ND Department of Agriculture Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JUNE 3, 2008

COUNTIES GET GUIDELINES FOR INSPECTING FORAGE, SCORIA, SAND & GRAVEL

BISMARCK – County weed boards have new guidelines, forms and tags to help them conduct inspections of forage, gravel, scoria and sand for noxious and invasive weeds.

“Last March, the North Dakota Department of Agriculture (NDDA) sat down with county weed boards, government land managers and private citizens to discuss the need for a program,” said Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson. “A committee was formed to develop a program. The new guidelines and associated materials were developed with the advice of the committee and the attorney general’s office.”

Johnson said the guidelines are based on standards established by the North American Weed Management Association for inspecting forage and on state and county weed lists for inspecting gravel, scoria and sand surface mining operations. A new orange, dated tag has been developed to mark inspected forage.

Under current law, only county weed boards can conduct inspections and certification. NDDA will no longer certify private individuals as forage inspectors. Inspector certification under the previous program has been rescinded, and recertification has been discontinued.  

Johnson said inspection of forage, gravel, scoria and sand is an important component of noxious and invasive weed control, and that many states have statewide inspection programs.

“I hope the 2009 Legislature will take up the matter,” Johnson said. “Since counties are under no obligation to have an inspection program, a statewide program, like those in other midwestern and western states, would probably be best for North Dakota.”

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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.