10th Annual Invasive Weed Awareness Week

Date: February 13, 2009
Contact: Hallie Larsen, 928-524-6228 x274
Contact: Rita Garcia, 928-524-6228 x273

Petrified Forest— Weeds in your front yard are a nuisance but fast-growing, non-native weeds can be devastating to croplands, parks, and other natural areas. For example the saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) a native of Eurasia, can draw up to 300 gallons of water per day, lowering ground-water, and can cause declines in native plant and bird species. Saltcedar has spread to be a common sight along washes and waterways throughout the West. Russian olive is an equally invasive threat, taking over the Rio Grande and other major water courses.

The week of February 22nd to February 27th is National Invasive Weeds Awareness Week. Petrified Forest National Park joins other government agencies and institutions to help inform the public of some of the threats invasive weeds pose to public and private lands.  A display entitled Weeds—the Good, the Bad and the Ugly will be at the Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark at the north end of Petrified Forest National Park. A free publication about non-native plants will also be available upon request.

For more information call [phone] weekdays, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time; or write to the Superintendent, Petrified Forest National Park, P.O. Box 2217, Petrified Forest, AZ 86028; or e-mail the park Superintendent at e-mail us. Our website has more news and press releases: www.nps.gov/pefo/parknews/newsreleases.htm.