Photo: Sagebrush habitat, Wyoming. © 2017 Delena Norris-Tull
Gale Lamb, Sweetwater County, Wyoming, interview 2013
[Video interview conducted by Becky McMillen, transcribed by Dr. Delena Norris-Tull. Reviewed and approved by Gale, Oct. 13, 2020.]
[Gale Lamb is a Co-Supervisor for the Sweetwater County Weed and Pest District.]
"I live in McKinnon, Wyoming, a very small community. We have Co-Supervisors for Sweetwater County. I am the supervisor of the southern part of the County. I take care of the area south of I-80.
Sweetwater County was one of the first to develop a Co-Supervisor position. I was hired as the Assistant Supervisor in 1975. About 12 years ago, we changed to Co-Supervisors. There are only a couple of Supervisors that have been working in Weed and Pest as long as I have. I enjoy what I’m doing. You get to work with different entities, and you’re outside a lot.
In Sweetwater County, we hired the first Supervisor in 1973. The main office was in Farson. Sweetwater County is one of the largest Counties in Wyoming. The new Supervisor realized the County was too large for one Supervisor, so he advocated for an Assistant Supervisor, stationed in the southern half of the County.
At the beginning, we were still green; we were trying to get going. There were no bylaws or anything. We worked out of our own homes at first. There was very little equipment. I have helped build, over 38 years, several buildings, and I’ve helped upgrade the equipment. It’s been very interesting."
[Becky asked: What changes have you seen over the years?]
"Huge. Women. 38 years ago, there was not a woman Supervisor in Wyoming. And I don’t believe there was a woman Board member. I can’t say that the first one or two women was welcomed with open arms. But we had a couple that were able to stick it out. And now, there may be more women Supervisors than men. They have stepped into the role, and have done an excellent job. They seem to be more focused, and less interested in going to the bars. [Laughs.]
The laws. The chemicals we’re using. The equipment that we are using. When I started work, we had an old 2-wheel-drive truck, with the sprayer in the back, with a handgun. Now we have six trucks, we have 4-wheelers, 6-wheelers. We can do more work in a half day now, then we could do in the whole year when I first started.
We’re about 75% federal land, mostly BLM. We have some State land. We have the Green River area. We have contracts to do all the Federal and State land. We’ve always had good cooperation with the Federal Agents. The biggest change is the chemicals and laws about what we can do on Federal lands. We can’t use our ATVs to spray on Federal lands anymore, because of accidents. We’ve never had an accident ourselves. So we now use 6-wheelers and trucks, that are more stable."
[Becky asked: What are the most important things you’ve learned?]
"I had no college background. I was 21, born and raised on a ranch. I had a lot of knowledge of cattle and haying. I knew what a lot of the weeds were. But I didn’t know anything about the chemicals. My strongest was my knowledge of the weeds. My mother always had us weed her garden.
Back then, we only had two or three chemicals to work with, and the spray rig was very simple.
I’ve learned so many things over the years. We didn’t have computers in the offices back then. We didn’t have cell phones. We operated off of two-way radios, in two trucks, 100 miles apart. We had to get up on the ridge to talk to each other, or wait to talk to each other back in the office.
Nowadays, we can do mapping and photography. Remarkable changes. The new guys we’re hiring now have so much technical knowledge, that I don’t have.
My County has only dabbled in biocontrol. The Board members and landowners want to see results tomorrow.
About 20 years ago, we put out insects on musk thistle and Canada thistle, on BLM ground on really steep slopes. We didn’t see any changes one year out, two years out, three years out. We thought it wasn’t working. 10 years, we went back, and we started to see some change. Those steep slopes and drainages now have very little thistle on them. It does work.
We have some salt cedar weevils out, that we’re trying to get established. One problem in Sweetwater County is we’re at nearly 7000 feet elevation. We are having trouble getting those little bugs to overwinter at high elevation. But we have had some success with them. We’re starting to get the Board to see some of this, and we’re starting to get more insects out, especially on the tamarisk and salt cedar, on the Gorge. In the riparian areas, we can’t use chemicals, so the biocontrol is useful there. We have to convince the Board and the landowners to give it time."
[Becky asked: What are the biggest challenges, the biggest infestations you’ve seen?]
"Probably giant white top, perennial pepperweed. It’s pretty easy to control. But it grows in all conditions, wet ground, dry ground, cropland, highway right-of-ways. It’s a mustard, so each plant has thousands of seeds. Birds like to spread it. Sandhill cranes and geese eat it in the grain fields, and spread it. It’s transported in hay and on vehicles. Now it’s everywhere. It’s used a lot in floral arrangements. When we started fighting it, the recommended treatment was 1 to 2 gallons of 2,4-D per acre. That didn’t do anything. With some of the new DuPont products, we only need ¼ to 1/2 ounce per acre, and it’s doing an excellent job on it.
Canada thistle, Russian knapweed, we have a lot. We have a very small amount of leafy spurge, and we have been able to keep it under control here. Every County has some different weeds that are the biggest problem there.
We’ve never had a lot of grasshoppers here. We’ve had some occasional problems with migrations of Mormon crickets. In 1978, the crickets were so thick on Highway 191, they caused automobile accidents; it was like a patch of black ice in summer. But at 7000 feet, we don’t have much problem with bugs.
We don’t do work in the cities. Rock Springs and Green River, we give them their tax levy back, we provide consulting, and we sell them chemicals. Then they do their own work within the city limits."
[Becky asked: What changes have you seen in the law?]
"I’ve seen a lot of changes. When we started, the Weed Law was just getting started. We were loosely regulated. The environmentalists hadn’t found us. Now, people don’t want us to use chemicals. Laws are changing every day. I can’t say that’s all bad. There were some chemicals being used that were fairly hazardous, that are no longer on the market – DDT, 1080, 2,4,5-T – that I had used regularly. You see effects on those individuals that used them longer than me; that it’s crippled them or taken their lives.
We have a lot of paperwork now, on the chemicals we use, and on the GPS to monitor where we sprayed.
In Wyoming, we all give input into changes in the laws. We’ve been able to improve the laws on weed control. George Hittle was a miracle-worker. He was very effective in Washington, DC. He built the Wyoming Weed and Pest program. He was good at getting his way.
When I started, there were zero species on the State Designated list. They started out with the goal of 12 on the State Designated list. At that time, Counties were allowed only two Declared weeds and one Declared pest. Now there isn’t a limit on the number of species on the County Declared list. The Wyoming Council and the Wyoming Board of Agriculture both have to approve items added to the County Declared list.
The biggest change I’ve seen in the Wyoming Weed and Pest program is that we went from having a lot of fun, to being serious. We’ve lost something in the process. The new people are a great bunch of people, but they don’t know how to have fun!"
[Becky asked: Where do you see the organization going in the future?]
"I’m sure the next 40 years will bring as many changes as I’ve seen in the last 40 years. The Wyoming Weed and Pest program will still be needed. This organization is rooted deep enough that they’ll still be around. Wyoming will still be the leaders in the nation."
[Becky asked: Do you have any advice for the future?]
"Keep strong, and enjoy your work! Find what you enjoy doing, and succeed in it."
Links to the Wyoming County interviews:
Gale Lamb, Sweetwater County, Wyoming, interview 2013
[Video interview conducted by Becky McMillen, transcribed by Dr. Delena Norris-Tull. Reviewed and approved by Gale, Oct. 13, 2020.]
[Gale Lamb is a Co-Supervisor for the Sweetwater County Weed and Pest District.]
"I live in McKinnon, Wyoming, a very small community. We have Co-Supervisors for Sweetwater County. I am the supervisor of the southern part of the County. I take care of the area south of I-80.
Sweetwater County was one of the first to develop a Co-Supervisor position. I was hired as the Assistant Supervisor in 1975. About 12 years ago, we changed to Co-Supervisors. There are only a couple of Supervisors that have been working in Weed and Pest as long as I have. I enjoy what I’m doing. You get to work with different entities, and you’re outside a lot.
In Sweetwater County, we hired the first Supervisor in 1973. The main office was in Farson. Sweetwater County is one of the largest Counties in Wyoming. The new Supervisor realized the County was too large for one Supervisor, so he advocated for an Assistant Supervisor, stationed in the southern half of the County.
At the beginning, we were still green; we were trying to get going. There were no bylaws or anything. We worked out of our own homes at first. There was very little equipment. I have helped build, over 38 years, several buildings, and I’ve helped upgrade the equipment. It’s been very interesting."
[Becky asked: What changes have you seen over the years?]
"Huge. Women. 38 years ago, there was not a woman Supervisor in Wyoming. And I don’t believe there was a woman Board member. I can’t say that the first one or two women was welcomed with open arms. But we had a couple that were able to stick it out. And now, there may be more women Supervisors than men. They have stepped into the role, and have done an excellent job. They seem to be more focused, and less interested in going to the bars. [Laughs.]
The laws. The chemicals we’re using. The equipment that we are using. When I started work, we had an old 2-wheel-drive truck, with the sprayer in the back, with a handgun. Now we have six trucks, we have 4-wheelers, 6-wheelers. We can do more work in a half day now, then we could do in the whole year when I first started.
We’re about 75% federal land, mostly BLM. We have some State land. We have the Green River area. We have contracts to do all the Federal and State land. We’ve always had good cooperation with the Federal Agents. The biggest change is the chemicals and laws about what we can do on Federal lands. We can’t use our ATVs to spray on Federal lands anymore, because of accidents. We’ve never had an accident ourselves. So we now use 6-wheelers and trucks, that are more stable."
[Becky asked: What are the most important things you’ve learned?]
"I had no college background. I was 21, born and raised on a ranch. I had a lot of knowledge of cattle and haying. I knew what a lot of the weeds were. But I didn’t know anything about the chemicals. My strongest was my knowledge of the weeds. My mother always had us weed her garden.
Back then, we only had two or three chemicals to work with, and the spray rig was very simple.
I’ve learned so many things over the years. We didn’t have computers in the offices back then. We didn’t have cell phones. We operated off of two-way radios, in two trucks, 100 miles apart. We had to get up on the ridge to talk to each other, or wait to talk to each other back in the office.
Nowadays, we can do mapping and photography. Remarkable changes. The new guys we’re hiring now have so much technical knowledge, that I don’t have.
My County has only dabbled in biocontrol. The Board members and landowners want to see results tomorrow.
About 20 years ago, we put out insects on musk thistle and Canada thistle, on BLM ground on really steep slopes. We didn’t see any changes one year out, two years out, three years out. We thought it wasn’t working. 10 years, we went back, and we started to see some change. Those steep slopes and drainages now have very little thistle on them. It does work.
We have some salt cedar weevils out, that we’re trying to get established. One problem in Sweetwater County is we’re at nearly 7000 feet elevation. We are having trouble getting those little bugs to overwinter at high elevation. But we have had some success with them. We’re starting to get the Board to see some of this, and we’re starting to get more insects out, especially on the tamarisk and salt cedar, on the Gorge. In the riparian areas, we can’t use chemicals, so the biocontrol is useful there. We have to convince the Board and the landowners to give it time."
[Becky asked: What are the biggest challenges, the biggest infestations you’ve seen?]
"Probably giant white top, perennial pepperweed. It’s pretty easy to control. But it grows in all conditions, wet ground, dry ground, cropland, highway right-of-ways. It’s a mustard, so each plant has thousands of seeds. Birds like to spread it. Sandhill cranes and geese eat it in the grain fields, and spread it. It’s transported in hay and on vehicles. Now it’s everywhere. It’s used a lot in floral arrangements. When we started fighting it, the recommended treatment was 1 to 2 gallons of 2,4-D per acre. That didn’t do anything. With some of the new DuPont products, we only need ¼ to 1/2 ounce per acre, and it’s doing an excellent job on it.
Canada thistle, Russian knapweed, we have a lot. We have a very small amount of leafy spurge, and we have been able to keep it under control here. Every County has some different weeds that are the biggest problem there.
We’ve never had a lot of grasshoppers here. We’ve had some occasional problems with migrations of Mormon crickets. In 1978, the crickets were so thick on Highway 191, they caused automobile accidents; it was like a patch of black ice in summer. But at 7000 feet, we don’t have much problem with bugs.
We don’t do work in the cities. Rock Springs and Green River, we give them their tax levy back, we provide consulting, and we sell them chemicals. Then they do their own work within the city limits."
[Becky asked: What changes have you seen in the law?]
"I’ve seen a lot of changes. When we started, the Weed Law was just getting started. We were loosely regulated. The environmentalists hadn’t found us. Now, people don’t want us to use chemicals. Laws are changing every day. I can’t say that’s all bad. There were some chemicals being used that were fairly hazardous, that are no longer on the market – DDT, 1080, 2,4,5-T – that I had used regularly. You see effects on those individuals that used them longer than me; that it’s crippled them or taken their lives.
We have a lot of paperwork now, on the chemicals we use, and on the GPS to monitor where we sprayed.
In Wyoming, we all give input into changes in the laws. We’ve been able to improve the laws on weed control. George Hittle was a miracle-worker. He was very effective in Washington, DC. He built the Wyoming Weed and Pest program. He was good at getting his way.
When I started, there were zero species on the State Designated list. They started out with the goal of 12 on the State Designated list. At that time, Counties were allowed only two Declared weeds and one Declared pest. Now there isn’t a limit on the number of species on the County Declared list. The Wyoming Council and the Wyoming Board of Agriculture both have to approve items added to the County Declared list.
The biggest change I’ve seen in the Wyoming Weed and Pest program is that we went from having a lot of fun, to being serious. We’ve lost something in the process. The new people are a great bunch of people, but they don’t know how to have fun!"
[Becky asked: Where do you see the organization going in the future?]
"I’m sure the next 40 years will bring as many changes as I’ve seen in the last 40 years. The Wyoming Weed and Pest program will still be needed. This organization is rooted deep enough that they’ll still be around. Wyoming will still be the leaders in the nation."
[Becky asked: Do you have any advice for the future?]
"Keep strong, and enjoy your work! Find what you enjoy doing, and succeed in it."
Links to the Wyoming County interviews: