Earl Creech joined University of Nevada Cooperative Extension as the new state weed specialist Feb. 1.  He is located in the Churchill County Cooperative Extension office in Fallon.  Creech provides statewide leadership in outreach teaching and applied research in the area of integrated weed management for noxious, invasive and poisonous weeds.

A recent Cooperative Extension survey indicated that weeds are a top concern for Nevada's agricultural producers.  Weeds are one of the most serious threats to rangelands and lawns, and have already invaded thousands of acres of Nevada's land and waterways.  Noxious weeds endanger water quality, wildlife habitat, recreational activities and the economic stability of ranchers, farmers and other land managers.

UNCE programming strategies and activities are addressing these issues by developing integrated weed management techniques, educating homeowners to use environmentally friendly landscaping practices and by the continual training of Master Gardeners, Weed Warriors and other volunteers in science-based weed management strategies.  Currently, there are more than 30 coordinated weed associations and other groups in Nevada.  UNCE faculty play an active role in many of these groups, serving as catalysts, educators and grant consultants with a shared goal of achieving long-term sustainability of the weed control efforts in Nevada.  

Cooperative Extension also encourages landowners to identify and control noxious weeds by accessing current, research-based faculty publications.  For example, Special Publication-03-09 Invasive Weed Identification for Nevada is one of the publications available online for free at www.unce.unr.edu, or from local Cooperative Extension offices. They include a range of color photos of various life stages to aid in identification, as well as distribution maps, life cycle illustrations, recommended treatment options and an in-depth profile of each weed species.