ND Department of Agriculture Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE OCTOBER 6, 2009

CITIZENS ASKED TO HELP DECIDE STATE'S NOXIOUS WEEDS

BISMARCK – The North Dakota Department of Agriculture is asking state residents to take part in a survey to help determine what plants should be declared noxious weeds.

“I wouldn’t call it a popularity contest, but we very much want to know which weeds people think are the biggest problem here,” said Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring. “The noxious weed designation is important because the lion’s share of weed control funds go toward noxious weeds, and failure to control noxious weeds can be a class B misdemeanor.”

A link to the survey can be found on the homepage of the department website, www.agdepartment.com. The survey will be open until Nov. 1.

Survey participants will be asked to check the weeds they think should be on the noxious weeds list. The choices include absinth wormwood, baby’s breath, black henbane, false chamomile, scentless chamomile, common burdock, common tansy, dame’s rocket, downy brome, field bindweed, hoary cress, houndstongue, Russian knapweed, spotted knapweed, diffuse knapweed, kochia, leafy spurge, common milkweed, orange hawkweed, poison ivy, purple loosestrife, annual sowthistle, perennial sowthistle, St. Johnswort, bull thistle, Canada thistle, musk thistle, plumeless thistle, Scotch thistle, wavy thistle, Dalmatian toadflax, yellow toadflax and yellow starthistle. Participants can also write in other weeds.

The survey also asks participants how many weeds should be on the list and if domesticated varieties of noxious weeds, such as purple loosestrife and baby’s breath, should be included on the list.

The survey results are not binding.

A noxious weed is a plant determined by the commissioner, a county or city weed board to be injurious to public health, crops, livestock, land, or other property. North Dakota’s noxious weeds now include absinth wormwood, Canada thistle, Dalmatian toadflax, diffuse knapweed, field bindweed, leafy spurge, musk thistle, purple loosestrife, Russian knapweed, saltcedar, spotted knapweed and yellow starthistle. Marijuana, hoary cress, perennial sowthistle were formerly listed as noxious weeds.

Goehring said that the 2009 Legislature mandated a review of the noxious weed list by Jan. 1, 2010.

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MEDIA: For more information, please contact Ted Quanrud at (701) 328-2233 or tquanrud@nd.gov.