Knapweed, A Growing Issue

Day 335: Invasives are a growing issue in our area, and even when they are recognized, no one seeems to be doing anything about them. Yes, I'm pointing a finger straight at you, Town of Eatonville. I've reported Knapweed along the Bud Blancher Trail multiple times, and it's spreading. In fact, there's some on the highway verge not far from my house now, and I have to consider the possibility that a seed was carried there on some vehicle's undercarriage or tires, maybe even my own. Knapweed is not the only unwelcome visitor. I've watched Lactuca (Bitter Lettuce) advance uphill from town to here in the space of only a few years. It and the Knapweed are two of the worst, although there are plenty of other weeds (I use the term in its ultimate form to indicate a non-native plant with the potential to set up a monoculture at the expense of natives) which have only recently begun showing up locally. The spread alarms me. It is occurring at a breakneck pace, boosted by negligence and the changing climate.