County weed control board rebuilds itself

The Wahkiakum County Noxious Weed Control Board met on Monday to discuss how to begin dealing with milfoil in particular, as well as other invasive species, in a more proactive manner.

Kyle Langan of Aquatechnix was on hand to answer questions about how the board might begin to tackle milfoil, which is clogging the Elochoman Slough Marina and other waterways in the county.

Langan recommended a newer product, ProcellaCOR.

“It kills the plant forever,” Langan said, “a fragment is going to have come back in to produce a plant and it takes a couple years to get bad. Every few years it’s going to need something.

"It probably has the shortest contact exposure time to get into plants and get control of the plants, he said. We’re talking 30 minutes to an hour, which is remarkable. There are really no restrictions with that product on water use."

He suggested it be used during active growth, early in the spring. To move forward, the county will need permits and some surveys completed, and may need to apply for grants depending on cost.

Wahkiakum County Commissioner Dan Cothren said they were working with the state legislature to try and find more funding.

The board also discussed adding meetings, extended office hours, payroll, and the budget.

“We have money in there, and we’re willing to put more money in if you need it,” Cothren said. “We’re dedicated to getting this thing done.”

Laurel Heathen, the board coordinator, hopes to increase the cost share for a spray program. She would like to do more advertising, outreach, and education in order to get more people to use the program.

“I’d like to see if we can get more people coming in and spraying those weeds that are affecting the county,” Heathen said, listing tansy, knotweed, thistles, buttercup.