RIO BLANCO COUNTY HERBICIDE COST SHARE AND SALES

The cost share program was established to encourage noxious weed management and reduce the financial burden on private landowners.

Herbicides are sold during the summer on Thursdays only, from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM and from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM during the months of June, July and August. During the months of May, September, October (and November if weather permits) sales will be conducted on Thursdays only, from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM and from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM. In April you must call to schedule a time for any herbicide sale. During all the other months there will be no herbicide sales.

The cost share program will provide financial assistance for certain noxious weed species only. The current lists of approved noxious weed species are:

Black henbane (Hyoscyamus niger)
Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense)
Common burdock (Arctium minus)
Common mullein (Verbascum thapsus)
Dalmation toadflax (Linaria genistifolia)
Diffuse knapweed (Centaurea diffusa)
Field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis)
Halogeton (Halogeton glomeratus)
Hoary cress (Cardaria draba)
Houndstongue (Cynoglossum officinale)
Leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula)
*Oxeye daisy (Chrysantheum leucanthermum)
Musk thistle (Carduus nutans)
*Perennial pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium)
Plumeless thistle (Carduus acanthoides)
Russian knapweed (Centaurea repens)
Scotch thistle (Onopordum acanthium and tauricum)
Spotted knapweed (Centaurea maculosa)
*Sulfur cinquefoil (Potentilla recta)
*Yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis)

* Recently found and allowed for cost share.

Cost share for herbicides are allowed as long as funds are available and only on a first come first serve basis and must be paid for when you pick up your herbicide. ONCE YOU PURCHASE ANY HERBICIDE FROM THE COUNTY YOU CAN NOT RETURN IT FOR REIMBURSMENT, CREDIT OR EXCHANGE. Make sure the product you purchase is the product's you need and want. The County can provide you with a herbicide label so that you can read it and make sure that a certain herbicide product will suite your needs. Herbicides purchased through Rio Blanco County can only be used in Rio Blanco County.

The cost share program works like this. Leafy spurge is allowed a 75% cost share with a $1000 limit. (Depending of the severity of your leafy spurge infestation more cost share funds may be allowed on an individual basis with approval from the County Weed Board.) This means the county will pay up to $750 of your herbicide bill if you buy $1000 worth of herbicide or 75 cents on the dollar up to a $1000. All other noxious weeds listed above are allowed a 50% cost share. This means the county will pay up to $500 of a $1000 herbicide bill or 50 cents on the dollar up to $1000. Cost share funds can not be applied to the taxes. You do not have to buy $1000 of herbicide to participate in the cost share program. You may also buy more than the $1000 of herbicide but no cost share will be applied towards that purchase.

Cost share can be utilized when you contract with the county to spray your noxious weeds. But there is no cost share for our labor charges. Cost share funds typically do not last all year and if we are spraying for you in the fall most likely there will be no more cost share funds available. You may purchase the herbicide in advance while cost share funds are available and the county can apply them for you in the fall and we will only charge you for the application. To buy Restricted Use Products (RUP) you must have a current environmental protection agency applicators license. Cost share funds are for private agricultural lands only. No government or commercial applicators can utilize cost share funds. All governments must provide an approved purchase order number before they can pick up any herbicide.

When you purchase herbicides from the county you assume all risk for your applications. Always read the entire herbicide label before purchasing, mixing, applying, disposing or storing any herbicide product. The label is the law.