Small-acreage landowners, especially those who grew up in cities or suburbia, don't always have the life experiences that prepare them for the country.

There, they may have to deal with unfamiliar things like sand dunes, hungry prairie dogs and cheatgrass, all of which will be examined during a small-acreage workshop next Wednesday in Casper.

The event is 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service's Agricultural Resource and Learning Center, 2011 Fairgrounds Road, in Casper.

No pre-registration is required. Registration begins at the door at 6 p.m., and classes commence at 6:30 p.m.

Land parcels up to 49 acres are the fastest growing farm size in Wyoming, according to the 2002 U.S. Department of Agriculture Census. Holdings with at least $1,000 in annual agricultural production are considered a farm by the USDA.

How sand dunes form, move and what it takes to get them to stay put will be discussed by Jerry Nelson, instructor of geology and geography at Casper College. Nelson will examine the geography and history of stabilized dunes in Wyoming, and the implications for construction and agriculture will be examined.

"There are abundant locations in Natrona and Converse counties that have people developing properties on sand dunes. This causes some unique issues -- tremendous erosion and drifting of sand," said Tom Heald, extension educator for Converse, Natrona and Niobrara counties. "Ancient sand dunes have native grasses to stabilize that. When you build a home and disturb the soil, that destroys the stabilization. It's not much different than watching sand dunes blow across Saudi Arabia."

Brian Connely, education coordinator for the Natrona County Weed and Pest Control District, will discuss prairie dog biology, ecology and control.

Derided by ranchers as destructive vermin, prairie dogs are an essential part of sagebrush and grassland ecology, but their 'towns' can interfere with human land management, said Heald.

"Extension service advisory boards across the state have indicated that prairie dog populations are exploding, and that there are some real problems associated with prairie dogs, such as bare ground, erosion and no forage," he said. "Whether a large operator or if you own just an acre, prairie dogs can influence what happens on your land."

Heald said Connely will distinguish between short-term "fixes" that don't work, and long-term control strategies that do work.

Control of cheatgrass and how to replace it with desirable plants will be discussed by Doug Haller, representative of BASF Corp. He will review the impacts of cheatgrass on wildlife, native plant communities and agriculture.

BASF has developed a herbicide that attacks a specific enzyme in cheatgrass not found in humans and wildlife. It is the first product to effectively control cheatgrass without affecting desirable types of plants.

Cheatgrass is the most invasive grass in Wyoming, said Heald. "It has often out-competed desirable native perennial grasses. How do we control this annual and promote our perennial grasses?"

Cheatgrass generally grows between 12 and 24 inches tall, and is most prevalent in Idaho, Nevada and Utah, where the weed has turned prairie and rangelands into arid, desolate fields. Cheatgrass also threatens significant areas in other states including Wyoming.

For more information, contact Heald at (307) 235-9400 or {M7theald@uwyo.edu.