This report details a strategy for control of invasive plants found at nine military installations located along the Front Range of Colorado and Wyoming. Invasive plant species control plans have been written for six of the nine installations. These plans suggest which weeds are top priorities for control at each installation. They also have specific on-the-ground control recommendations for each noxious weed species that has been documented at the installation. They detail a combination of control options including pulling, mowing, cutting, burning, using biological control methods with insects/pathogens, grazing, and using herbicides.
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) has determined that road construction and maintenance should avoid fen wetlands whenever practicable. Efficient implementation of this policy, however, has been hindered by a lack of comprehensive information on fens surrounding the Colorado highway network. To aid transportation planning, CDOT identified a need to better understand the distribution and extent of fens near Colorado highways. To this end, CDOT contracted Colorado State University and the Colorado Natural Heritage Program to map all potential fens near Colorado highways.
Degener's penstemon (Penstemon degeneri) is a perennial herb in the Plantaginaceae (Plaintain Family) that is found only in Fremont, Custer and Chaffee counties, and is considered to be imperiled at a global and state level. When flowering, it has beautiful blue-purple flower spikes. One of the biggest conservation issues for this imperiled plant species is the lack of awareness of its existence and status. Avoiding or minimizing impacts to this species during road maintenance activities will effectively help to conserve its habitat and is unlikely to confer substantial impacts on road maintenance goals and projects.
Grand Mesa penstemon (Penstemon mensarum) is a tall, dark-blue-flowered plant in the Scrophulariaceae (Figwort Family) that is known only from the vicinity of Grand Mesa in Gunnison, Delta, Mesa, and Pitkin counties, Colorado. This distinctive species is not known from anywhere else in the world, and is considered to be imperiled at a global and state level. One of the biggest conservation issues for this imperiled plant species is the lack of awareness of its existence and status. Avoiding or minimizing impacts to this species during road maintenance activities will effectively help to conserve its habitat and is unlikely to confer substantial impacts on road maintenance goals and projects.
Brandegee wild buckwheat (Eriogonum brandegeei) is a mat-forming plant in the Polygonaceae (Buckwheat Family) that is known only from the Arkansas Valley in Fremont and Chaffee counties, Colorado, and is considered to be imperiled at a global and state level. One of the biggest conservation issues for this imperiled plant species is the lack of awareness of its existence and status. Avoiding or minimizing impacts to this species during road maintenance activities will effectively help to conserve its habitat and is unlikely to confer substantial impacts on road maintenance goals and projects.
Rabbit Ears gilia (Ipomopsis aggregata ssp. weberi) is a tall herbaceous plant in the Polemoniaceae (Phlox Family) that is known from north central Colorado in Grand, Jackson, and Routt counties, and is also found in northern Idaho and south central Wyoming and is considered to be imperiled at a global and state level. One of the biggest conservation issues for this imperiled plant species is the lack of awareness of its existence and status. Avoiding or minimizing impacts to this species during road maintenance activities will effectively help to conserve its habitat and is unlikely to confer substantial impacts on road maintenance goals and projects.
Bell's twinpod (Physaria bellii) is a small, yellow-flowered plant in the Brassicaceae (Mustard Family) that is known only from the Front Range in Boulder and Larimer counties, Colorado, and is considered to be imperiled at a global and state level. One of the biggest conservation issues for this imperiled plant species is the lack of awareness of its existence and status. Avoiding or minimizing impacts to this species during road maintenance activities will effectively help to conserve its habitat and is unlikely to confer substantial impacts on road maintenance goals and projects.
