In 1997 a Pulling Together Initiative (PTI) effort to cooperatively control noxious weeds was started. A project in which frustrated neighbors of the past would become partners. This effort established the 6.5 million acre Utah-Idaho Cooperative Weed Management Area (UICWMA). It constitutes a joint venture of land management and county entities along the Utah-Idaho border in Box Elder, Bannock, Cache, Franklin and Oneida Counties.
Hundreds of volunteer hours, human resources, equipment, chemicals, insects, supplies, and technology were exchanged to accommodate the common cause of noxious weed control within the five county CWMA.
The focus was on trust, common goals, building relationships, establishing agreements, leadership and support groups, communications and fiscal responsibilities all which would support on-the-ground projects. Given this philosophical and organizational base we began to build support and establish the UICWMA organization.
The UICWMA specifies the partner's desire to "cooperate on public relations, education and training in the noxious weed area as well as weed eradication and other resource protection that might be agreed upon." The partners elected a Steering Committee to guide and implement the terms of agreement, develop a strategy, and accomplish cooperative noxious weed management projects. The Steering Committee divided the UICWMA into five distinct management zones to help organize and prioritize specific cooperative projects.