Broadwater County crews treat newly detected oxeye daisy; cooperative BLM, National Guard spray day planned

Broadwater County staff reported detecting and treating an isolated patch of an invasive oxeye daisy and outlined upcoming cooperative spraying with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the National Guard during a county meeting.

The discovery and treatment were raised during routine operations updates, where Ryan, the county spray supervisor, said crews are preparing special projects next week including work at gun ranges and silos and that the county is "getting ready to finalize an additional $40,000 with the Forest Service for the Horse Gulch Fire." Ryan also told the meeting the county does not expect to secure a memorandum of understanding with the BLM for the upcoming season because the BLM is uncertain about its grant timing.

The detection: Grace, a county spray/roads staff member, reported that while spraying highways near the 3 Forks area crews found a single patch of an invasive aster commonly called oxeye daisy. Grace said the plant was treated last week and described it as having rhizomatous roots so it spreads by root and seed. She said crews marked the find on the county's mapping system (OnX) but had not yet uploaded the sighting to EDDMapS, the state-preferred early detection mapping tool, because of mobile-upload issues.

Why it matters: Oxeye daisy can spread by both seed and root, increasing the risk that isolated sites will become larger infestations if not found and removed. County staff said they are monitoring the treated site and will re-check in the coming weeks to confirm the herbicide effect.

Operations and coordination: Ryan and Grace gave progress reports on roads and spray operations. Grace said crews completed county roads on the west side of the lake, including Old Woman's Grave Road and River Road, and planned to do Indian Creek Road after a BLM spray operation because those work areas connect. Crews are also moving toward work on "6 mile road." Ryan said next week's special projects would include gun ranges and silos, and that crews have been working on county and some state roads in recent weeks.

Interagency work: Ryan said the county will participate in a cooperative spray day with the BLM and the National Guard at Limestone Hills. He also said the county is finalizing a $40,000 agreement with the U.S. Forest Service tied to the Horse Gulch Fire, and that other current state-funded grants (including a Fish, Wildlife and Parks grant) remain unaffected by recent cuts affecting some federal or BLM agreements.

Equipment and staffing notes: Staff reported one UTV battery was replaced and that an air-conditioning repair for a county Dodge truck is scheduled. The meeting also included a personnel note that Dailene has shifted to a four-day workweek in the office.

Communications and outreach: County staff said they have free county-space in a local publication for educational pieces; staff have published articles on the cost-share program and are running a series on county-listed weeds with photos to help landowners identify species.

Meeting housekeeping: The board moved and seconded approval of the prior meeting minutes, and the motion passed. The next scheduled meeting was announced for July 15 at 7:00 a.m.

The county's update combined operational details (roads and equipment), a short-term funding agreement for fire response, and the detection and initial treatment of an invasive plant; staff emphasized monitoring the treated site, continued mapping of detections, and coordination with state and federal partners for upcoming spray days.