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Noxious Weed Control Board

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Policy Statement

The Whatcom County Noxious Weed Control Board promotes noxious weed control through public education and personal and/or written contact with landowners.  The Weed Board recognizes the control of noxious weeds is a community effort, requiring all landowners to control the growth and spread of noxious weeds on their land and to prevent infestations from occurring on adjacent properties.  Landowners are encouraged to report to this Board all known infestations of noxious weeds.

The Weed Board Coordinator and Inspector are available, on request, to assist in the identification of noxious weeds and to help develop an integrated and comprehensive plan for weed control which is specific to site characteristics.  The plan may include varied cultural practices, land management, use of herbicides or biological agents, or other means as desired by the landowner and/or indicated by site conditions.  For those landowners who have a severe infestation of weeds, an approved plan with a schedule indicating a reasonable, continuous effort towards control will be in compliance with our goals.   This plan may be extended over a period of years.

The following weeds receive priority for monitoring and notification to landowners:

• Meadow Knapweed (Centaurea jacea x nigra)
• Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea biebersteinii)
• Tansy Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea)
• Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)
• Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum)
• Dalmatian Toadflax (Linaria dalmatica sp. dalmatica)

Of these six species, one is chosen each season for the Board's enforcement activities.  The selection of species is rotated annually among the six.  The target enforcement species for 2010 is Tansy Ragwort, a Class "B" Designate noxious weed.

Minimal control standards for Class "A" weeds shall be prevention of seed production with the goal being eradication.  Minimal control standards for Class "B-Designate" weeds shall be prevention of seed production with the goal being decreasing the number and density of infestations.  Minimal control standards of Class "B" weeds shall be containment to within current infestation boundaries. The Board may choose to adopt a Class "C" weed for the purposes of education and/or biological control only.

In the case of selected noxious weeds being cultivated for a known commercial value, the Weed Board will notify individuals on an informative level that this is in violation of State Quarantine Law WAC 16-752.  The case(s) may then be referred to the regional Horticultural Inspector if any regulatory action is to be taken.

The Weed Board personnel have the authority to enter all property for the purpose of enforcing the Weed Law; provided that a reasonable attempt to notify landowners of the purpose of entry is made.  If the landowner fails to take action to control the weeds, the Board reserves the right to pursue enforcement procedures as outlined in RCW 17.10.

History

The Whatcom County Noxious Weed Control Board was activated by Ordinance No. 81-61 on September 17, 1981 and operated under provisions of Washington State Law RCW 17.10. Initially the Board's activities were directed at providing public information concerning Tansy Ragwort. On March 10, 1983, Ordinance No. 83-22 granted the Board authority  to implement enforcement proceedings for Tansy Ragwort only. On August 7, 1986, Ordinance No. 86-68 gave the addition of Knapweed to both educational and policing activities. It also extended the terms of the Weed Board to December 31, 1991. In 1987, State Law RCW 17.10 underwent revisions that made it necessary to amend Whatcom County Code 2.27. On January 25, 1992,  Ordinance No. 92-008 and 92-009 amended Whatcom County Code 2.27 and 2.27.130 were deleted to bring the Board into full compliance  with Revised Code of Washington Chapter 17.10.

Meetings

Board meetings are generally held on the last Wednesday of every other month (January, March, May, July, September, November) at 8:00 p.m. If you would like to attend a meeting, please call ahead to confirm the meeting date and location. The meeting place is the Engineering Conference Room, Northwest Annex, 5280 Northwest Drive in Bellingham. A County Weed List is adopted  annually through a public hearing process held early in the year. The time of the hearing is dependent upon the receipt of  the Washington State Noxious Weed List, which is also adopted annually. After receiving the State List, the Board then has  ninety (90) days in which to adopt the County List. All meetings are open to the public and participation is welcome.