Greater Yellowstone
Coordinating Committee
Celebrating our
60th Anniversary
1964-2024
Terrestrial Invasive Species Subcommittee
What you can do to stop invasives
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REMOVE plants, animals, & mud from boots, gear, pets, & vehicle.
CLEAN your gear before entering & leaving the recreation site.
STAY on designated roads & trails.
USE CERTIFIED or local firewood & hay.
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The Greater Yellowstone Weed Committee first met in 1993 after a core group had developed the 1991 “Guidelines for the Coordinated Management of Noxious Weeds in the GYA.” The guidelines were developed in response to the need to prevent weed infestations following the 1988 fires.
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Subcommittee Mission:
Our mission is to work cooperatively to protect, preserve, and rehabilitate natural resources throughout the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) from the impact of noxious weeds and other terrestrial invasive species.
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​Subcommittee Leadership:
Chair - Steven Bekedam, Branch Lead, Vegetation Management, Yellowstone National Park, steven_bekedam@nps.gov
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MOST RECENT MEETING (virtual): 10/31/24, 2:30-4:00
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​Threat to the Ecosystem:
Terrestrial nonnative species are a primary concern in the GYE because they can outcompete native plants, including endemic species (plants restricted to a certain place). They can also affect the distribution, foraging activity, and abundance of wildlife, and have altered the viewsheds of cultural landscapes and historic districts. Once land becomes infested with nonnative species, restoring the native plant community is extremely difficult and eradication can be expensive. Invasive species also significantly impact biodiversity and ecological processes, negatively altering water systems, wildlife habitat, and recreation areas. Invasive species can increase fire risk (e.g., invasive grasses that increase and connect fuels) and severity (e.g., invasive insects that kill trees). Seeds and propagative parts may be spread by people and their vehicles, wild and domestic animals, and sand and gravel used for construction and maintenance work. Areas where the ground has been disturbed along roads and other developed areas are the most vulnerable to infestation.
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Status and Trends in Greater Yellowstone:
The full extent of nonnative species in the GYE is not known, but the number of species has increased, as a result of ongoing survey efforts and because several new invaders are spreading rapidly. Nonnative plants are prioritized according to the threat they pose to resources and the prospects for their successful treatment. Most of the species targeted for treatment are listed by the states of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming as “noxious weeds”—foreign species considered detrimental to agriculture, aquatic navigation, fish and wildlife, or public health. Noxious weed species occur on almost all public and private lands in the GYE, particularly at the lower elevations. Left unchecked, they do and will limit many uses on lands in future generations.​
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Publications/Products Produced:
Invasive Plant Pocket Guide (30 MB pdf)
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Best Management Practices for the Control of Spreading Noxious Weeds (1.35 MB pdf)
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Why Should I Care about Noxious Weeds? (1.3 MB pdf)
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GYCC Invasive Species Gravel Pit Program 2009 Report (1.5 MB pdf)
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GYA Weed Map and Database (see map below)
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GYA Weed Map and Database
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