MOUNTAIN VIEW COUNTY - The county’s agricultural service board (ASB) has approved a number of proposed changes to the municipality’s weed inspection procedure, and forwarded them to Moungain View County council’s governance review committee for consideration and possible approval.
The review came during a recent board meeting held in council chambers. The ASB is made up of councillors and appointed members of the public.
The county’s weed inspection program is administered under the ASB. The program is guided by the Alberta Weed Control Act.
“Mountain View County recognizes the value that enforcing the Weed Control Act and establishing additional policies and programs aimed to control and eradicate noxious weeds has for the benefit of all residents and the agricultural community within the municipality,” Chad Verpy, manager of agricultural services, said in a briefing note to the board.
The proposed updates were prepared by administration and must be approved by the governance review committee before coming into effect.
The updated weed inspection procedure would read, in part: “Weed inspectors are responsible for completing weed inspections throughout the county, increasing awareness of regulated weeds to residents and recording and reporting weed infestations.
“If regulated weeds are found an assessment will be made to determine the size and density of the infestation.” The updated definition would remove the current wording that “a bigger or expanding weed infestation will result in a higher priority to control.”
The updated procedure would also remove the current wording that states “where a landowner/tenant has been issued a weed notice and fails to comply with such notice the county shall hire a private contractor to carry out actions required pursuant to the weed notice and charge the full invoice for such work to the landowner/tenant
“If a private contractor is unable to complete the actions required under the weed notice in a timely fashion, the county shall use its own equipment and personnel to complete such actions and charge the landowner/tenant for the work.”
The complete proposed updated procedure is available for viewing on the county’s website.
Board members also instructed administration to write a letter to the Sundre Petroleum Operators Group (SPOG) reminding oil and gas companies that they are responsible for weed control on their respective well sites.
SPOG represents oil and gas companies with operations in the district.
The ASB acts as an advisory body to assist council and the provincial government in matters of mutual concern, advise on and help to organize direct weed and pest control and soil and water conservation programs, and promote and develop agricultural policies to meet the needs of the county.
