LETTER: War on weeds - It's personal now

I was asked by Steve Robinson of the Flathead County Weed Department to attend a county meeting on the morning of Aug. 3. Steve asked me there so I could voice my concerns about the knapweed and thistle infestation I’ve been following for the past several years in the area east of U.S. 93 to the greater Evergreen area.

Steve and the weed department employees have always been cooperative and helpful in answering my questions and steering me to what chemicals and hand eradication alternatives exist.

One problem I encountered at the meeting was one of “priorities,” not only of which weed was being targeted, but also the fundamental cry of all government agencies, “lack of funding.” Also, the lack of adequate equipment, manpower and legal access to private property to spray is apparent.

The lack of education is the most pressing issue at this point because this knapweed infestation is out of control; it should be deemed a natural disaster. Just drive around any suburb or street in Evergreen and you’ll see just how staggering and widespread this crisis is. And this is just one area. Kalispell’s west side from Main Street onwards, you’ll see knapweed on almost all lawns and along sidewalks. All the way to the Idaho border! It just never ends!

After the meeting I was contacted by another person who attended this county board meeting. We decide that we need to form a grassroots nonprofit group or organization so we can do hands-on weed eradication of noxious weeds, especially large infestations at major intersections where high traffic volume disperses seeds more quickly and farther.

We also want to help the low-income owners — those who are elderly or disabled. We also want the two-letter warning before legal action is taken to be changed to one notification. As is, for absentee landowners and those who rent property, we have no recourse to get them to comply. The time span between notification and weeds going to seed makes this existing law unrealistic, especially if landowners fail to respond at all.

The state and county’s “War on Weeds” failed years ago, and there is no backup plan I’m aware of. We citizens need to do what they failed to do. —Clifford Nielsen, Kalispell