This outline is a modification of a weed management plan template produced by The Nature Conservancy. There has been a tremendous expansion of invasive alien plant species across the U.S., including Colorado. New problem weed species arrive in Colorado every year.
Weeds create large economic losses for agriculture in both cropland and rangeland situations.
Noxious weeds often provide poorer habitat for wildlife than native vegetation. Proliferation of alien plant species alters ecosystem processes and threatens certain native species with exptirpation. Thus, unchecked weeds threaten our economic livelihood and our biological heritage. In recognition of the economic and ecological impacts of weeds, the General Assembly of the State of Colorado passed the Colorado Weed Management Act, also known as the Colorado Noxious Weed Act, in 1996. This act requires landowners and managers to manage noxious weeds if they are likely to damage neighboring lands.