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Few noxious weeds have caught the general public's attention as has yellow starthistle in California. Yellow starthistle (YST) (Centaurea solstitialis L.), was introduced into California in the mid-1800. YST proliferation is a serious threat to the biodiversity and the productive potential ofCalifornia's rangelands. In 1985, over 8 million acres were infested, and by 1995 an estimated 12 million acres were infested. YST has continued to rapidly colonize susceptible habitats including an estimated 20,000 acres ofTulare County foothill range. UC Cooperative Extension and Agricultural Commissioner, Tulare County; RCD; and USDA NRCS formed the Tulare County Noxious Weed Task Force. YST proliferation raised public awareness ofnoxious weed issues and the need for control and brought many stakeholders to the task force. This early organization lead to official designation as a Weed Management Area (WMA), bringing together landowners and managers (private, city, county, state, and federal) in a county, multi-county, or other geographical area to coordinate efforts and expertise against common invasive weed species. The WMA status enabled the task force to coordinate research, education, and outreach efforts across many jurisdictional boundaries and to broaden the focus to address several invasive noxious weeds. Results included securing a $70,000 three year state grant to develop educational brochures; conduct seminars and weed tours; collaborate in research on control strategies and field demonstrations; population inventory, monitoring and mapping; equipment acquisition and labor forimplementing a control program. The WMA provides a structure to coordinate and collaborate in a local successful weed management effort, with key areas ofresearch, education, outreach, inventory, control program, and monitoring.