Weed Superintendent

The number one responsibility of the Weed Superintendent is to control noxious weeds. The Weed Superintendent is administered by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. Nebraska has designated 12 as noxious: Canada thistle, Leafy Spurge, Musk thistle, Plumeless thistle, Knapweed (spotted and diffuse), Purple Loosestrife, Saltcedar, Japanese/Giant knotweed, Sericea Lespedeza and Phragmites.

It is the responsibility of the Weed Superintendent to do annual inspections of all land in its jurisdiction in order to determine whether noxious weeds are present. If noxious weeds are present the Weed Superintendent has the responsibility either to control or advise landowners on control. It is the duty of every person who either owns or controls land in Nebraska to control noxious weeds.

Noxious Weeds Must Be Controlled

You are required to control noxious weeds on your property…
The noxious weeds are: Canada thistle, Leafy Spurge, Musk thistle, Plumeless thistle, Knapweed (spotted and diffuse), Purple Loosestrife, Saltcedar, Japanese/Giant knotweed, Sericea Lespedeza and Phragmites.

Pursuant to the Noxious Weed Control Act, section 2-955, subsection 1(a), to every person who owns or controls land in the County, that noxious weeds being or growing on such land shall be controlled at such frequency as to prevent establishment, provide eradication, or reduce further propagation or dissemination of such weeds.

Any determination made as to the failure of any person to control the spread of noxious weeds on land owned or controlled by him or her including the issuance of individual notices pursuant to Neb . Rev . Stat . §2-955, shall be guided by consideration of the intent and purposes of the Noxious Weed Control Act and these regulations. These factors include, but are not limited to, the following:

Upon failure to observe this notice, the county weed superintendent is required to:

• Proceed pursuant to the law and issue legal notice to the land-owner of property infested with noxious weeds giving such landowner a 10 or 15 day notice
• Should more immediate control be required, proceed pursuant to the law and have the weeds controlled by such method as he/she finds necessary, the expense of which shall constitute a lien and be entered as a tax against the land, and be collected as other real estate taxes are collected, or by other means as provided by law.

The public is also notified that noxious weed seed and propagative parts may be disseminated through the movement of machinery and equipment, trucks, grain and seed, hay, straw, nursery stock, fencing materials, sod, manure, and soil as well as articles of similar nature. Methods of treatment have been prescribed by the Directory of Agriculture and may be obtained from the county weed control authority.