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What Are Noxious Weeds?

Current Weed List

Weed Fact Sheets

Weed Classifications

Education

Report Noxious Weeds

Noxious Weed Control Board

Knotweed

Poison Hemlock Information

Mission

The mission of the Noxious Weed Control Board is to serve as responsible stewards of Whatcom County by protecting the land and resources from the degrading impacts of noxious weeds.

We believe that prevention is the best approach and may be achieved through implementing programs which will best serve the landowners in Whatcom County. We seek to emphasize public awareness through improved educational efforts and direct land- owner contacts. We strive to improve communication and gain cooperation while addressing our mandated duties.

Through public outreach, we seek to increase early detection and action on new infestations, encourage landowner compliance, and promote better land stewardship throughout Whatcom County.

Objectives

1. To eradicate, manage, and/or contain Class A, Class B-designate, or selected Class B noxious weed infestations in Whatcom County. Click here to see these classifications.
2. To maintain public and private landowner contacts in person, by phone calls, notices, and regular and certified mail delivery.
3. To respond promptly to requests for information, site-specific consultations and action on complaints.
4. To expand public education through use of appropriate media sources, displays, exhibits, and presentations.
5. To coordinate with and sponsor community volunteer groups, schools, and other agencies for manual weed removal and management projects in sensitive areas of the county.

Visit Sites with Noxious Weeds

The Weed Board maintains a database for monitoring six noxious weed species:

• Spotted knapweed
• Meadow knapweed
• Tansy ragwort
• Giant hogweed
• Dalmation toadflax
• Purple loosestrife

Monitoring weed sites is an important part of measuring the success of efforts made to control the weeds. All of the nearly 800 documented properties are visited at least once per season. If noxious weeds are found on the property, it is visited at least twice. All landowners are notified by mail before staff visits the property, and we will also schedule inspections at the landowners' request if the landowner wishes to be present during the site visit.

More Information

• Board Policies
• Whatcom  County Noxious Weed List-2005
• Noxious Weed Class Definitions and Criteria

Links to Additional Sources

• Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board
  http://www.nwcb.wa.gov/index.htm
• Cooperative Extension, Whatcom County: http://whatcom.wsu.edu 
• Non-Native Freshwater Plants: http://ww.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/plants/weeds
• Poisonous Plants: http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/index.html
• Center for Invasive Plant Management: http://ww.weedcenter.org/