About Us
The first weed legislation in Montana was passed in 1895, and the first noxious weed program was established in 1921. The Montana County Noxious Weed Control Law (MCA 7-2101 through 2153) was established in 1948 to protect Montana from destructive noxious weeds. This act, amended in 1991, has established a set of criteria for the control and management of noxious weeds in Montana. Noxious weeds are defined by this act as being any exotic plant species which may render land unfit for agriculture, forestry, livestock, wildlife or other beneficial uses or that may harm native plant communities. Plants can be designated statewide noxious weeds by rule of the Department of Agriculture or county-wide noxious weeds by district weed boards following public notice of intent and a public hearing.
The noxious weed control law establishes weed management districts throughout the state. These management districts are commonly called county weed control districts and are defined by the boundaries of the county. In some cases, a weed management district may include more than one county through an agreement made by the county commissioners of the neighboring counties. Currently, there are 56 weed control districts within Montana. After the establishment of a county weed management district, a county weed board is appointed by the county commissioners of each district to oversee responsibilities established by the noxious weed control law. A county weed board must consist of at least three members and no more than nine members, a majority of whom must be agricultural landowners. County weed board members are considered public officers of the county, and may call upon the county attorney for legal advice and services.
The County Noxious Weed Control Law commissions the county weed boards with three main responsibilities:
Along with these responsibilities, the Montana County Noxious Weed Control Law empowers county weed boards to: