| Roger Batt and Jeffrey Pettingill discuss the best way to control Musk Thistle in this location. Jeffrey identifies several ways, including biocontrol, reducing the seed population and using herbicides because you can get herbicides to this area. One of the best things is to work with the landowner and encourage them to replant the area with native plants such as grasses and forbes in the fall. This will get some competition going with the weed and could also eventually bring the wildlife back in to graze. He notes that this starts to develop a healthier ecosystem and habitat that by itself will out compete the weeds. Roger asks what native plants they might revegetate with. Jeffrey identifies good grasses like Idaho Fescue, Smooth Brome, some of the Sheep Fescues. These are drought tolerant. Deer and Elk really like Blue Flax. Bitterbrush and sagebrush would also bring this area back to its natural state more like the foothills nearby.
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