Wyoming
Cheatgrass An Nightmare For Wyoming Rangeland, Costing $110 Million In Losses
Jack Baird, who runs sheep and cattle on over 30,000 acres near Thermopolis, calls cheatgrass “a little thief” because it robs moisture from native grasses on the sections of land he uses for grazing.
Fellow rancher Chip Axtell of Hot Springs County estimates at least 20% of his own rangeland and farm have been taken over by cheatgrass, which is only green in the early spring and late fall. This limits where he can graze his cattle and is especially damaging during a drought.
“Cheatgrass grabs up all the moisture, so the native grasses get pushed out,” Axtell said. “If you keep stressing the land further with grazing or drought, it just becomes the predominant grass that’s around.”
More than $32 million has been lost in agricultural land and wildlife habitat last year due to cheatgrass, a fast-growing invasive weed known. It is an ecological nightmare for wildlife and land managers.
University of Wyoming researchers estimate if cheatgrass continues to spread, annual losses could exceed $109.8 million.
Cheatgrass, also known as downy brome, literally creates a drought state on the landscape even when Wyoming is not in a drought. Since the 1800s, this invasive weed has been choking out native grasses and “cheating” them out of the nutrients and soil.
“It is actually a pretty pathetic grass with a minimal root system,” Nancy Fleming, the Wind River Bighorn Basin District’s invasive annual grass coordinator, told Cowboy State Daily. “But it’s seed production is tremendous.”
One cheatgrass plant can produce 200 seeds viable for up to 11 years. Thousands will sit in a seed bank in the first few inches of soil, just waiting to germinate.
“The cheatgrass takeover has been going on for over a century,” Axtell said. “It grows wherever there’s a disturbance in the ground such as a two-track, or any digging. The cheatgrass comes in because the seeds get started in that disturbed ground.”
Axtell said he has been battling cheatgrass his entire life and tries not to graze all the grass in order to leave the native grass healthy and keep the cheatgrass at bay.
“There’s no silver bullet when it comes to invasive annual grasses, particularly cheat grass,” Fleming said. “Cheatgrass is something that we’re managing. It’s not something that we will eradicate.”
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The Red Canyon fire from August 2025 created a disturbance that will help cheatgrass to grow and take over the burned areas. Over $8 million is being used to prevent the cheatgrass takeover. (Jennifer Axtel) -
Chip Axtell told Cowboy State Daily that approximately 20% of his ranch and farm have been taken over by cheatgrass. The invasive weed has worsened the drought conditions by taking the moisture from native grasses. When cheatgrass dies in June, it no longer has any value for grazing. (Jennifer Axtel)
The Evil Enemy
Cheatgrass is an invasive annual grass that’s not native to North America. It came from Europe and Eurasia in the mid- to late 1800s as a contaminant in seed and straw, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
“It’s been noted in every state in the lower 48 but it’s causing more destruction in the Western States because of our climate,” Fleming said.
Cheatgrass grows in the winter and sprouts its roots under the snow. It is the first plant to green up in the spring. As an annual, it dies off each year and has a different growing cycle that Wyoming’s native perennial grass.
Cheatgrass’ sole purpose is to produce as much seed as possible before dying off every June. Then in becomes another type of menace: Fuel for fire.
“It takes one lightning strike to get a fire started,” Fleming said. “That fuel load created by dead cheatgrass helps spread the fire quickly through this country.”
The USGS reported that cheatgrass has disrupted the fire cycle in sagebrush habitat and other western ecosystems, leading to more frequent and more intense burns. Those fires subsequently destroy native grasses and sage.
“Invasives come back the next year and so the fire doesn’t affect them,” Fleming said. “As a result, we see this reoccurring, increased fire cycle that is not typical for this area.”
Fleming said fires typically burn every 30 years in grass and sage ecosystems, but thanks to cheatgrass they are occurring every five years or sooner.
Last August, the Red Canyon Fire burned more than 126,000 acres outside of Thermopolis. Several organizations are monitoring the land to beat back the expected surge of cheatgrass. The fire started from a lightning strike on Axtell’s ranch and spread to neighboring ranches.
“Cheatgrass has the first opportunity to get the moisture and get started,” Axtell said. “With this fire, they’re really watching to see where it’s going to come back.”
Axtell said a grant for more than $8 million has been allocated to fight cheatgrass in the burn area. He is hopeful that by being proactive they will keep the cheatgrass to a minimum.
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Rancher Jack Baird said that cheatgrass can be beneficial in the summer and during the winter as green nutrients for his cattle and sheep. When it dies in early June, it is then useless as forage. For that reason, Baird prefers the native grasses since even after they die, they can be used as feed. However, the cost of eliminating cheatgrass with herbicides is high at $50 an acre. (Ellen Baird) -
Rancher Jack Baird said that cheatgrass can be beneficial in the summer and during the winter as green nutrients for his cattle and sheep. When it dies in early June, it is then useless as forage. For that reason, Baird prefers the native grasses since even after they die, they can be used as feed. However, the cost of eliminating cheatgrass with herbicides is high at $50 an acre. (Ellen Baird) -
Rancher Jack Baird said that cheatgrass can be beneficial in the summer and during the winter as green nutrients for his cattle and sheep. When it dies in early June, it is then useless as forage. For that reason, Baird prefers the native grasses since even after they die, they can be used as feed. However, the cost of eliminating cheatgrass with herbicides is high at $50 an acre. (Ellen Baird)
Benefits of Cheatgrass
“When it’s green, cheat grass actually has some decent protein and a forge quality to it,” Fleming said. “But it’s only green from April to maybe June which is a very short window.”
Baird admits that because the cheat grass can be beneficial, he has mixed emotions about the expense of eradicating it.
“If you get a good fall rain, it might stay green under the snow until December or January,” he said. “Those cows are getting green feed and getting protein naturally from the cheatgrass.”
Baird said cheatgrass can be up to 18% protein in the early season, but cattle will have little of the grass to graze. The good grass, according to Baird, might only be 6% protein in the winter, but even when it dries it still has good feed value.
Cheatgrass, on the other hand, has no feed value once in dries in the spring.
Although experts say they can only manage the weed, not eradicate it, they are seeing successes.
“The best tools that we have for long-term management is herbicides,” Fleming said. “We have been using products like Rejuvra to treat invasive annual grasses on a large-landscape scale.”
The goal is to target seed sources. Plants would not only grow but viable seed would also be eliminated.
Baird had five acres sprayed with the herbicide and noticed the cheatgrass was not as productive. However, the herbicide’s expense makes the treatment prohibitive on much of his 30,000 acres of grazing leases and private property. It is close to $50 an acre to treat, he said.
So far, Fleming said, studies have shown if an area is treated twice, much of the cheatgrass will be eliminated and native grasses can regain their lost foothold.
“What we’re finding is that when you treat, your perennial grass production nearly doubles in the treated areas and your annual grass does nothing,” Fleming said.
By eliminating cheatgrass, Fleming said studies show the perennial grass has access to nutrients and water.
“Our grass feels good again,” Fleming said. “It’s not in a drought state anymore nor being suppressed. It’s actually being vigorous, more productive.”
Fleming said that these more resilient, productive, perennial species would then be more competitive when cheatgrass re-enters the landscape.
Landowners have access to the herbicide at local weed and pest offices and can apply for grants to apply the chemical.
“Rejuvra is fairly new, and it’s kind of a proven chemical, so we probably will get on a program now,” Axtell said. “Before, there was no guarantee that what you were going to use with Plateau or other chemicals was really going to give you that great of control.”
A Work In Progress
Axtell said that as more people treat for cheatgrass, it will help.
“You would no longer have neighbors who aren’t treating while you’re still battling cheatgrass coming in from around you,” Axtell said. “It’s helpful that the chemical is so good at what it does.”
For those who are concerned about using an herbicide, more labor-intensive options are available, although these techniques have not been as effective. Axtell said they have tried these techniques themselves but have seen little effect against cheatgrass.
“We try not to graze in the spring and graze in the fall and let those natives propagate and come back,” Axtell said. “We’ve tried grazing with goats. We’ve tried real early spring grazing with high intensity and then getting off to try to graze out the cheatgrass.
“It just seems like once it’s there, it’s really hard to re-establish some natives.”
Baird said current drought conditions have actually naturally helped in the battle against the cheatgrass.
“Down on my BLM allotment, where it was basically a monoculture of cheatgrass, there was absolutely nothing green there at all,” Baird said. “The cheatgrass didn’t have the moisture, so the deep-rooted native grasses took hold before the cheatgrass even had a chance to germinate.”
Fleming said she has visited other states where the cheatgrass had destroyed wildlife habitats and agricultural lands, and said it was heartbreaking.
“I work really closely with the BLM, and every single year, we’re spraying a large section of public land for invasive grasses,” Fleming said, “The idea is, hopefully, we can start connecting larger chunks of property together by working with private landowners on larger projects.”
Jackie Dorothy can be reached at jackie@cowboystatedaily.com.
Crazy is the right word to describe Trey Olsen’s story as a college football player, he says. Another wild, coincidental chapter is about to be added to Olsen’s biography this weekend.
Now the leading receiver for the University of Northern Colorado, the 20-year-old from Loveland and Loveland High will return to the place where his college story began: the University of Wyoming in Laramie.
“Wyoming not panning out, coming here, having a position change, coming back, I mean, it’s all been crazy, but I love it,” Olsen said. “It’s been awesome.”
Olsen and UNC meet the Cowboys at 2 p.m. Saturday at War Memorial Stadium. A match-up this year between two winless teams, the game is the 28th in a series dating to 1895. Wyoming has a 19-5-3 record against the Bears, including a victory in the most recent game in 2022.
UNC (0-2) is looking for its first-ever win over a Football Bowl Subdivision program and first against the Cowboys since 1936. Wyoming plays its home opener after dropping the Border War game against Colorado State last weekend in Fort Collins.
The last time Olsen played in Laramie, he suited up at wide receiver in limited action in his only season two years ago. He’ll most likely see plenty of time on the field this weekend in a Bears jersey. Olsen transferred to UNC in early 2025.
Olsen has a touchdown catch in each of the first two games, best among UNC receivers. He’s also first with 105 receiving yards. One of Olsen’s touchdown catches went for 54 yards from starting quarterback Kenny Lueth last week against South Dakota.
Lueth, also a transfer to UNC, and Olsen were roommates last spring. The young men have developed a good on-field connection as quarterback and receiver. The Lueth-to-Olsen combination might not have happened if not for Olsen following his heart and confessing to Bears coaches late last season.
“He’s such a gifted athlete,” Lueth said. “Winning those one-on-ones, he’s done a great job of that. Just want to keep taking advantage of those. When we can get him the ball, great.”
Olsen joined the Bears program as a wide receiver. He was slated to play the position through spring practice and heading into last season. In fall camp, Bears head coach Ed Lamb asked Olsen to switch to safety for depth in the defensive backfield. Olsen backed up Cam Chapa and finished the year with three total tackles.
With the offseason looming late last fall, and top receiver Carver Cheeks putting up all-conference stats, Olsen went back to Lamb for another meeting. Olsen told the coach he wanted to return to wide receiver.
It was the same move Cheeks made before transferring to the University of Texas-El Paso. Cheeks came into UNC as a defensive back in 2023 and later asked to join the offense as a receiver. Cheeks gave up his scholarship on defense to move to receiver, where he re-earned the scholarship.
Lamb said Olsen told him that he wanted to bet on himself being an effective receiver for the Bears like Cheeks.
“That’s a phrase I respect,” Lamb said earlier this month. “He was willing to walk away, we felt like he had earned a scholarship as a defensive football player. It wasn’t in a starting role, but what we told him is ‘we’re not going to go out and recruit a freshman when we’ve got you sitting right here.’”
Olsen told Lamb his heart was as a wide receiver.
“Receiver is what I was born to do,” said Olsen, who is listed at 6-foot-2 and 208 pounds on the Bears roster. “I was glad to help the team last year, but I’ve been a receiver my whole life and it just feels great to get my groove back. I like to be explosive with the ball.”
About as long as Olsen’s been a wide receiver he’s been teammates with three other current teammates: linebacker Hudson Voggesser, wide receiver Garrett Harstad and safety Cody Lease. They’ve played together since youth-level football, through middle school and high school in Loveland. Neither Voggesser, Harstad nor Lease were instrumental in Olsen ending up at UNC, he said.
Olsen went to Wyoming out of high school because it was the only school that recruited him. UNC contacted Olsen the day before he signed his letter to play at Wyoming, but he was then set on the Cowboys.
He said he felt stuck in a middle-ground as a recruited high school player. Bigger Division I schools and Division II programs weren’t interested. Olsen visited Wyoming multiple times and enjoyed the experiences.
He stayed only one semester.
“And then when I got there, I was just like, “man, Laramie, this is not for me.” I wasn’t just digging it, it just wasn’t my thing. Just wasn’t happy.”
Olsen was influenced to consider UNC by two former Bears athletes, who were high school coaches and mentors in Loveland. Chris and Greg Gebhardt operate Subaru of Loveland and Davidson-Gebhardt Chevrolet. Olsen connected with UNC coaches and felt the school and program were a fit.
The dealerships are partners with UNC Athletics.
“I just kind of liked what they were about, and I heard people that were coming here that I used to play with, and let’s do it,” Olsen said.
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