ND Department of Agriculture Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MAY 15, 2008

COUNTIES GET FUNDS FOR WEED CONTROL EFFORTS

BISMARCK – Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson has awarded more than $360,000 to county weed boards for weed control projects through the Targeted Assistance Grant (TAG) program.

"TAG gives county and city weed boards the opportunity to describe their weed control problems and how they intend to control them,” Johnson said. “This in turn provides the North Dakota Department of Agriculture with the information needed to best allocate weed control dollars.”

A total of 52 grants were awarded to 27 county weed boards. (A list of the grants is attached).

Targeted Assistance Grants reimburse weed boards for 50 percent of actual expenditures through one- to three-year contracts. The matching requirement can be waived, if necessary, on a case-by-case basis.

A five-member advisory committee, appointed by Johnson, evaluates the proposals and makes funding recommendations to NDDA. Members include Myron Dieterle, Kief, North Dakota Weed Control Association, Dave Hirsch, Bismarck, U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service; Dan Stewart, Carson, Grant County commissioner; Al Ulmer, LaMoure County extension agent, and Rachel Seifert-Spilde, Bismarck, NDDA;

Johnson said NDDA received 75 requests for funding totaling $868,936 from 31 different county weed boards.

“We plan to ask for another round of grant applications this fall,” Johnson said.

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MEDIA: For more information, please call Ted Quanrud at (701) 328-2233 or tquanrud@nd.gov or Patrice Lahlum at (701) 239-7210 or plahlum@nd.gov.

The 2008 Targeted Assistance Grant list can be found on the North Dakota Department of Agriculture website www.agdepartment.com.