Prevent weed spread from donated hay

Montana’s disastrous wildfire season has devastated our citizens and the landscape where we live and work. Many people have lost their homes and livelihoods. On our rangelands, ranchers have lost hundreds of thousands of acres of pastureland, leaving them with little to no forage. These landowners are devastated by the destructive effects that fire has had on the land they work so hard to steward. In the coming months and years, ranchers will be making tough decisions on how to rebuild their operations, communities, and landscape. Thankfully, rural Montana has been blessed with donations pouring in from all over the country. One of the greatest gestures has been the innumerable loads of donated hay to provide livestock with forage and give the land some rest while it recovers from this year’s burn. Unfortunately, if we’re not careful, donated hay can introduce new weed species, especially on bare, burned soil. Of course, using this hay will be necessary for many producers to keep their animals and landscape healthy, but there are precautions we should take to minimize the risk of weed invasion. The above document outlines some best management practices for utilizing donated hay without letting weeds gain a foothold.