Arizona is using old and new techniques to eliminate one of its oldest and largest environmental threats: buffelgrass. Without the resources necessary to get rid of it completely, the dangerous grass will continue to spread rapidly throughout the state.

For decades, the plant has been destroying native species, while presenting a major fire hazard. As the grass continues to grow at an exponential rate, it needs to be controlled before it is too late, said Lindy Bringham, director of the nonprofit organization, Southern Arizona Buffelgrass Coordination Center.

“It’s critical at this point that we really get a handle on it now, “ she said. “If we can get people to work on it now they can get it to a manageable state.”

According to Bringham, the state is doing what it can to control the grass, but due to limited funding, cannot eliminate it without help.

Arizona has spent $174 million in bond funds, since 2010, to purchase desert land. One of the reasons the state bought the land was to preserve the ecosystem by removing the intruding buffelgrass.

Although it is difficult to determine exactly how many acres these weeds infect, officials are hopeful that new technology will stop further growth, even with a tight budget. Doug Siegel, a natural resource specialist for Pima County, has been working with the U.S. Forest Service to develop easier and cheaper ways to eliminate the grass.

“We’re trying to see what we can do with our current budgets,” he said.

Siegel has been working on a hands-free way to get rid of these invasive plants. A helicopter would be used to drop the devices in “strategic spots” around the state. The remote control-activated machine would spray about ten acres of land with herbicide. This could help eliminate buffelgrass in areas that would normally be difficult to reach.

Arizona’s latest marketing campaign successfully generated more interest in tourists from two major cities, officials said.

In 2011, the Arizona Office of Tourism spent $3 million on its latest marketing plan, “In One Word-Arizona.” The campaign ran primarily in Los Angeles and Chicago between November 2010 and May 2011.

After state budget cuts, officials collected data from 30 cities across the country to determine where ads would be successful. This helped the department avoid the high costs of national ad campaigns by distributing its newest ads in select cities.

The results determined the campaign would focus on Los Angeles and Chicago as its “primary target cities.” It was presented in these areas using traditional media outlets, such as local newspapers and radio.

Arizona tourism marketing campaigns have not appeared nationally since 2010.