Cowlitz County noxious weeds program reports 3,500 field points, expanded outreach and grants

Jennifer Mendoza, coordinator for the Cowlitz County noxious weeds program, presented the program's 2025 statistics and a work plan for 2026.

"For 2025, we did collect 3,500 weed points throughout the year," Mendoza said, summarizing field data collection, outreach and targeted grant work. She described the program’s mission as limiting economic loss and protecting natural resources from noxious weeds under Washington’s state listing system (Class A, B and C).

Mendoza said the program conducted approximately 30 outreach events and presentations last year, reached an estimated 2,000 people through those events, and estimated total outreach across all activities reached just over 5,000 people (roughly 12% of Cowlitz County households). She said the county sent roughly 1,500 reminder postcards in 2025 and about 500 early‑detection postcards; Mendoza attributed the postcards to a reduced number of follow‑up 'request to control' letters compared with prior years.

On species and control, Mendoza highlighted false broom as a primary Class A concern because it outcompetes native understory, increases fire risk and can host a fungus harmful to sheep. She said false broom remains concentrated around Castle Rock with one detection reported at Hadu Park in Kalama and that the county pursues targeted, careful treatments to preserve native plants.

Mendoza described assistance programs: the county helped 158 landowners through various grants (about 100 related to false broom), offered exempt treatment for qualifying senior/disabled owners, provided cost‑share reimbursements (noting 70% or 100% reimbursement up to stated caps depending on species), disposal support for certain species and loaned equipment such as backpack sprayers. She also summarized grant funding: roughly $95,000 in grants in the reporting year with major spending on a Mount St. Helens project supported by the Forest Service and WSDA-funded knotweed projects on local creeks.

Mendoza said the program ended the year with a fund balance near $375,000 (starting balance ~ $344,000) and noted the program’s primary revenue source remains the special assessment (about $8 per parcel plus $0.30 per acre; forest land at a reduced rate).

Looking ahead, Mendoza said the program plans to update rules and regulations (PA review underway), clarify enforcement procedures and continue outreach, assistance programs and grant partnerships. She described operational improvements tying GIS parcel points to Laserfiche documents, which decreased letter‑generation time for inspectors from roughly two hours to 15–30 minutes per day.

Mendoza also noted a retail detection incident in which a class A species was found for sale at a big‑box retailer; the county alerted the Washington State Department of Agriculture, and the store removed the plants from shelves pending WSDA follow up.

Commissioners asked about enforcement thresholds and program automation; Mendoza said repeated noncompliance, proximity to agriculture or sensitive resources, and EDRR status can elevate sites to enforcement after educational outreach fails.