Cooperative Agreement L22AC00394

LIBERTY COUNTY, TOOLE COUNTY AND THE BLM WILL WORK TOGETHER WITH PRIVATE AND NON FEDERAL LANDOWNERS TO PREVENT, CONTAIN AND CONTROL THE SPREAD OF NOXIOUS WEEDS IN THE MARIAS RIVER WATERSHED AND THE SWEET GRASS HILLS OF TOOLE AND LIBERTY COUNTIES BECAUSE THESE PLANTS MOVE RAPIDLY FROM ONE OWNER S LAND TO ANOTHER, JOINT EFFORTS TO ERADICATE, CONTAIN OR CONTROL NOXIOUS WEEDS WILL REDUCE ADVERSE IMPACTS ON PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LANDS AND REDUCE COSTS TO BOTH BLM AND OTHER LANDOWNERS BECAUSE THESE COUNTIES DO NOT HAVE THE FUNDS TO WORK ON THE PUBLIC LANDS AND THE BLM DOESN T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO WORK ON PRIVATE LANDS, THE COUNTIES WILL PROVIDE THE SERVICES ON ALL THE LANDS AND REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT FOR THEIR EXPENSES FOR SERVICES PERFORMED AND SUPPLIES USED THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO ADDRESS SPOTTED KNAPWEED, RUSSIAN KNAPWEED, LEAFY SPURGE, HOUNDS TONGUE, CANADA THISTLE AND PERENNIAL PEPPERWEED INFESTATIONS ACROSS ADMINISTRATIVE BOUNDARIES THIS PROJECT WILL ALSO ASSIST WITH THE TREATMENT AND REMOVAL OF RUSSIAN OLIVE TREES ALONG THE MARIAS RIVER BELOW TIBER DAM THE ABILITY TO WORK ACROSS OWNERSHIPS ALLOWS FOR HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT OF THE ENTIRE PROBLEM IN THIS WAY ALL PARTNERS ENSURE THAT WEED ISSUES ARE NOT ALLOWED TO PERSIST OVER TIME AND CONTRIBUTE TO NEW INFESTATIONS ON ALL OWNERSHIPS DUE TO THE ISOLATED NATURE OF THE CURRENT INFESTATIONS, THE AREA HAS BEEN DESIGNATED BY THE COUNTY AS PART OF A COOPERATIVE WEED PREVENTION AREA IN THE SWEET GRASS HILLS, AND A COOPERATIVE WEED MANAGEMENT AREA ALONG THE MARIAS RIVER THESE EFFORTS HELP TO PROTECT PUBLIC LANDS IN THE AREA WHICH ALSO INCLUDES AN AREA OF CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN ACEC