Fallon County Noxious Weed Board Minutes November 2023

FALLON COUNTY WEED BOARD MEETING NOVEMBER 8, 2023

Members in attendance: Wanda Pinnow, Roddy Rost, Dave Kirschten and Sara Berger

Other(s) present: Bev Burghduff

• Roddy called the meeting to order at 7:02pm
• Bev came tonight to see what we do at board meetings and how they are ran before deciding if she wanted to join the board.
• Sara let the board know that Brenda Witkowski with the BLM will be meeting with everyone that can attend after Spray Days on the 14^th about the BLM grant process.
• Wanda moved to accept the minutes from the previous board meeting, Dave 2^nd – motion passed.
• Sara gave her list of winter items to work on.
  • Grants – the $7500 County/Special Reservations grant is done and submitted, and she is working on the Badlands grant for the Ollie Area. It will help with bringing in a helicopter and chemical costs. It is due January 6, 2024.
• Sara brought up the EPA age issue again. It looks like it will be enforced from here on out at 18. If under 18 they cannot move, load, spray or mix Tordon at all. Sara will know more after the Annual Conference for sure but moving forward it looks like we will only be able to hire 18 and older.
  • Dave noted that we need to spend the winter looking at where we need to prioritize. What can Sara do on her own if worst comes to worst and there is no crew moving forward.
• Sara gave the board the bills for the 2023 season and the cost-share breakdowns.
  • Roddy asked if there were any big differences in any of the bills this year versus last year. Sara noted that some were higher where they found some big patches of weeds that hadn’t been there before, and some were smaller where you could see the spraying from the past making a difference.
• Dave moved to accept the bills and cost share for the 2023 spray season, Wanda 2^nd – motion passed.
• Roddy adjourned the meeting at 8:02pm

s\ Roddy Rost (Chair)                                                             s\ Sara Berger (Secretary)