Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Washington State Parks released its John Wayne Pioneer Trail Noxious Weed Treatment and Vegetation Management Report Dec. 20. The report details the program which was started this spring on a 105-mile stretch of the trail between Lind and the Idaho border.
The report was the culmination of a $100,000 proviso by the state legislature for noxious weed treatment and vegetation management on the trail to protect adjacent landowners with agricultural use.
In its report, State Parks runs down how the $100,000 was spent.
At least one adjacent landowner believes it was mis-spent.
“By July, when weed control needs to be done by, they’d only spent $35,000, ” said Branden Spencer, who owns land near Ritzville. “They wasted a lot of money with late season chemical treatments on weeds already dead and dried up.”
For five weeks, a WCC crew worked on the trail which cuts through Spencer’s property just west of Revere in Adams County, across the border from Whitman County.
Totals
Total cost breakdown includes $8,900 for the trail technician, $6,600 for vehicle and equipment, $9,900 for sterilant application contractor, $23,300 for Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) and $5,400 for herbicide and equipment for WCC crew for a total of $54,100.
The State Parks’ report lists $8,900 spent for a trail technician, who inventoried locations of noxious weed infestations, communicating with property owners and overseeing weed management.
Brandon Valle was originally hired for a five-month position which State Parks has since funded until September 2017. At that time, local Parks management will decide whether the trail technician remains or is converted to a park ranger position for trail management.
Part of Valle’s work was to do an initial noxious weed survey of the entire trail segment, prioritizing areas for attention.
Sterilant application – with a contractor – occurred on 20 miles of the trail, beginning at milepost 1904 (Ewan) through milepost 1924 (Benge-Ritzville Road). The work was done in April.
To aid Valle, State Parks added a six-member Washington Conservation Corps crew for weed control. Workers used backpack sprayers to hit plants before flowering in May and June. The Corps crew mainly worked on the same stretch as the sterilant application, with added treatments around Malden and Pine City.
The State Parks report was written by Andrew Fielding, environmental planner for the eastern region.
“As a result of these efforts, State Parks has a clear idea of the magnitude of the weed problem, has identified priority areas that need attention, and is preparing for a concentrated weed control effort in the spring of 2017 when the growing season begins,” Fielding wrote.
Work continued in October and November, with vegetation mowing on the trail near Pine City and Rosalia, to prepare for sterilant application for 2017.
In Janurary, State Parks will solicit bids for next year’s sterilant work with the intention that the remainder of the $100,000 proviso-directed money will be put into staff, staff support, sterilant purchase and application and WCC work from March to June.
“The relationship between neighbors could increase or decrease public expenses, depending on the type of infestation and agreed upon responsibilities for treatment by the parties,” wrote Fielding.
The weed control work occurred on the trail as well as within the state-owned right-of-way.
“There is a short growing season in this part of the state, so it was difficult to both identify and manage weeds in the first year’s effort,” Field wrote.
Questions
Spencer disputes several parts of the effort.
“They spent 91.5 percent on labor and eight percent on chemicals,” said Spencer, referring to public records he attained nt request.
In the process of its work last summer, State Parks used a system of three classes of weeds. Class A referred to relatively rare, new weeds to Washington, with the goal to eliminate them before they gain a foothold.
Class B weeds are widespread in some parts of the state but limited or absent in others. For this class of weeds, State Parks’ goal is to stop them from spreading and contain or reduce them in places they are already growing.
Class C weeds are widespread, or of special interest to agriculture. The State Weed Board does not require control of Class C noxious weeds. A county weed board, however, may require landowners to control a Class C weed if it threatens agriculture or natural resources.
Spencer said one element of the work has been good.
“In 2016, they finally decided to hire somebody... I think (Valle) has done a fairly good job of surveying,” said Spencer.
Is this a surprise that the money was mis-used, as he claims?
“It’s not really a surprise to me when the state gets money and pisses it away,” Spencer said. “They’ve never had a proven record on maintenance.”
What about the work to come in 2017?
“I’m not gonna keep my fingers crossed,” he said. “Take their report with a grain of salt. Until they prove they can manage time and money wisely, nobody should trust them.”
Fielding could not be reached before deadline for this article.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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