|
Noxious Weed Control Program
The Kansas Noxious Weed Law was first enacted in 1937. It requires the control, management and eradication of 14 plants designated as noxious weeds by the Kansas Legislature.
The law assigns specific responsibilities to the three groups listed below:
Landowners
All landowners, both public and private, are required to control and eradicate all noxious weeds on lands that they own or manage.
Counties
The board of county commissioners and the county weed supervisor are responsible for conducting a noxious weed control program. Their duties include:
Board of County Commissioners:
- Employ a competent person as weed supervisor
- File annual weed eradication reports and weed eradication plans with the secretary of agriculture
- Purchase or provide chemicals to control noxious weeds
- Establish cost-share prices for chemicals
- Declare county-option noxious weeds
County Weed Directors:
- Document the amount of land infested with noxious weeds
- Notify landowners of noxious weed infestations
- Advise landowners on the most practical and effective methods of weed control
State
The Kansas secretary of agriculture is responsible for:
- Developing official control plans for each noxious weed
- Developing rules and regulations to enact the provision of the law
- Approving the employment of county weed directors
- Designating a county as a sericea lespedeza disaster area following consultations with county officials
- Providing an annual general notice of weed infestation to counties
- Providing assistance to counties
- Establishing sericea lespedeza control demonstration plots at Toronto State Park
- Entering into agreements with federal land management agencies for the control of noxious weeds on federal lands