Oregon – October 11, 2015
Cheatgrass has been called the invader that won the West, and that’s not far off the mark. The annual grass covers nearly 12 million acres in Oregon alone, and can be found across the western United States and Canada, and as far north as Alaska.
That causes problems.
Cheat, an invasive plant that most likely arrived here from Asia via Europe, chokes out native plants. It blooms and dies early, leaving in its wake a tangled mat that makes range fires in these parts far worse than they otherwise would be. In a time of drought, that’s especially troublesome. Moreover, after it’s fueled a fire it chokes out native plants trying to re-establish themselves.
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