Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness, Cooperative Weed Management Area - Year-End-Report, 2009

The Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness (FC-RONRW), Cooperative Weed Management Area (CWMA) is located primarily within the FC-RONRW lying within the rugged and remote mountains of central Idaho. The landscape is comprised of deep river gorges and high steep mountains. The plant communities vary from hot, dry bunchgrass communities in the lower elevations, to moist cool mountain slopes, with sub-alpine communities at the higher elevations. 

Noxious weeds, including rush skeletonweed and spotted knapweed have invaded this wilderness area and are threatening many of the native habitats. Rush skeletonweed has the ability to quickly establish itself in very remote areas due to its light wind born seed. New species of invasive weeds entering the wilderness, including leafy spurge, toadflax, field bindweed, common curpina, puncture vine, Scotch thistle, yellow starthistle, and tamarisk, are of particular concern. These exotic invaders have the ability to dominate a landscape and replace native vegetation.

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