New Program Enhances Mapping of Noxious Weeds
News Date May 22, 2007
North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson and the North Dakota Weed Control Association (NDWCA) have announced a new grant program to help counties record and distribute mapping information about noxious weed infestations.
"Accurate mapping of treated and non-treated weed infestations is crucial to controlling noxious weeds," Johnson said. "This grant program will provide city and county weed authorities with new equipment that will help them gather detailed mapping information and quickly transmit it with a minimum of technical expertise."
Under the terms of the grant, each weed board can receive up to $6,300 to buy a laptop personal computer and a multi-event datalogger. In exchange, the weed board must supply its mapping data to the North Dakota Department of Agriculture (NDDA) at the end of the 2007, 2008, and 2009 weed control seasons. The datalogger is a device that automatically transfers information from a global positioning device to the computer.
The NDWCA has arranged for the weed boards to purchase the computers and receive desktop support through the North Dakota Association of Counties. The NDWCA has also arranged for a group discount price for the dataloggers and for distribution of the programs and equipment at training sites around the state. (Contact: Ted Quanrud, 701/328-2233)