PERCEPTIONS OF LEAFY SPURGE BY PUBLIC LAND MANAGERS, LOCAL DECISION MAKERS, AND RANCH OPERATORS

A survey of 459 ranchers, 56 local decision makers, and 50 public land managers (565 total) was conducted to evaluate managerial, institutional, and social factors that may affect the rate and extent of implementation of various leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula L.) controls. The study focused on a five-county region in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. The questionnaire focused on weed management in general and specifically on the perceptions and attitudes of ranchers, land managers, and local decision makers who have been directly and indirectly affected by leafy spurge.