By Reagan Colyer MSU NEWS SERVICE
BOZEMAN –
Farmers and ranchers in Montana are often intimately aware of the dangers posed
by noxious weeds, but the general public’s knowledge of invasive species has
also increased due to education and outreach efforts over the past 25 years,
according to a recent survey.
The survey
follows up an initial survey done in 1994, which determined the level of public
knowledge at the time in order to gauge education needs. The 2019 survey was
administered by Eric Raile of the Montana State University Human Ecology
Learning and Problem Solving Lab; Jane Mangold of MSU Extension and
the Department of Land Resources and Environmental Science in
the College of Agriculture; and Shantell Frame-Martin of the Montana
Noxious Weed Education Campaign, or MNWEC.
Both surveys
were funded by the Montana Noxious Weed Trust Fund, which is overseen by the
Montana Department of Agriculture.
“The goal of
that first survey was to gain insight into the level of knowledge that
Montanans had about noxious weeds,” said Frame-Martin. “We found out that there
wasn’t a whole lot of knowledge, so that was when the MNWEC was formed.”
The MNWEC,
housed in the Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences at MSU,
is a cooperative effort among state and federal entities and non-governmental
organizations that seeks to educate Montanans about noxious weeds, encouraging
them to participate in integrated weed management.
Since 1994,
the MNWEC has used billboards, pamphlets, educational classes, newspaper
articles and radio and television advertisements to increase knowledge across
the state. Recently, it has focused on key audiences like recreationists and
hunters who spend a lot of time in Montana’s natural areas and may accidentally
spread noxious weeds. They also developed educational materials for real estate
professionals.
Noxious
weeds infest nearly 8 million acres of Montana, said Frame-Martin, and something
as simple as walking or driving through a patch of noxious weeds without
washing shoes or vehicles afterward can spread the weeds to areas that haven’t
yet been exposed. Of particular concern are medusahead and ventenata, invasive
grasses that are detrimental to rangelands because they decrease the amount of
forage available for livestock and wildlife.
More than
800 Montanans responded to the newest survey. Of those, nearly half reported
they drive on dirt roads or across fields, 41 percent reported that they
routinely go hiking or backpacking, 37 percent work outside or in fields, 24
percent fish and 17 percent hunt. All of those are outdoor activities that,
without proper awareness, can spread noxious weeds.
About half
of respondents, 48 percent, said that they have “little to no” knowledge of
noxious weeds. While it seems like a large proportion, it is an improvement
over the 1994 survey, where 67 percent of respondents indicated they knew
little or nothing about noxious weeds.
However, 73
percent of respondents were able to name at least one species of noxious weed,
and at least 80 percent identified loss of wildlife habitat and biodiversity,
increased wildfire and loss of native plants as particularly concerning impacts
of noxious weeds, showing awareness of the impacts the weeds can have.
Nearly half
of respondents said they do more now to prevent noxious weed spread than they
did five years ago, which Frame-Martin said is encouraging. While all the
numbers might not yet be where the researchers hoped, she said they are moving
in the right direction. When it comes to environmental issues, educating people
about the behaviors that contribute to the problem is critical, she said, and
Montanans who know about noxious weeds are more likely to do their part to help
stop the spread.
“The results
that we gained are encouraging,” Frame-Martin said. “The trends in our data
show that knowledge has increased.”
One of the
less encouraging results from the survey for Frame-Martin was the trend of
younger adults and female respondents tending to know less and show less
interest in noxious weeds. But, she said, this finding will help the MNWEC
adapt its educational efforts to engage those groups.
“Everybody has the capability and capacity to help stop noxious weeds,” Frame-Martin said. “We all love Montana, and we live here because of the great recreational opportunities. We need to protect those for future generations. Making sure that knowledge is out there and that everybody can do their part is essential.”
