with them once you find them. It won't do to grab them by the throat and yank them out of the ground. In most cases, that will just leave broken roots under the surface, which will be delighted to propagate new plants. You need to get roots as well as stems, leaves and flowers. It helps to have a tool like a small shovel, a narrow trowel, or even a long screw driver. Anything that will help you loosen the soil around and underneath these villains.
  3. Having the right materials and supplies is important, too. To pull Spotted Knapweed, you need gloves. That's because these plants have a sticky residue on the stems that is easily absorbed by the skin, and doesn't feel good after awhile. Gloves makes the process more enjoyable--well, within limits. Large bags (the kind used for yard trash works well), digging tools mentioned above, plenty of drinking water (this can be a pretty thirsty job), sun protection, and, of course your plant identification photos, are all helpful.
  4. What to do with the many bags of weeds you've dug up? The best solution is to toss them into the back of your pick up truck (or your neighbor's, if you have his permission), and take them to Knott's landfill on 27th Street. It's also possible to have curbside pickup within the city limits on certain days.
  5. Now, go home, put your feet up while drinking a cold beer, and gloat: you've done your good deed for the day. Tomorrow, you can do it all again for even greater satisfaction!

 



For additional information, contact:
David Light, CWNA Weed Committee Chair, dmlight@bendbroadband.com
Bill Padgham, CWNA Weed Committee, bpadgham@aol.com
Dan Sherwin, Deschutes County Weed Control, 541-322-7135

 
 

Century West Neighborhood Association