2-954. Act; enforcement; director, control authorities, and superintendents; powers and duties; expenses.

(1)(a) The duty of enforcing and carrying out the Noxious Weed Control Act shall be vested in the director and the control authorities as designated in the act. The director shall determine what weeds are noxious for purposes of the act. A list of such noxious weeds shall be included in the rules and regulations adopted and promulgated by the director. The director shall prepare, publish, and revise as necessary a list of noxious weeds. The list shall be distributed to the public by the director, the Cooperative Extension Service, the control authorities, and any other body the director deems appropriate. The director shall, from time to time, adopt and promulgate rules and regulations on methods for control of noxious weeds and adopt and promulgate such rules and regulations as are necessary to carry out the act. Whenever special weed control problems exist in a county involving weeds not included in the rules and regulations, the control authority may petition the director to bring such weeds under the county control program. The petition shall contain the approval of the county board. Prior to petitioning the director, the control authority, in cooperation with the county board, shall hold a public hearing and take testimony upon the petition. Such hearing and the notice thereof shall be in the manner prescribed by the Administrative Procedure Act. A copy of the transcript of the public hearing shall accompany the petition filed with the director. The director may approve or disapprove the request. If approval is granted, the control authority may proceed under the forced control provisions of sections 2-953 to 2-955 and 2-958.

(b) The director shall (i) investigate the subject of noxious weeds, (ii) require information and reports from any control authority as to the presence of noxious weeds and other information relative to noxious weeds and the control thereof in localities where such control authority has jurisdiction, (iii) cooperate with control authorities in carrying out other laws administered by him or her, (iv) cooperate with agencies of federal and state governments and other persons in carrying out his or her duties under the Noxious Weed Control Act, (v) with the consent of the Governor, conduct investigations outside this state to protect the interest of the agricultural industry of this state from noxious weeds not generally distributed therein, (vi) with the consent of the federal agency involved, control noxious weeds on federal lands within this state, with reimbursement, when deemed by the director to be necessary to an effective weed control program, (vii) advise and confer as to the extent of noxious weed infestations and the methods determined best suited to the control thereof, (viii) call and attend meetings and conferences dealing with the subject of noxious weeds, (ix) disseminate information and conduct educational campaigns with respect to control of noxious weeds, (x) procure materials and equipment and employ personnel necessary to carry out the director's duties and responsibilities, and (xi) perform such other acts as may be necessary or appropriate to the administration of the act.

(c) The director may (i) temporarily designate a weed as a noxious weed for up to eighteen months if the director, in consultation with the advisory committee created under section 2-965.01, has adopted criteria for making temporary designations and (ii) apply for and accept any gift, grant, contract, or other funds or grants-in-aid from the federal government or other public and private sources for noxious weed control purposes and account for such funds as prescribed by the Auditor of Public Accounts.

(d) When the director determines that a control authority has substantively failed to carry out its duties and responsibilities as a control authority or has substantively failed to implement a county weed control program, he or she shall instruct the control authority regarding the measures necessary to fulfill such duties and responsibilities. The director shall establish a reasonable date by which the control authority shall fulfill such duties and responsibilities. If the control authority fails or refuses to comply with instructions by such date, the Attorney General shall file an action as provided by law against the control authority for such failure or refusal.

(2)(a) Each control authority shall carry out the duties and responsibilities vested in it under the act with respect to land under its jurisdiction in accordance with rules and regulations adopted and promulgated by the director. Such duties shall include the establishment of a coordinated program for control of noxious weeds within the county.

(b) A control authority may cooperate with any person in carrying out its duties and responsibilities under the act.

(3)(a) Each county board shall employ one or more weed control superintendents. Each such superintendent shall, as a condition precedent to employment, be certified in writing by the federal Environmental Protection Agency as a commercial applicator under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. Each superintendent shall be bonded for such sum as the county board shall prescribe. The same person may be a weed control superintendent for more than one county. Such employment may be for such tenure and at such rates of compensation and reimbursement for travel expenses as the county board may prescribe. Such superintendent shall be reimbursed for mileage at a rate equal to or greater than the rate provided in section 81-1176.

(b) Under the direction of the control authority, it shall be the duty of every weed control superintendent to examine all land under the jurisdiction of the control authority for the purpose of determining whether the Noxious Weed Control Act and the rules and regulations adopted and promulgated by the director have been complied with. The weed control superintendent shall: (i) Compile such data on infested areas and controlled areas and such other reports as the director or the control authority may require; (ii) consult and advise upon matters pertaining to the best and most practical methods of noxious weed control and render assistance and direction for the most effective control; (iii) investigate or aid in the investigation and prosecution of any violation of the act; and (iv) perform such other duties as required by the control authority in the performance of its duties. Weed control superintendents shall cooperate and assist one another to the extent practicable and shall supervise the carrying out of the coordinated control program within the county.

(c) In cases involving counties in which municipalities have ordinances for weed control, the control authority may enter into agreements with municipal authorities for the enforcement of local weed ordinances and may follow collection procedures established by such ordinances. All money received shall be deposited in the noxious weed control fund or, if no noxious weed control fund exists, in the county general fund.

Source

Cross References