Noxious Weed Defined:
A noxious weed is a plant that has been designated “noxious” by federal, state or county law due to environmental, health or financial impacts. Noxious weeds are invasive, meaning they spread rapidly and out compete native plants. Many weeds have been introduced in the United States by ignorance, mismanagement or unintentionally through agriculture and horticultural practices, while others were introduced intentionally for erosion control, grazing and gardening/landscaping and later escaped into natural landscapes. Some noxious weeds are native. Typically they are plants that grow aggressively, multiply quickly without natural controls (native herbivores, soil chemistry, etc.), and display adverse effects through contact or ingestion. Noxious weeds are a large problem in many parts of the world, greatly affecting areas of agriculture, forest management, nature reserves, parks and other open space.
Weed class designations
Class 1A Early Detection Rapid Response
Plants not known to be in Utah, but thought to be present in neighboring states. If found in the state, swift eradication of any plants in this category is a very high priority.
Class 1B Early Detection
Plants that occur in Utah at very low levels. It is a high priority to eradicate all known populations, and prevent new ones.
Class 2 Control
Plants that have a reasonable distribution in Utah, but do not occur everywhere. These should be given a high priority for control.
Class 3 Contain
Plants widely distributed in Utah. The current populations of these plants should be contained to halt their spread. These plants should not enter commercial channels.
Class 4 Prohibited
Plants that are present in Utah, appear to be arriving in nursery stock/seed, and are being sold as ornamentals. This is now illegal.
