Annual Gunnison City Cheatgrass Pull Day Recap

High Country Conservation Advocates was proud to join the City of Gunnison for their Annual Cheatgrass Pull Day, where community members came together to tackle invasive species right in our own backyards.

Cheatgrass, a Eurasian native, first arrived in North America in the 1800s—originally introduced as livestock feed. However, it’s now clear that cows, goats, and other grazers avoid it, and worse, cheatgrass aggressively invades and outcompetes native vegetation, threatening our local sagebrush steppe ecosystems. Its spread in the Gunnison Country continues to grow each year, making community action more important than ever.

With the support of the Gunnison Cheatgrass Coordinator and dedicated residents, HCCA pitched in to help manage this invasive species. Fifteen volunteers contributed over 60 hours of effort, removing more than 400 pounds of cheatgrass from within city limits.

While we didn’t eliminate every root or stem, this day of action was a meaningful step forward in protecting our native landscapes. Every handful pulled brings us closer to a healthier ecosystem.

A huge thank you to everyone who came out and lent a hand in this vital invasive species management effort!

Want to learn more about cheatgrass—how to identify it, when to act, and what adaptive land management strategies are being used? Check out our Almont Triangle Cheatgrass Mapping recap here.

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