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County noxious-weed director warns of Amur honeysuckle proposal; commissioners approve annual KDA roadside-treatment contract
Summary
Riley County’s noxious-weed director briefed the commission on concerns about a proposed state-level listing of Amur (Amur/Amur?) honeysuckle as a noxious weed and recommended caution on treatment methods; the commission approved the county’s 2025 KDA roadside-treatment contract.
Michael Boller, director of the county noxious-weed and household-hazardous-waste (HHW) program, told commissioners that the Kansas Department of Agriculture is considering adding Amur honeysuckle to the state noxious-weed list and that a treatment mandate without a practical, locally appropriate plan could saddle counties with expensive, labor-intensive work.
Boller said the plant is commonly planted as an ornamental, grows into 15–20-foot stands along parks and rural tree lines, and often requires cutting and stump treatment rather than broadcast spraying with glyphosate. He warned that broadcast spraying on adjacent parkland and near streams would be “not acceptable” to many residents and could create additional problems such as increased dead woody material or fire fuel if not handled carefully.
The commission voted to approve Riley County’s annual contract with the Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA) to treat state roadside right-of-way during 2025. Boller told the board the contract is billed to KDA at staff cost — calculated from average salaries plus ~39.5% for benefits and overhead — so the county neither makes nor loses money on the program.
Boller also updated commissioners on HHW operations: the county held a collection in December with six participants and will hold the next collection on Jan. 11, 2025. He reported a $115,000 regional HHW budget for 2025 and ongoing collaborative work with Kansas State University on a federal grant proposal to research safer handling and storage of lithium-ion batteries.
Why it matters: a state decision to list Amur honeysuckle as noxious could change county treatment obligations and workload; the KDA contract funds annual right-of-way treatments that Riley County staff perform.
Ending: Boller said he would keep the board apprised of developments at the state level and follow up with more detailed recommendations on control methods and anticipated local costs if the listing proceeds.
