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A Bear Paw Mountains rancher warned the Hill County Park Board Monday that unless something is done fast to stop the spread of the invasive weed houndstongue, it will be more than an inconvenience.
“This is not a serious weed problem, this is heading down to a disaster, an economic disaster,” David Molitor, whose land borders the park for about four miles on its southeeast side, said during the park board’s monthly meeting.
Molitor said he has been donating his time to go onto the park to spray for the noxious weed, and how much it has spread is unbelievable, and it is moving off the park.
If it continues to spread, he said, it will end up killing two main sources of income for the park — the haying local ranchers do on the park, and the biggest source of revenue, leasing grazing for cattle in the fall.
The weed causes eye problems and liver problems for cattle, and that could lead to grazing ending, he said.
If the grazing stops, Molitor said, that would “whack out $95,000,” he said.
“It’s a nasty situation,” he said. “It’s working into an economic situation.”
The weed is also starting to move onto his land, he said, adding that something has to be done.
“We’ve got to smoke this sucker from one end to the other,” he said.
Beaver Creek Park Superintendent Chad Edgar said the county voters passed in the special election May 26 a new levy to increase funding for the county weed district, which will let Supervisor Terry Turner hire more workers.
Molitor said he heard Turner estimate that with the new funding, he hopes to get the problem under control in about 10 years.
“I’m telling him, from what I’ve seen, I’ll give him 20,” he said.
Molitor said the park board or someone has to let the public know something has to be done — the weed has to be killed even if it means not seeing wildflowers on the park for a few years.
He suggested the board look at some way to get more cabin owners involved, offering them equipment and herbicide to use on the noxious plant.
But more has to be done than just spraying here or there, he added. Having a spray day where people help the weed district personnel spray, won’t take care of the whole problem.
“It”s a nasty situation,” Molitor said. “It’s working down to an economic situation.”
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