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PROVO, Utah (AP) -- More than 60 volunteers will map weeds in the Uinta National Forest this summer.
Nearly all are members of the Dedicated Hunter program, under which participants can gain special deer-hunting privileges by putting in a certain number of hours on various projects.
Jo Proctor of the Uinta National Forest held a training meeting for the volunteers recently and showed them specimens of the 32 weeds they will be looking for.
Noxious weeds "are like a permanent biological wildfire in how they devastate the ecosystem," said Denise Van Keuren of the Uinta National Forest. "It's far worse than wildfire because our plants have adapted to fire, not to weeds that are able to outrun them on their home ecosystem and explode in population."
The volunteers will use satellite-positioning technology to map weed sites. They will take photos and bring back weed samples. They have to provide their own GPS unit and camera.
The mapping project will last throughout the summer, with volunteers combing the forest on foot, four-wheelers and horses.
Next year, forest crews will spray herbicide on the weeds in a large-scale attempt to remove nonnative plants from the forest.
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Information from: The Daily Herald, http://www.heraldextra.com
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
