Oliver County weed board delays Northern Plains Connector weed-management plan pending operator and easement clarifications

Oliver County’s Weed Board voted to delay approval of the Northern Plains Connector draft weed-management plan until the applicant clarifies which party will assume responsibility for weed control under easements and during operation, and until the board can confirm the plan will require control of all state-listed noxious weeds within the project corridor.

Board members told the applicant that table 3.4-1 in the draft lists only the weeds the project survey found (for example, leafy spurge and Canada thistle), while table 3.3-1 lists the full set of state and county noxious weeds. Several members said the plan should require control of any state-listed noxious weed that appears in the corridor, not just those identified in the applicant’s initial survey. A board member summarized the requested change as revising the plan’s wording “to require control of all weeds listed on the state noxious-weed list within the corridor.”

The board also raised concerns that the plan as written specifies a minimum of five years of post-construction monitoring and control but does not clearly assign long-term responsibility. On speaker phone, a project representative who identified himself as Darren Car said preliminary road-use agreements are expected in 2027, laydown yards and access in 2028, and tower work beginning in 2029 with construction continuing into 2031–2032; Car told the board he understood the operator would likely assume responsibility once the line is in operation and agreed to provide clearer language.

Members pressed about enforcement and easement language, noting that complaint investigations typically start with the landowner and that the ability to require or fine an operator depends on how easements and contracts are written. Board members asked the applicant to: (1) add or revise verbiage that explicitly states who is responsible for weed control during construction and operation, (2) indicate whether responsibility transfers with an easement sale, and (3) allow the board to require control of state-listed noxious weeds if they appear in the corridor.

The board voted to delay approval of the plan until those clarifications are made and the applicant returns with revised language. The motion carried. Members said staff can record the changes requested in the minutes and re-review the plan once the applicant submits revisions.

Next steps: the applicant agreed to follow up with clarified wording; the board expects the revised plan to be returned for review before the next board meeting.