Boise, Idaho
August 6,  2001

U. S. Congressional representatives today began a tour of Western rangeland infested with invasive and noxious weeds, specifically looking at cheatgrass, saltcedar and Dalmatian toadflax. The goal of the tour, sponsored by BASF, is to increase awareness of the problems these weeds cause and to review the most effective tools available to land managers to control the weeds. The tour stops include operational sites managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the United State Forest Service, county week supervisors and BASF and university research sites.

Noxious and invasive weeds -- such as cheatgrass, saltcedar and Dalmatian toadflax -- increase fire risk, alter native landscapes, degrade wildlife habitat and food sources, reduce livestock carrying capacity and threaten the survival of a number plant and animal species. By some estimates, invasive weeds are overtaking 4,000 acres per day in the United States.

Cheatgrass dominates more than 100 million acres in the Western United States, and is a major fuel for wildfires in non-forested areas. According to the Federal Interagency Committee for the Management of Noxious and Exotic Weeds, cheatgrass infestation alters the frequency of major wildfires from every 60 years to every 3 years. Saltcedar is responsible for depleting water supplies across the West and Southwest, as a single tree can draw up to 200 gallons of water per day. Dalmatian toadflax threatens livestock production and wildlife habitat and food sources in infested areas.

Noxious and invasive weeds are devastating Western range. Because the federal government manages huge areas in the West, federal policy makers need the most current information to make informed responses to the challenges faced. Participating in the tour are Arlen Lancaster representing U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo of Idaho and Brent Gatas and Elizabeth Parker of the U.S.
House of Representatives Agriculture Committee. Alan Simpson, retired U.S. senator from Wyoming, will welcome the tour on Wednesday in Cody, Wyo.

The BASF Agricultural Products business in North America, Specialty Products Department, markets a wide range of innovative products and active ingredients for the forestry, turf, ornamental, pest control and industrial vegetation markets. Its headquarters are in Research Triangle Park, N.C. It is a unit of the BASF Global Agricultural Products Division located in Mount Olive, N.J. BASF Specialty Products Department of the Agricultural Products can also be found on the Internet at http://www.4vegmgt.com.

Company news release
N3712