What
is a Cooperative Weed Management Area?
Weed Management Areas (WMAs) are local organizations
that bring together landowners and managers (private, city, county, State, and
Federal) in a county, multi-county, or other geographical area to coordinate
efforts and expertise against common invasive weed species. The WMA functions
under the authority of a mutually developed memorandum of understanding (MOU)
and is subject to statutory and regulatory weed control requirements. A WMA may
be voluntarily governed by a chairperson or a steering committee. To date,
groups in California have been initiated by either the leadership of the County
Agricultural Commissioner’s Office or a Federal Agency employee. WMAs are unique because they attempt to address
agricultural (regulatory) weeds and “wildland” weeds under one local umbrella
of organization. It is hoped that participation will extend from all agencies
and private organizations. WMAs have printed weed
I.D./control brochures, organized weed education events, written and obtained
grants, coordinated demonstration plots, and instituted joint eradication,
mapping, outreach, and other effective weed management projects.
More
on Weed Management Areas can be found at http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/wma/
©2003 Daniel Gluesenkamp