WHEREAS, it is a concern of all Montanans to limit the spread of invasive weeds; and

WHEREAS, it is the goal of everyone who works on the land to leave it in better condition than when we arrived; and

WHEREAS, many state and federal management agencies perform field work with trucks, watercraft, utility vehicles, ATVs, trailers and equipment on public and private lands; and

WHEREAS, off-road travel is a known mechanism for the spread of invasive species; and

WHEREAS, it is becoming a common message and accepted practice for private land owners to require that vehicles be cleaned before entering; and

WHEREAS, it is now mandated and commonly accepted to clean, drain, and dry watercraft when moving between waterbodies; and

WHEREAS, preventing the introduction of invasive species is the most economical and best choice of management options for natural resources and the Montana economy,

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that MACD request that all state and federal regulatory agencies have written policies in place for cleaning vehicles, equipment and watercraft that travel off-road or move to different waterbodies, to minimize chances of spreading invasive species when performing field work; and

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that MACD work with agencies to ensure that a periodic review of policies, practices and implementation take place, with the goal being to lead by example to better protect our natural resources from terrestrial and aquatic invasive species.