Oregon Invasive Weed Awareness Week, May 15

Oregon Governor Kate Brown has declared May 13-19 “Oregon Invasive Weed Awareness Week”. One of the many jobs of the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) is to identify and eliminate these aggressive and harmful invaders. Here is how you can help; “Know it before you grow it!” Spring is a busy season for plant swaps and plant sale fundraisers, but it is important that before you buy and plant check the common name and scientific name to make sure it is not on ODA’s noxious weed list. We make it easy by posting a list of noxious weeds online complete with pictures. http://www.oregon.gov/oda/programs/weeds/oregonnoxiousweeds/pages/aboutoregonweeds.aspx  Noxious weeds have been estimated to cause more than $80 million in damage to Oregon’s economy each year, not to mention impacts to wildlife habitat and water quality. It’s up to all of us who call Oregon home to protect what we cherish by preventing the spread of noxious weeds. If you find noxious weeds the safest way to dispose of the invader is to place them in the garbage. Sturdy root material and mature seeds can often survive the composting process and continue the spread. Please help ODA spread the word on the dangers of noxious weeds. Find us on Facebook @ODANoxiousWeedProgram and on Twitter @ORagriculture for information you can share. Use or search by hashtag #KnowItBeforeYouGrowIt! To report a suspected noxious weed infestation please visit www.oregoninvasiveshotline.org;