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Public Works presents 2024 noxious weed report and 2025 management plan; outreach prioritized for Johnson grass
Summary
Public Works presented the Johnson County 2024 noxious weed eradication progress report and the 2025 management plan. Staff reported a small increase in infestation and said outreach will target Johnson grass; Commissioners praised program outreach and asked for continued coordination.
Brian Peedig of Johnson County Public Works and Jim Hoag, director of the county’s Noxious Weed Program, presented the county’s 2024 noxious weed eradication progress report and the 2025 management plan during the March 27 agenda review.
Peedig said four of Kansas’s 12 defined noxious weeds are present in Johnson County and that the county’s approach emphasizes public outreach because most infestations occur on private property. He reported a small growth in infestation, noting an estimated 21,000 acres and a net increase of about 100 acres in 2024. Peedig said the 2025 plan will emphasize outreach and targeted work on Johnson grass, which he described as “the weed that looks like a little corn stalk.”
The presenters described the program’s longstanding public presence at county agricultural events and fairs and the one-on-one assistance Hoag provides to landowners. Commissioners complimented the program’s outreach; Commissioner Fast and Commissioner Allenbrand both praised Hoag for fieldwork and community engagement. Commissioner Ashcraft asked to meet with staff before the next meeting to discuss incidental questions.
No formal BOCC vote is recorded in the agenda-review transcript; presenters requested the board approve the report and plan and commissioners suggested it could be placed on consent.
