Gallatin County Weed Board
Regular Monthly Meeting
November 2, 2006
Board members present were Linda Vrooman, Chair, Jeff Littlefield, Bob Hofman, Fred Bell and Joe Skinner (Commissioner). Craig Morgan was excused. Others present were Betty Biggs (Farm Bureau), Ron Carlstrom (Extension Agent), Kara Schile (Extension Admin Ag Assistant), Rachel Frost (MSU ARLES Dept.), Marcie Murnion-Learn (Conservation District), Keith Mainwaring (Property Owner), Jennifer Johnson (Yellowstone Club Weed Coordinator), Lynn Bacon (PBS&J) and Candace Mastel and Wayne Freeman (CTA ViaVerde Development Representatives).
Minutes. The Minutes of the October meeting had been mailed to the Board. They were approved as submitted.
Claims. The Claims were reviewed and approved as presented.
OLD BUSINESS
1. Subdivision Review Fees. Hengel reported that he is still working on the figures. He will have them ready for the next Board meeting.
NEW BUSINESS
1. Public Comment/Other. There were no reports.
2. Grant Proposal – Rachel Frost outlined a research program that she has written a S.A.R.E. grant application for and she is requesting support from the Weed District and the Extension Service. The program is a goat and sheep grazing study on the noxious weed, Sulfur cinquefoil. The program is divided into four (4) areas. 1) Plants response to defoliation; 2) Seed viability post consumption; 3) Chemical composition of plants at various stages of growth; 4) Outreach and education. Joe Skinner asked Frost if there was any documentation that goats and sheep will eat the plant. Frost replied that there was. Jeff Littlefield asked where the study sites were and Frost informed the Board that the sites were up in the Rocky Creek area. A motion was made and passed that the Weed
District would be a cooperator in the project. Hengel signed the grant document for the Weed District.
3. Extension and RC&D Weed Grant Updates.
Carlstrom and Schile handed out copies of Montana Noxious Weed Trust Fund Grant Narrative forms for the four (4) noxious weed grants they have been working on.
Ø Sixteenmile – this project is ongoing from an initial grant in 2001. This project continues to expand and a combination of helicopter spraying and on-the-ground spraying by the landowners has made the program very successful. The project involves land in Park, Meagher, Broadwater and Gallatin Counties.
Ø Lower Jefferson Valley Cooperative Weed Control Project – this project is also expanding as property owners become more aware of the assistance available. The project utilizes a combination of helicopter spraying, spot spraying and commercial applicator treatments where helicopter spraying is not feasible. This grant incorporates land in Gallatin County, Jefferson County, Broadwater County and Madison County.
Ø Gallatin/Big Sky Cooperative Weed Management Project. The educational outreach was continued with the installation of signs and newspaper campaigns. An extensive mapping project was completed and the amount of ground treated for noxious weeds and number of participants in 2006 doubled from the 2005 figures.
Ø Tall Buttercup and Orange Hawkweed Project. This project utilized the services of the Montana Conservation Corp to map these two (2) new invaders and also for contacting the property owners in the area designated for the research project. Through the mapping part of the project it was discovered that Orange Hawkweed is an isolated population and that Tall Buttercup is far more widespread than originally thought.
Ø Carlstrom also informed the Board that property owners in the East Gallatin area want to set up a Weed Management Area, between Central Park and Springhill Road. Carlstrom also discussed a program for washing off fire vehicles twice a year using the portable undercarriage wash station as a way to get information out on the importance of vehicles in the transfer of noxious weed seeds. Joe Skinner asked if the Weed District had received any information regarding the results of the Little Red Hen car wash program that was conducted during hunting season in 2005. The Weed District has not received any information; however this was addressed in the NWTF write up for
the Gallatin/Big Sky project.
4. CTA – Via Verde Major Subdivision. Hengel asked the developers to attend the Weed
Board meeting as this "Green" development is different from most subdivisions that he reviews and he felt that the WMP had a lot of gaps in it. There was extensive discussion regarding the program. Hengel requested a cover letter from the developers stating a) the finalized seed mix for revegetation, and, b) specific dates when revegetation will occur, and when the weed management plan will be initiated. The developers will have a property manager on site. Hengel recommended that the Board approve the WMP with the changes he requested. The Board agreed to approve the Weed Management Plan with the changes.
5. Weed Summit Planning. Discussion on the Weed Summit continued from October with Linda Vrooman stating that the Weed Board needs to sponsor the meeting. The Board needs to set a date, time and a place. Josh Kellar will help. Vrooman will set up a meeting with Joe Skinner, Josh Kellar, Dennis Hengel and herself to set the wheels in motion. Agencies need to get together and identify where they can work together.
6. Commissioner Report. None.
7. Coordinator Report. Hengel reported on the SW Area Zero Spread meeting that he and Vrooman attended in Butte. NRCS has joined forces with MWCA on the Zero Spread campaign. They are trying to get a statewide theme with the use of PSA's, educational materials, newspapers and TV stations. Vrooman stated that Missoula County had hired a PR man and one of the things that he does is that when an event is coming up, he contacts the local TV station to try to get them to cover it. Hengel also reported that he and Rosemary Perry had attended an Environmental Assessment workshop presented by the Department of Agriculture in Helena. It was a very informative workshop.
8. Improvement Agreement. Hengel reported that he had met with Skinner and Greg Sullivan (County Attorney's Office) for an initial discussion regarding this agenda. Sullivan had recommended that the District change the MOU to a contract for Final Plat. With a contract the developer has a list of criteria to meet and if this were not done then they would need to enter into an Improvement Agreement. Skinner remarked that Sullivan is very supportive of helping with change. Improvement Agreements can only be set up for one year but if the Agreement is reviewed at the end of the year and the work has not been done the Agreement can be extended.
Vrooman asked Hengel about the job descriptions that were part of the packet that was sent to the Board. Hengel asked the Board to review the paperwork and set up priorities for the new person. Vrooman, Bell and Littlefield will meet to discuss the position.
Betty Biggs told the Board that the Gallatin County Farm Bureau sets up an educational program each year. Heidi Hart is their education coordinator. Biggs asked the Board if they would be interested in the Farm Bureau putting on a one-day educational program for the public. Suggestions for topics were weed id and how to mix for a small sprayer. Those present felt that a hands on workshop would be an excellent coordinated program for the Zero Spread theme.
Jeff Littlefield asked Hengel what the new position would pay. The answer was around $34,000.
There being no further business to discuss the meeting was adjourned at 3.35PM.
The next meeting will be on December 7th.
Respectfully submitted,
Rosemary Perry, Secretary
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