Invasive weeds cost Oregon millions, study says

Anew economic impact study says 25 of Oregon’s most significantinvasive noxious weeds cause an estimated annual loss of about $83.5 million tothe state’seconomy, a figure that could be well over $1 billion if not for state, county and federal control efforts.

“Thisstudy is key to showing that noxious weeds not only have a criticalenvironmental impact to native plants, water quality, and threatened andendangered fish and wildlife species, but these invasiveweeds have a majorimpact on Oregon’s economy,” says Tim Butler, manager of the Oregon Departmentof Agriculture’s Noxious Week Control Program.

Thestudy,Economic Impact From SelectedNoxious Weeds in Oregon, was prepared by The Research Group, LLC ofCorvallis for ODA, and updates a similar study conducted in 2000.

In itsexecutivesummary, the final report says, “This current study provides anopportunity for ODA to look at the impacts of two widespread invasive weeds,and address the value of potential impact of up and coming noxiousweeds. Thestudy reveals the benefits of having safeguards such as prevention, earlydetection rapid response (EDDR), biological, and other control programs inplace to minimize impacts.”

Thetwo widespread noxious weeds examined in the study are Scotch broom andArmenian blackberry, invasive plants that contribute $79.6 million to thecurrent overall economic impact.

Those twospecies – already well establishedthroughout the state – are responsible for 95 percent of the total number of$83.5 million identified in the latest study. The remaining 23 species arelimited in distribution and areunder intensive management so that they don’tbecome the next Scotch broom and Armenian blackberry.

“Wedid predictive modeling in this study showing that if these noxious weeds wereleft to go everywhere they might go – if we did nothing to control them at theircurrent levels – we could have a potentialloss to the state of about $1.8billion,” says Butler.

Theeconomists who conducted the study use a variety of factors to derive a dollaramount, which is equated to personal income.

Factors include livestock lossesdue to noxious weeds, reduced cattleforaging, reduced wildlife grazing, cropyields, decreased quality of seed and crop, potential impact on marketing andexport of agricultural commodities, and even the loss of available fishing andhuntingopportunities because of invasive weeds.

The $83.5 million is theequivalent to the loss of 1,900 jobs and the $1.8 billion in potential lossesif these weeds are unchecked is the equivalent to 40,800 jobs lost.

Butleris quick to point out that the estimated negative impact is conservative.

“Thestudy looks at 25 species, but we are currently working with about 118 noxiousweeds in our program that are state-listed noxious weeds,” he says. “This isjust a subset of that total. So, in reality, if youlook at the full list, thetotal economic impact to the state is much, much larger.”

Nonetheless,the study demonstrates the value of ODA’s Noxious Weed Control Program andsimilar programs at the county and federal level that keep invasive weeds incheck while they are relativelysmall populations.

The “early detection, rapidresponse” model used by weed control cooperators has kept Oregon from beingcompletely overrun by these undesirable plants and reaching that $1.8 billionscenario.

“Onmany of these species, we’ve had success in preventing them from getting well-established in Oregon and, in some cases, pushing them back,” says Butler.”That’s the good news, in that we’ve kept theeconomic impact number at aboutthe same level since 2000.”

Infact, the earlier study, which analyzed only 21 noxious weeds, reported anestimated loss of $83 million – just half a million less than the latest study.

Analysts note the availability, thanks to technology, ofbetter, more preciseinformation that validates the acreages of noxious weeds currently in Oregon.Those advancements also allow for the predictive modeling that shows thepotential impact these weeds carry.

Eventhe two major weeds causing the majority of economic damage could be worse. Theuse of biological control agents – good bugs fighting bad weeds –have kept Scotch broom seed somewhat in check, even if they don’t actually kill individual plants.

Other species, such aspurple loosestrife, are being kept at a lower population level than it could bebecause of effective biocontrol.

Thecurrent report echoes a finding from the 2000 study – prevention programs have abenefit-to-cost ratio of 34 to one. That means for every dollar spent in theseefforts, there is a $34 return on investment, based on stemming potential lossescaused by noxious weeds.

“Thisstudy validates the importance of what we do, but it doesn’t mean we don’t needto be doing more,” says Butler. “Our resources are stretched thin at the stateand county level as far as dealing withthese species, but we have been veryefficient and strategic about what we’ve done.”

GovernorKitzhaber’s 2015-17 recommended budget released this week recognizes thethreat of invasive species to Oregon’s environment and economy. He is proposingan additional $500,000 to fundvarious efforts to combat invasive weeds.

Ifanother weed impact study is done a decade from now, Butler is hopeful it willcontain good news.

“I’dlike to see that we continue to be successful in at least holding our own and,in some cases, reducing the acreage of many of these invasive weeds in Oregon,”he says. “It all depends on having adequateresources in programs to continuedoing the things we are doing. It’s critical to implement effective controlprograms to contain, and in some cases, move towards eradication of some ofthese weed species.”

Havingsolid numbers from the economic impact study will help make the case.

Full report of weed impact study.

Formore information, contact Tim Butler at (503) 986-4621 .