Weed Board

OUR MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the weed board is to educate landowners to be responsible stewards of the land and resources, to make Lincoln County a better place to live by protecting and preserving all lands and natural resources of the County from the degrading impact of invasive noxious weeds; and to provide quality, timely, and responsive service to the residents of Lincoln County.

REPORTS: Please click here to go to our report form. Give us the information we need to be the most effective Weed Department we can be.

New law levies fines on boaters who don’t enlist in battle against aquatic weeds:

A New regulation puts the pressure on Washington boaters to go over their boats, motors and trailers with a fine-tooth comb every time they leave the water at any access, be it public or private.

Remnants of any aquatic plants found (while the boating equipment is on the road) during inspections by law enforcement authorities could lead to a fine of up to $378.00 for the owner or operator.

Fish and Wildlife Dept. officers began enforcing the state statute that bans the transportation of all aquatic plants last month.

The law makes no distinction between knowingly and unintentionally carrying aquatic plants and puts the responsibility for clearing their gear, on equipment owners or operators.

While the law also makes no distinction between native and non-native aquatic species, it is squarely aimed at slowing the spread of the so-called exotic or invasive water plants that have come to plague many ponds, lakes and rivers nationwide, including dozens in Washington.

If boaters don’t remove all plants before they leave the ramp, they can easily spread into others bodies of water when the boat is launched again or if they are dislodged when traveling.

Noxious weeds such as milfoil are typically spread to lakes on boat trailers and fishing gear. Controlling the extensive spread of milfoil alone has cost the state millions of dollars.

Milfoil and hydrilla, for example, can be spread even by dried fragments reintroduced into another waterway.

The Houndstongue Root-Mining Weevil Mogulones cruciger has been determined by the USDA to possesses great danger in eradicating an endangered species that is closely related to Houndstongue. Therefore, any collection, transportation or release into or throughout the

United States

has been deemed a criminal violation of the Endangered Species Act, with penalties up to $50,000.

Inquiries have been made about the collection and redistribution of the root-mining weevil Mogulones cruciger (F.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) for biocontrol of the exotic rangeland weed houndstongue (Cynoglossum officinale L.) (Boraginaceae). M. cruciger has NOT been approved for release as a biological control agent in the United States. This is due to concerns about the potential for non-target effects by the weevil on native North American plant species in the family Boraginaceae, especially those of endangered status in the United States. M. cruciger naturally spread into the United States from releases made in Canada in the late 1990s.

Permission for field release of M. cruciger in the United States has NOT been granted by USDA APHIS. No permits for environmental (field) release or for its interstate movement within the United States will be issued by USDA APHIS. Additionally, USDA employees and federally-funded cooperators should not be involved with, and must discourage, intrastate redistribution or movement of the weevil because the impact of M. cruciger on native endangered Boraginaceae plants and on their critical habitats has not been thoroughly addressed.

Although the insect appears to provide some level of control for houndstongue, this does not outweigh the potential negative environmental impacts on endangered plant species. Unauthorized collection, transportation, and release of M. cruciger as a biological control agent against houndstongue in the United States is a criminal violation of the Endangered Species Act, with penalties for punishable offenses ranging from a maximum fine of up to $50,000 or imprisonment for one year, or both, and civil penalties of up to $25,000 per violation. These actions are also a violation of the Plant Protection Act, with fines for noncompliance assessed up to $250,000 per count or no more than $1,000,000 per adjudication if the violation is willful.
Research paper on Mogulones cruciger.

Coordinator: Kevin Hupp Administrative Assistant: Kris Hubbard Field Technicians: Gina Habbestad, Lee Anderson

There is a Board Member position opening for District #2, which includes the southeastern portion of the county. This is a non-paid position, with a 4-year term of office. For more in depth district boundary lines, please call our office. Interested persons residing in this district must make a written application that includes the signatures of at least ten registered voters residing in their same district supporting their nomination to the board. If interested call 725-3646 to receive an application.

*Job opening: None at this time.
The Field Technician Job Description is available here. The Application for Employment is available here.