Farmers ask San Juan weed control to match Dolores County

by David Boyle
News Director
Members of the San Juan County Commission spent the first hour of their latest meeting discussing weed control in the county.
Members of the commission heard from members of the public including farmers from throughout the county on the issue of noxious weeds in San Juan.
Among those speaking at the commission was Jonathan Wright who has property east of Monticello.
Wright and other farmers in the county came to the commission asking for help to address rampant noxious weeds in the county.
“Morning glory, russian knapweed, canadian thistle, ground cherries, what I’m here for is I’d like to see the County Commission declare an noxious weed emergency. The reason behind that, if you’re farming organic ground and if they have to spray for noxious weeds they could lose their organic certification. Which is about three-times across the board rate for wheat.”
While local farm representatives want to address the current noxious weed issue, they’d also like to address underlying issues as well.
San Juan County operates a weed department that is designed to address noxious weed issues, farmers and others in attendance shared the department is working hard but financial support and more teeth in enforcement are needed.
San Juan County’s former weed manager Monty Perkins spoke at the meeting. Perkins shared he spoke with the current weed manager Frank Smith who was unable to make the meeting as he was out spraying weeds that morning.
Perkins shared among other things education of the public was a big key to fighting back weeds.
Perkins also said the county needs help from the state to address the issue, sharing that Smith is doing a good job but he’ll need help to get on top of the issue.
Local farmers also shared that while they work to spray their properties, if not all property owners follow suit it may not prevent infestation.
Local farmer Kurt Lewis asked if the county can look at opportunities to strengthen results from existing policies and programs.
“We’re losing the battle with noxious weeds. It’s a tremendous time consumer and it’s getting worse and worse. I think that Dolores County has something figured out. It’d be wonderful for the county to help discover what they’re doing that maybe works.”
Representatives from Dolores County Colorado were also at the meeting.
Colorado State Extension Director for Dolores County Gus Westerman explained part of the program's success is the education of landowners on how and why to address noxious weeds.
The other aspect is a mill levy that was created in the 1980s by the Dove Creek Mandatory Weed Control District.
“With that mill levy the mandatory weed control district employs a commercial applicator. Not only does that applicator work on county owned areas like road right-of-ways but they also do custom spraying. That is a huge benefit to landowners.”
Oma Fleming is the manager of the mandatory weed control district in Dolores County. She explained the process for dealing with noxious weeds starts with discovering a property with a noxious weed issue, from there a letter is sent informing the landowner of the issue, within a few days if the district receives no response another notice is sent to explain the district will be entering properties within another short time period to actually spray the property.
If the district does spray the property they then send the landowner a bill which Fleming says is usually paid, if not the cost of the service is put on the landowner’s annual tax bill.
Fleming says the reason she’s successful is because of her support.
“My commissioners back me, my weed boards back me, (...) I do work very hard to educate. I try to put pamphlets in the tax notices because we have so many people from out of state that only come once a year. I work with real estate agents in the county.”
While San Juan County’s structure is similar Commissioner Bruce Adams asked if how the county needs to change to address the issue. San Juan weed board member Dennis Gines said the timing of enforcement is one key factor.
“Oma has 10 days and she’s sending out a control letter and then 10 days later she’s spraying.”
In contrast, Gines said the county operates on a series of 14 days of notices before the county can act on an issue nearly a month later, which can be too late to stop a noxious weed from spreading seeds.
A check from county administrator Mack McDonald showed that the county could speed up that process significantly even as quickly as seven days.
Adams summarized the likely next steps for the county.
“Maybe the two things we need to look at is passing a mill levy, exempting the municipalities, and then following the state law, it sounds like after seven days we can go spray it.”
Also emphasized at the meeting was a culture of partnership. Fleming says they work with landowners who have tractors that break down or have other outstanding financial hardships that may delay their spraying.
Members of the commission thanked the dozen or so attendees who weighed in on the issue at the meeting.
Members of the commission also gave reports with Jamie Harvey reporting the county was one of 10 selected nationally for an economic mobility grant with plans in the works to create a strategic plan to stimulate the economy.
Harvey also shared he would be meeting with Navajo Nation Council Delegates Hermain Daniels Jr. and Curtis Yanito to strategize for Navajo Utah needs. Harvey shared top priorities include finding solutions for cross deputization of law enforcement officers. Harvey also shared he’s working with leadership to try and expand the work the county can do on Navajo Nation roadways.
Commissioner Sylvia Stubbs also reported on her work with the seven county coalition group as well as projects working to aid in the creation of a museum of the American West in Blanding as well as a potential splashpad in Blanding.
Adams reported on an upcoming UCIP training and the annual county fair.