Noxious no more

GRANT COUNTY - Grant County residents get the opportunity to learn about weeds in their area Wednesday.

The Noxious Wed Control Board of Grant County hosts the 11th Annual Noxious Weed Conference Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Big Bend Community College's Wallenstien Theater

"We're a weed board that's funded by taxpayers and what we like to do as a weed board, instead of just going out and basically writing tickets for noxious weeds, we're also in the business to educate the public," said Jeff Janke, consultant with the Noxious Wed Control Board of Grant County.

The board tries to educate the public on what is a noxious weed and how to control them.

"We strongly feel if we're out writing ticket citations, whatever, we need to give the public answers on how to control it," Janke said.

This year, one of the board's major topics is whether there is a puncturevine epidemic or not.

"If anybody that has kids that ride bicycles they have come across puncturevine," Janke said.

Janke said the board has talked with people who haul hay who don't like to drive their trucks into stockyards because they scatter puncturevine throughout Grant County.

"The last seven years, we have noticed puncturevine is becoming a bigger problem," Janke said. "A lot of people look at it as, 'Well, there's nothing we can do to control it.' I'm not sitting here telling you one day we will totally eradicate puncturevine, but if we don't take a more aggressive way of controlling it, it is going to continue to get worse."

Janke believes the conference has lasted 11 years because it addresses suggestions from land owners and farmers.

"All these speakers are from questions that have come up from the general public," he said. "So we have gone out and we have got the answers for these numerous questions."

Topics include an update on aquatic noxious weed permits, weeds versus herbicides, a Quincy-George area farmer's efforts to control puncturevine, plants and pesticides to watch out for and a methamphetamine informational presentation from the Grant County Sheriff's Office.

Washington State University faculty member Patricia Talcott speaks about the effects of weeds on animals, Janke said.

"We saw a picture where one of the seedlings entered a dog's ear canal and it stuck in the brain and the dog showed up as being nervous and aggressive," he said.

The methamphetamine talk is because the people producing meth are using herbicides and cleaning material a customer could purchase over the counter, Janke noted.

"It's just making the community more aware of this is what's happening, don't let it happen to you, as far as stealing propane to cook the stuff, stealing herbicides and fuels," Janke said.

Janke recommends the conference to anyone possessing the attitude herbicides are bad for the environment or anybody who owns, rents or leases property.

"This seminar is for pretty much everybody," he said.

Janke estimates 350 to 400 people will be in attendance.

"What I'd like to see is people walk away from this conference educated on noxious weeds and the control," he said.

The conference includes many door prizes, including restaurant certificates and donations from businesses around the region.

There is no cost to attend. Five Washington State Department of Agriculture recertification credits are available. Registration begins at 8 a.m. For more information, call the board office at 509-754-2011, ext. 375.