Weeds & Invasive Species 

San Juan Islands National Monument RMP 

Scotch broom 

Weeds and Invasive Species and The Planning Process 

Through the planning process the BLM will determine how and whether to manage noxious weeds and invasive 

species over the next 15 to 20 years. This will include exploring different management approaches that could respond 

to the types of planning issues described below. We want your help during scoping to identify additional planning 

issues, as well as management approaches that you believe we should consider adopting in order to address these 

issues. (More information on reverse side.) 

The San Juan Islands National Monument contains approximately 20 different noxious weeds and invasive species 

on 27 different sites. These species are found in a variety of different habitats, and range from invasive species not 

designated for control in the state or county to Class A noxious weeds designated for eradication. 

 

Preliminary Planning Issues 

•	What types of management should be considered to reduce the spread of noxious

weeds and invasive species? 

•	Whattypes ofmanagement shouldbe consideredto restore areas containingnoxious

weeds and invasive species? 

•	What types of management should be considered to prevent the introduction of

noxious weeds and invasive species? 

What is THE San Juan Islands National Monument RMP? 

The Bureau of Land Management is developing a Resource Management Plan (RMP) 

for the San Juan Islands National Monument which will guide the management of these 

spectacular lands in a manner that ensures the protection of their remarkable cultural, 

historic, and ecological values for the benefit of generations of Americans to come. 

Tansey Ragwort 

San Juan Islands National Monument 

BLM, Lopez Island Office 

P.O. Box 3 

Lopez, WA 98261 

mdechade@blm.gov 

Contact us news & updates 

Scan our QR Code or visit us at: 

www.blm.gov/SanJuanIslandsNM/RMP 

Or send us an email to: 

blm_or_sanjuanislandsnm@blm.gov 
Weeds and Invasive Species and the San Juan Islands National Monument 

Noxious weeds and invasive plants pose a significant threat to the monument’s mixed grassland and 

woodland systems both directly through competition with native plants and indirectly through disruption 

of ecosystem function that supports native communities. In 2010 and 2013, the BLM identified 15 noxious 

weed species out of 140 species on the Washington State Noxious Weed Control list which were known to 

occur within the monument. 

Invasive plants are non-native plants that have been introduced into an environment in which they did 

not evolve and are capable of establishing free-living populations in areas beyond their natural range of 

dispersal. These plants are characteristically adaptable, aggressive, and lack natural enemies to limit their 

reproduction and spread. Their vigor, rapid growth, and high reproductive capacity allow them to outcomplete native plants for key resources, resulting in their dominance of human-influenced and native 

ecosystems. Once established, invasive plants can cause significant harm to environmental and economic 

values. 

Noxious weeds, a subset of invasive plants, are designated and regulated by state and federal laws because 

they are known to be detrimental to agriculture, commerce, natural resources, and public health. The 

Revised Code of Washington State defines ‘noxious weeds’ as plants that when established are “highly 

destructive, competitive, or difficult to control by cultural or chemical practices.” 

Noxious weeds and invasive plants (collectively referred to here as ‘weeds’) can create a variety of plant 

community changes through altering the floristic structure and composition of the community as well 

as disrupting the key ecosystem processes that enable the community to function. At local scales, weeds 

can displace native plants due to their conferred competitive and reproductive advantages resulting in the 

degradation of the community’s biotic integrity. The loss of native plant diversity from weed invasions may 

lead to loss of wildlife habitat, rangeland productivity, and increase the risk of extirpation of special status 

species. 

How does the Proclamation Address this Resource or Use? 

Invasive species are a potential threat to the diverse native habitats and species identified in the 

proclamation, which addresses the need to enhance, preserve, and protect unique and varied natural and 

scientific resources within the San Juan Island National Monument. For the purposes of protecting and 

restoring these resources, the BLM shall prepare and maintain a management plan for the monument. 

How does this Resource or Use Fit into the Planning Process? 

Through the planning effort, the BLM will determine how the identified lands with noxious weeds and 

invasive species, or the potential to become infested with them, will be managed for the next 15 to 20 years. 

It will also document any impacts to the San Juan Islands National Monument that would be caused by 

any range of management approaches it considers in the planning process.