The county’s weed commissioner delivered the 2025 report, identifying Canada thistle as the primary concern and noting an uptick in leafy spurge in some grassland and pasture areas. The commissioner said the county purchased $36,801.11 worth of chemicals this year; roughly $2,400 of that was used by the conservation board, with the remainder charged to the county secondary roads department.

The report listed the active formulations and their typical uses: Garlon 3A for trees and brush (including around wetlands), DuraCor for thistle control on wildlife management areas (8 gallons used at a specified application rate), Remedy and Crossbow for tree control, GrazonNext for roadside thistle, and Pathfinder RTU for stump-contact after brush clearing. The county is using contractor CFE and drone application in some wetland locations where aerial work is more effective.

Board members asked about certified spraying capacity and frequency; commissioners were told two staff are certified and that the county’s new, larger spray rig allows broader coverage. The board moved to accept the weed commissioner’s report and recorded that they would sign and certify the report as required.

Commissioners also discussed outreach and compliance steps (letters and phone calls) used this year and noted the balance between general roadside spraying and spot treatments for private landowners and conservation areas.