Larimer County staff recommends adding meadow hawkweed to county noxious weed list; public hearing set Feb. 24

Casey Cisneros, Larimer County land stewardship manager, told the Board of County Commissioners on Jan. 13 that staff recommends adding meadow hawkweed to the Larimer County Noxious Weed list to allow more aggressive local management.

The recommendation matters because meadow hawkweed is currently on Colorado's watch list, not a state-designated noxious weed, and county designation would give Larimer County additional compliance tools and enforcement options. Cisneros said meadow hawkweed is present on a small number of parcels now but is highly invasive and threatens biodiversity in areas adjacent to Rocky Mountain National Park.

Cisneros said the plant was first reported in Larimer County in 2023 by a volunteer monitoring conservation easements in the Estes Valley. He told commissioners that meadow hawkweed is currently recorded on four parcels along Highway 7 near the Boulder County line and that staff believe it likely arrived on imported heavy equipment or material used after the 2013 flood. He described management results from one treated site: "2023... and then 2024, you can see that it's been nearly eliminated from that site." Staff conveyed that management is most effective at very low infestation levels and that costs rise the longer an invasive plant remains established.

Larimer County staff contrasted meadow hawkweed with orange hawkweed, noting that orange hawkweed is a Colorado list A noxious weed and that county staff have found orange hawkweed on 41 land parcels (with staff reporting an additional eight parcels discovered last year). Staff told commissioners they expect meadow hawkweed to be similarly aggressive if it spreads.

Commissioners pressed staff about private landowner compliance and ecological trade-offs. Cisneros said the county's process, as described in the Larimer County Noxious Weed Management Plan, begins with outreach and offers free control services to landowners; if owners do not cooperate, staff may request a right of entry to manage infestations and — following a recent change in state law — may issue citations. On pollinator concerns, Cisneros said invasive species can support generalist pollinators but tend to displace native forbs and the specialist pollinators that rely on them.

County staff said they have submitted a plant assessment form for meadow hawkweed under Colorado's assessment process; the form scored 39 out of a 42-point scale used to evaluate whether a plant warrants noxious-weed designation. To move forward locally, staff announced a land use hearing for public comment on Feb. 24, 2025, followed by a Board of County Commissioners vote on adding meadow hawkweed to the county list. Staff also said they will post the required 30-day public notice in the newspaper and publish background materials on the county website and social media.

If the county designates the species locally, Cisneros said the county will continue outreach and free treatment offers, and pursue compliance tools for noncooperative property owners.

Larimer County made no final designation at the Jan. 13 work session; commissioners did not cast a vote that day and directed staff to proceed with scheduling the public hearing and outreach.

The BOCC work session began at 1:30 p.m. Jan. 13, 2025; the land use hearing on meadow hawkweed is scheduled for Feb. 24, 2025.