NPS Photo
Yellow starthistle is an invasive weed that threatens species diversity and ecosystem health at Nez Perce National Historical Park sites.
Since Lewis and Clark’s time, most of the habitat for plants important to the Nez Perce culture, have been drastically altered through agricultural and industrial development. This makes it especially important to preserve remaining habitats and monitor current conditions in Nez Perce National Historical Park.
Within the park, management issues include concerns over the spread of nonnative and invasive weeds—e.g., yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis), field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis), poison hemlock (Conium maculatum), and others—and the preservation and interpretation of wildlife habitat in the face of increasing commercialization and urbanization. The presence of any federally listed threatened or endangered species require managers to consider potential actions to avoid impacts on special status species and/or wetlands that support such species. Climate change is also an increasingly pressing issue throughout the National Park Service and the nation.