Funny.bytes
a look at the lighter side of BLM issues

War of the Weeds

The scene opens with a view of Earth from outer space. Three space ships fly toward Earth. Title appears - WAR OF THE WEEDS - then everything fades.

It is a beautiful day in the outdoors with green rolling hills. Three native plants, Buck, Festus, and Ely, were helpful native plants. Buck offered food to grazing animals (a deer grazes nearby). Ely helped keep down the treat of fire (as a wildfire comes near, Ely grows bigger and resists the fire). And Festus even helped against soil erosion (Festus pushes back a mud slide).

Things were going quite well, until one day, the Alien Weed Invasion. Space ships appear, hover overhead, and drop seeds from invasive weeds among the native plants. The native plants watch, a little puzzled and frightened. Yellow starthistles grow large around the native plants, and choke them out. They use rays to destroy the native plants.

And how do these evil plants spread? Inside a space ship, the pilot - a Yellow starthistle - pushes a button to "drop seeds." Seeds drop and land on the ground. Seeds are picked up on a hiker's clothes, on a dog, and on the tires of a jeep and are spread all over. As a result, Yellow starthistles cover the land that once belonged to the native plants, and the native plants are gone.

What can you do to stop of spread of these dreadful seeds?

• Wash the dog,
• wash your clothes,
• and wash your car.

What is the BLM doing?

• Working with private landowners
• Involved in state/public partnerships
• Participating in weed management areas

Scene moves back to the area infested with yellow starthistles. Yellow starthistles are blasted by BLM "weed warriors" with ray guns and are destroyed one-by-one. When all the Yellow starthistles are gone, baby native plants sprout up in the area. Butterflies and birds are once again in the area.

Invasive plants:

• Destroy wildlife habitat
• Reduce opportunities for hunting, fishing, camping and other recreation
• Displace many rare species
• Disrupt migratory bird flight patterns and nesting habitats
• Cost millions of dollars in treatment and loss or productivity to private land owners.

For more information, go to
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/prog/weeds.html

Not the End.

Animated "Flash" version of this page.

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