is being required in the 17 national forests and the Crooked River National Grasslands of the Pacific Northwest

this year. This follows a requirement in 2007 that weed-free feed be used in Pacific Northwest Wildernesses.

Livestock owners and others will be required to use feed that is either commercially processed feed or crop

products certified to be free of weed seeds. Officials will concentrate on education and compliance this year,

until signage and outreach efforts are fully implemented with stricter enforcement to follow.

The new requirement says that all hay, cubed hay, straw, mulch, and other such products used or stored on

national forest lands be state certified as weed free. Crop products often contain seeds of non-native weeds that

germinate on public lands and damage their health and beauty. Non-native weeds such as leafy spurge, spotted

knapweed, yellow star thistle, and others are alien to the United States and have no natural enemies to check their

spread.

Oregon and Washington have developed certification processes for crop products. Hay fields are inspected to

ensure that listed noxious weed seeds are absent. Once a field passes this inspection, hay and other crop products

from the field are labeled as "certified weed-free." Commercially processed feed (pellets and steamed, rolled

grains) are not affected by the order and should be used in the affected national forest lands if certified hay

products are not available.

A. All hay, hay cubes, straw, grain, and other crop or mulch products brought on to National Forest land in

the Pacific Northwest Region must be certified "weed free" using North American Weed Management

Association (NAWMA) standards, or better, regardless of how they are used (livestock feed, bedding,

A. Forage and mulch products sometimes contain seed or reproductive parts from non-native, invasive and

noxious weeds. Resulting weed populations degrade the health of native ecosystems. Wildlife habitat,

soil and water quality, rangeland, economic values and beauty of the land decline as a result. National

Forest lands are among the areas most vulnerable to impacts from weeds and are also, in general, where

prevention of infestation is most likely to succeed. A rule requiring the use of certified weed free feed

A. Weed-free hay or crop products have been inspected according to standards used by the North American

Weed Management Association (NAWMA) and member states. Under NAWMA standards, fields are

inspected to ensure the absence of seed and reproductive parts from listed invasive weed species. Fields

which pass the inspection are state certified and the producer may then officially label the products as a

weed-free hay or crop product. In a like sense, state certified weed-free mulch comes from fields that

A. The closure order requires use of hay, hay cubes, straw, grain or other crop or mulch products that are

certified as weed-free. Commercially processed feed pellets or steamed, rolled grains are also allowed

under this order. They are considered weed-free feed and need not be state certified (see additional

A. The State of Oregon Department of Agriculture has established their certification program and growers

have participated around the state. More growers will join the program as the demand for product

or call (503) 986-4620. In addition, Wallowa County has had a certification program for weed-free hay

and crop products that is sanctioned by Oregon and North American Weed Management Association.

The Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board, in cooperation with county weed boards, manages

the inspection and certification program in Washington. It is referred to as the Washington Wilderness

Hay and Mulch (WWHAM) program and is approved by NAWMA. For information and a list of

A. While hay and similar crop products are most often associated with livestock feeding, they are also used

straw, grain or other crop or mulch products, regardless of how they are used, be state certified as weedfree,

A. Feed pellets are made by finely grinding the ingredients, heat treating, and then compressing into

pellets. This process kills a very high percentage of viable seed that may be in the source ingredients.

Similarly, steaming and rolling grains kills most viable seeds that may be present, including those of

invasive, noxious weeds. While commercial processing feed may not in all cases eliminate all weed

seed, feed pellets and steamed rolled grains are considered a reasonable option for preventing invasive

A. Yes. Some states, including Colorado, have developed a process and a market for the development of

state certified hay cubes. These cubes are made from state certified hay that is traceable back to the

field of origin where the inspection occurred. State certified hay cubes are sold in bags which have

sewn-in tags, designating the cubes as state certified. If no tag exists on the bag, hay cubes cannot be

A. No. Certification is simply the most feasible way to minimize the risk of viable invasive and noxious

weed seed being transported within hay or crop products. When fields are inspected, they are inspected

for invasive and noxious weeds which presently contain, or could within the next ten days produce,

viable seed. Weed leaves and stems may occur in state certified products, but the intent is to minimize

A. No. As long as hay or crop products are not unloaded or otherwise used on National Forest System

A. Currently, there is no requirement for the general public visiting BLM land in Oregon to use only

conducts. Only processed feed pellets are permitted in the National Parks in Oregon and Washington.

No other feed types are permitted; including rolled or steamed grain, loose hay or hay cubes. Oregon

A. Yes, there are penalties for violation under the statutes listed on the closure order. Following

the period of adjustment and education, violations of the closure order prohibitions are

punishable by a fine of not more than $5,000 for an individual or $10,000 for an organization

or imprisonment for not more than 6 months, or both (16 U.S.C. 551 and 18 U.S.C 3559 and

A. No. Many adjacent states (Idaho, California, Nevada, Montana, et al.) have acceptable certification

programs with similar weed lists and certification standards. Refer to the North American Weed

Management Association web site for a full list of participating states: http://www.nawma.org/

certified forage or straw products under this closure order. It is important to note that California also

has a Weed Free Forage Program that is acceptable under this order, but is not a member of NAWMA.

California products that have been inspected, but that do not have appropriate tags, twine, or certificates

indicating the certification are not acceptable under this order. No hay or crop products coming from

any states without a certification program meeting or exceeding NAWMA standards can be used on

A. Hay or straw is inspected in the field of origin by trained, certified inspectors. Inspectors check the

fields of hay and straw growers within ten days prior to harvest. Standing crops found to be free of

listed noxious weed seed are then harvested and marked with the legal certification labeling of the state

or county. Examples of certification labels include:

Oregon white tags, purple and yellow twine, transit certificates

Washington white tags, purple and yellow twine, transit certificates

Idaho white tags, purple and yellow twine

Montana red tags, blue and orange twine, blaze orange label on bags

California colored twine and tags, product certificate, transit certificates

Colorado blue and orange twine

A. The fields are inspected for the presence of seed or reproductive parts of weeds from the NAWMA list,

A. The cost of certified hay or straw products can be somewhat higher and the price will likely vary with

A. The following websites and contacts may provide information on weed free forage. Your local feed

For more information on the national weed-free certification program and standards, please refer to the

A. If your state has a program, the websites and phone numbers above may be used to learn how to become

A. Feeding animals exclusively with commercially processed feed pellets, steamed rolled grains,

or certified hay one or more days before your trip will not only help you be sure your stock can

eat these products, it will also help prevent transport of weed seed in stock manure. You can

also help by making sure your vehicles, trailers, boots, and your animal’s coat and feet (both

stock and dogs) are cleaned of weed seeds prior to your trip. Finally, keeping vehicles on