Welcome to the Clallam County Noxious Weed Control Program. Our mission is to protect citizens, land, and natural resources from the harmful effects of noxious weeds. We offer a number of services including plant identification, tools, and recommendations in order to help landowners develop comprehensive strategies for dealing with noxious weed infestations.
State Law
State law requires counties to have Noxious Weed Control Boards. Washington state has long recognized that noxious weeds are a threat to the state's agriculture, and legislation since 1881 has required landowners to control their weeds. In 1969, RCW 17.10 established Noxious Weed Control Boards in each county; it is still the backbone of Washington's weed law. In the 1980s, people began to realize that noxious weeds threaten more than just agriculture-native plants, and ecosystems are also impacted by weeds as well. Legislation was broadened to encompass these additional threats.
A 1996 survey of Clallam County by the State indicated that a Noxious Weed Control Board was needed to prevent serious increases in weed populations. Consequently, the Board of Clallam County Commissioners activated our local Weed Board in 1997. The Board handles policy decisions and hires and oversees the activities of a Coordinator, who runs the Noxious Weed Control Program on a daily basis. Like many counties, Clallam's noxious weed control program is funded by an assessment.