Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Counties, DNRC and weed control groups press for clearer enforcement, funding and permit‑level plans
Summary
Council members and county coordinators told the Environmental Quality Council that enforcement gaps and uneven county practices limit progress on noxious weeds; the Montana Weed Control Association urged requiring noxious‑weed management and revegetation plans in permitting, stronger embargo authority for contaminated materials, and more hard funding for EDRR and biocontrol.
The council’s interim study on noxious‑weed control drew robust discussion from county coordinators, the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and the Montana Weed Control Association about enforcement, funding and permit‑level prevention.
Staff summarized draft findings and legislative history going back to the County Weed Act of 1939, noting key statutory changes that made districts countywide, adjusted the mill‑levy floor and rewrote compliance procedures. Jason Moore told members the compliance framework and funding floor have been persistent issues in testimony across meetings.
Parker Osterlow, DNRC land section supervisor, described how trust‑land management works in practice: DNRC manages about "5,100,000 surface acres of trust land" and leases about 93% of it;…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
