Photo: Musk Thistle, southwest Montana. © 2020 Delena Norris-Tull
Regional Weed Control Conferences
Summaries and commentary by Dr. Delena Norris-Tull, Professor Emerita of Science Education, University of Montana Western, September 2020.
As they exist today, each of the regional societies, listed below, allows membership and/or attendance from a wide variety of interested organizations, including representatives from other States. The following organizations are represented at the conferences: university scientists, representatives from extension services and experiment stations, State and County representatives, representatives from various Federal Agencies, the petrochemical industries, and representatives from a wide variety of agri-industries.
Western Region
The Western Weed Control Conference was the first multi-state conference created to tackle issues related to the management of weeds. The first conference was held in 1938. By 1946, the following nine States sent representatives to the annual conference: California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.
In 1968, the Western Weed Control Conference merged with the Western Society of Weed Science. By 2020, the Society included representatives from the following 18 States and three Canadian Provinces: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming; and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan.
Archival minutes of all previous conferences are posted on the website: https://www.wsweedscience.org/
The minutes are posted under Publications/Proceedings.
In my first interview with Slade Franklin, Weed and Pest Coordinator for the Wyoming Department of Agriculture, he loaned me the original minutes from three conferences in the early 1940s. I re-typed the minutes into Word format, from the 1942, 1945, and 1946 conferences, and have included those minutes in these webpages. They provide valuable insights into the rapidly changing approaches to weed management that occurred during and immediately after World War II, as the first herbicides and biocontrol insects are introduced and begin to play an important part in weed management.
North Central Region
The North Central States held their first Weed Conference in 1945, with the assistance of representatives from the Western Weed Control Conference. The 1945 North Central States Weed Conference was attended by representatives from thirteen States.
The North Central region has evolved to become the North Central Weed Science Society, with information on their website, http://ncwss.org/
The North Central Weed Science Society now includes 15 States (Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Wyoming) and the Canadian Province of Ontario. The Society will hold their 75th Annual Weed Conference in 2020. It is clear from their membership, which includes Colorado and Wyoming, that their original ties with the Western Weed Control Conference have remained an essential aspect of the development of activities in the North Central region.
Southern Region
The first Southern Weed Conference was held in 1948. At the 1948 conference, the following nine States and Territories were represented: Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Oklahoma, and Puerto Rico. The Conference evolved to become the Southern Weed Science Society. In 2020, the Society included representatives from the following 15 States and Territories: Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Archival minutes of all previous Southern Annual Conferences are posted on their website: https://www.swss.ws/publications/proceedings/
Northeastern Region
The first Northeastern Weed Control Conference was held in 1947. The following 10 States were represented at the first conference: Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Virginia.
In 1970, the Conference evolved into the Northeastern Weed Science Society, which holds joint annual conferences with a wide array of related organizations. The joint conference is called The Northeastern Plant, Pest, and Soils Conference.
Archival minutes of the Northeastern conferences are located on their website at: https://www.newss.org/publications/archives/
The links below provide additional information on the historical developments in the management of invasive plants.
Regional Weed Control Conferences
Summaries and commentary by Dr. Delena Norris-Tull, Professor Emerita of Science Education, University of Montana Western, September 2020.
As they exist today, each of the regional societies, listed below, allows membership and/or attendance from a wide variety of interested organizations, including representatives from other States. The following organizations are represented at the conferences: university scientists, representatives from extension services and experiment stations, State and County representatives, representatives from various Federal Agencies, the petrochemical industries, and representatives from a wide variety of agri-industries.
Western Region
The Western Weed Control Conference was the first multi-state conference created to tackle issues related to the management of weeds. The first conference was held in 1938. By 1946, the following nine States sent representatives to the annual conference: California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.
In 1968, the Western Weed Control Conference merged with the Western Society of Weed Science. By 2020, the Society included representatives from the following 18 States and three Canadian Provinces: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming; and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan.
Archival minutes of all previous conferences are posted on the website: https://www.wsweedscience.org/
The minutes are posted under Publications/Proceedings.
In my first interview with Slade Franklin, Weed and Pest Coordinator for the Wyoming Department of Agriculture, he loaned me the original minutes from three conferences in the early 1940s. I re-typed the minutes into Word format, from the 1942, 1945, and 1946 conferences, and have included those minutes in these webpages. They provide valuable insights into the rapidly changing approaches to weed management that occurred during and immediately after World War II, as the first herbicides and biocontrol insects are introduced and begin to play an important part in weed management.
North Central Region
The North Central States held their first Weed Conference in 1945, with the assistance of representatives from the Western Weed Control Conference. The 1945 North Central States Weed Conference was attended by representatives from thirteen States.
The North Central region has evolved to become the North Central Weed Science Society, with information on their website, http://ncwss.org/
The North Central Weed Science Society now includes 15 States (Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Wyoming) and the Canadian Province of Ontario. The Society will hold their 75th Annual Weed Conference in 2020. It is clear from their membership, which includes Colorado and Wyoming, that their original ties with the Western Weed Control Conference have remained an essential aspect of the development of activities in the North Central region.
Southern Region
The first Southern Weed Conference was held in 1948. At the 1948 conference, the following nine States and Territories were represented: Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Oklahoma, and Puerto Rico. The Conference evolved to become the Southern Weed Science Society. In 2020, the Society included representatives from the following 15 States and Territories: Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Archival minutes of all previous Southern Annual Conferences are posted on their website: https://www.swss.ws/publications/proceedings/
Northeastern Region
The first Northeastern Weed Control Conference was held in 1947. The following 10 States were represented at the first conference: Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Virginia.
In 1970, the Conference evolved into the Northeastern Weed Science Society, which holds joint annual conferences with a wide array of related organizations. The joint conference is called The Northeastern Plant, Pest, and Soils Conference.
Archival minutes of the Northeastern conferences are located on their website at: https://www.newss.org/publications/archives/
The links below provide additional information on the historical developments in the management of invasive plants.