Weed Department

Phone: 541-523-0618

Mail your inquiries to
Baker County Weed District
1995 3rd Street
Baker City, OR 97814

Baker County Weed District Mission Statement

The goal of this program is to implement County and State noxious weed ordinances. We will accomplish this by achieving the most effective Vegetation Management Program for the preservation of Baker County's valuable property by utilizing Education, Mechanical control, Biological control, Cultural control, and Chemical control for the betterment of Baker County and its neighbors. The effectiveness of this program is due to the authority and cooperation of the Baker County Citizens, Baker County Commissioners, and the Baker County Weed Board.

What is Baker County Weed District?

Baker County Weed District is a County organized and functioning department under the leadership of the Baker County Commission. The function of the District is to work with land owners, land stewards, land managers, and other interested parties in the reduction of the impact that invasive weeds have upon the landscape.

Oregon State Legislation, through the Oregon State Weed Board and Oregon Department of Agriculture, regulates these special "Weeds" or plants that are out-of-place that cause particular issues. These legislative weeds that fall under regulator are known as NOXIOUS WEEDS.

All Noxious Weeds are Invasive, but not All Invasive Weeds are Noxious

Both the Oregon Department of Agriculture and each set of County Commissioners can list plants as NOXIOUS, thus regulatory.

Once listed as Noxious, then the State or County has the ability to mandate the control of the plant with the intent to eradicate the plant from the site or sites.

Why should the State and County be able to FORCE a land owner to control their plants on their personal property?

What you do to your property is your business, but when those activities - Weeds - spread to adjacent lands and effecting their way of life, livestock, waterways, etc, then someone needs to intervene.

99% of the time when a land owner is contacted by the County Weed Office they are more than willing to do something. What if the Land owner does not respond to the offer of help from the County Weed Office?

What if the Land owner does not respond to the offer of help from the County Weed Office?

The County Weed District must notify the landowner of their violation of the Weed Law. This is either done with Baker County Sheriff Deputy serving the notice or by a Certified Letter. Normally the landowner will receive a Certified Letter of Non-Compliance. The landowner then has 10 days to remediate the issue.

If the landowner fails to remediate the issue, Baker County Weed will post the site in three conspicuous places stating that the site is in non-compliance.

After 10 days, Baker County Weed District can trespass, treat the weeds in any mean necessary - even if it affects the crop or site.

Once this is performed, the costs of the said activities will be billed.


Rules and Regulations

For many years there has been a push for laws supporting weed control. One of the first enactment of this kind of legislation was in 1975 as the Federal Noxious Weed Act (FIFRA) through many changes in the legislature we now have the Plant Protection Act of 2000 (which suspended FIFRA). Each of these acts enabled the government to take a stand against noxious weeds to protect public health, livestock, and the lands of the United States.

Weeds are determined as NOXIOUS by the Secretary of Agriculture, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and/or a designated person from each state. This individual will declare a weed NOXIOUS by its potential harm to people, crop production, livestock, and property.

In Oregon we have a State Noxious Weed Law which governs (via legislation) the enforcement and control efforts as well as outlining obligations of each District in Oregon.

Oregon Noxious weeds are plant species that have been designated "noxious" by law. Oregon law lies under Chapter 569 175 995.

Noxious Weeds are listed as:

Under the Oregon Department of Agriculture "Noxious Weed Policy and Classification System"

"Oregon Noxious Weed Policy and Classification (2019)" 'A', 'B,' and 'T,' listed weeds for the state of Oregon. The State Noxious Weed List is used to prioritize activities at the state level and provide direction in the development of county weed lists that guide local control programs. This list is part of a Noxious Weed Policy and Classification System and is jointly maintained by the Oregon State Weed Board and the Noxious Weed Control Program. Oregon Noxious Weed Policy and Classification

https://www.oregon.gov/oda/programs/weeds/oregonnoxiousweeds/pages/aboutoregonweeds.aspx

Listed "A" Weeds
Listed "B" Weeds
Listed "T" Weeds


Under the Oregon Noxious Weed Laws Weed Districts are established. These Weed Districts, normally county wide but not always, can established area Weed Districts such as:
Upper Burnt River Weed District - Hereford and Unity Area
Lower Burnt River Weed District - Durkee and Huntington Areas


Both of which are sub-districts within the Baker County Weed District.

For information on the State Noxious Weed Law click Oregon State Weed Law

Gussie Cook
gcook@bakercountyor.gov
Baker County Weed District
1995 3rd Street
Baker City, OR 97814
Phone: (541) 523-0618
Fax: (541) 524-7666