You have to have some idea of what it will cost. Stellflug said leafy spurge is Valley County's largest noxious weed problem. He estimated that leafy spurge infests about 10,000 acres of Valley County's three million acres, Canada thistle infests another 6,000 acres. But whatever the maps say, it still takes a knowledgeable interpretation of the maps to change data into information. It also takes interpretation to know where to start on weed control, says Duncan.
People tend to go to the worst infestation, and start controlling the weed there.
They shouldn't start at the worst spot, which is often the center of a series of smaller infestations. Plot them, then work at the smaller infestations, gradually working toward the center of the sites. The strength of using the standardized mapping techniques agreed to by the state and federal agencies is so that information can be shared, says Cooksey. The data collected will be compatible with other people's data. Go to feature stories index arranged by category.