The Invasive Threat in Kittitas Valley
A local rancher reports the arrival of the Russian thistle, a destructive weed, on farms near Ellensburg.
Adam M. Stevens of Ellensburg reports that the Russian thistle has arrived in the Kittitas Valley. Approximately two acres on the ranch of J. C. Goodwin are currently infested. The owners have already gathered two wagon loads of the weed to be burned, and it has been spotted on an adjoining farm as well. This invasive species poses a significant threat to local agricultural land if left unchecked.
“You may say in Ranch and Range that Kittitas valley has got 'em. Well, got what? Why, Russian thistles, of course.”
The Russian thistle, better known today as the 'tumbleweed,' became a notorious agricultural pest across the American West. This report captures the early, urgent efforts of farmers to contain an invasive species before it could permanently alter the landscape.
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