Noxious Weed Free Forage and Straw (NWFF&S) Certification Program

The purpose of the Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) Noxious Weed Free Forage and Straw (NWFF&S) Certification Program is to limit the introduction and spread of noxious weeds through forage and straw onto Idaho United States Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands. In addition, the NWFF&S certification program allows for the transportation and sale of certified Idaho forage and straw products into and through states and other boundaries where restrictions are placed on such commodities.

An example of such restrictions include the U.S. Forest Service requirement (USFS Weed Free Hay Order) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM Supplementary Rules) that forage used on Idaho USFS and BLM lands be certified as noxious weed free, and fire rehabilitation or roadside maintenance contracts requiring the use of noxious weed free straw or mulch. Once a person enters Idaho USFS and BLM lands, a person cannot possess any non-certified forage, straw or mulch (baled or compressed hay and forage (hay) cubes are considered forage). Possessing non-certified forage, straw or mulch on these Idaho public lands is subject to penalty.

The following products meet the IDAHO USFS and BLM Noxious Weed Free Forage and Straw requirements:

• State Certified Noxious Weed Free Hay, Cubes, and Straw.

• Pelletized feed meets the Idaho USFS requirements; it is not required to be certified, because the pelletizing process (heat) destroys seed viability.

  • ISDA recommends pre-feeding your animals State Certified Noxious Weed-Free Forage (hay or cubes) or pellets 48 hours prior to entering these public lands. It is also suggested before leaving home, to thoroughly brush and clean hooves to remove potential seeds from your animals.

ISDA is a member of a voluntary national organization called the North American Invasive Species Management Association (NAISMA) and has incorporated its forage and straw inspection procedures, called the NAISMA Weed Free Products Program, into our NWFF&S Rules. The purpose of this organization is to set minimum requirements for uniform participation of the various states in the program. There are currently 26 states that participate. Neighboring states of Idaho that are NAISMA members include: Montana, Nevada, Washington, and Wyoming.

The ISDA NWFFS program has two standards of certification: The Idaho Standard and the NAISMA Standard. Both standards follow the same inspection procedures with the exception that fields would be inspected for different prohibited weeds. The Idaho State Noxious Weed Free Standard (the Idaho Standard) prohibited weed list has 74 State listed noxious weeds, and the NAISMA Standard includes 56 prohibited plant species (comparison list). In order to certify to the NAISMA Standard, product cannot contain plants from both the Idaho and NAISMA lists. Several plants indicated on the NAISMA list are also listed as noxious weeds in Idaho, so the actual number of plants inspected for to acquire a NAISMA certification includes 96 prohibited weeds.

• If a field is inspected, and no prohibited weeds were found that are listed on either standard, the field is certified to the NAISMA Standard.

• If a field is inspected and contains NAISMA prohibited weeds, but does not contain Idaho listed noxious weeds, it may be certified to the Idaho Standard.

  • Approximately 99% of the forage and straw inspected in Idaho is certified to the NAISMA Standard.

  • State certified forage cubes, pellets, and compressed forage bales are certified only to the NAISMA Standard.

The advantage of certifying product to the NAISMA Standard is the ability for that product to be shipped to neighboring NAISMA states that may only recognize that standard. Idaho Standard certified products will only meet Idaho USFS and BLM NWFFS requirements, however, this product may not be accepted by neighboring states.

To help growers participate in the program, ISDA has promulgated the NWFF&S Certification Rules (scroll down to page 18). Idaho’s NWFF&S program is managed by ISDA in coordination with certifying inspection agents associated with county noxious weed control offices.

• For a field to be certified noxious weed free, it must be inspected by an ISDA certified inspector prior to harvest.

  • Contact your County Noxious Weed Control Office to arrange an inspection.

• The inspection must occur no greater than ten (10) days BEFORE harvest.

  • If the date of harvest occurs more than 10 days after the initial certification date, that certification will be considered invalid.

• There is a fee for the inspection, so make sure to reach out to your county agent for details on specific costs.

Photo Credit:  Dan Safford, ISDA. Video Credit: NAISMA’s Play-Clean-Go Program.