Harney County Weed Program

Cooperative Projects

City Wide Weed Wipe-Out

The Harney CWMA is sponsoring the City Wide Weed Wipe-out. We are now accepting Cooperative Agreements for anyone interested in having their property treated by a licensed applicator. Anyone who owns a lot in or around Burns and HInes is eligible for this program. The licensed applicator will be using a chemical that treats a large range of broad leaf weeds and is labeled for turf and ornamental use. To participate in this project you will need to sign and return a Cooperative Agreement before June 7th. Contact the Harney County Weed Control office for more information @ 541-573-8385. For the Cooperative Agreement Application follow this link.

Past Projects

• Harney Basin African Rue Project
  • this is a project that the county has managed for the past 3 years.
  • African Rue is only locted in 2 counties within Oregon so it is very important that we control this noxious weed

• NRCS EQUIP Medusahead Rye Project
  • This is a project that has been going on for over 3 years now
  • The focus areas have been, Drewsey, Crane, Buchanan, and the North Steens Mountain.
  • Medusahead Rye is the largest noxious weed issue in Harney County
  • Medusahead has proven to be very tough to control and spreads very easily.

Current Projects

• Harney Basin African Rue Project
  • The Oregon Weed Board has funded another year of control on this project
  • African Rue is very hardy and is responding to pesticide treatments, but a more integrated approach may be necessary to wipe it out.
• Southern Alvord Basin Noxious Weed Project
  • This is an Oregon Weed Board funded project that is focused on Russian Knapweed and Perennial Pepperweed located at the “South End”.
  • The main focus areas are four major drainage’s, two off the Trout Creek Mountains and two off the Pueblo Mountains.
  • There are 7 major private landowners cooperating on this project as well as the BLM, ODA and the County.
• Otis Valley Noxious Weed Project
  • This is an Oregon Weed Board funded project that is focused on Perennial Pepperweed and Knapweed located in the Otis Valley out near Drewsey
  • The main focus area area of this project is Otis Valley out to the Middle Fork of the Malheur River.
  • There are 8 major private landowners cooperating on this project as well as the BLM, Harney County, and the ODF&W is coordinating their Malheur River project with this one.
• Riley Area Noxious Weed Inventory
  • This project is an S&P funded project that is focused on attaining a comprehensive inventory of the noxious weeds in the Riley area.
  • The CWMA will use this information to draft future ODA and OWEB projects in this area using the information we attain from this inventory.
  • This project will tie in with a Medusahead project the CWMA is trying to put together in the Riley area.

Future Projects

• County Wide Medusahead Control Project
  • Again, the NRCS is be heavily involved with this project as it moves forward throughout the county.
  • The Burns BLM is working to get the pesticide injunction lifted in Oregon so it can assist the private landowners in their control efforts.
  • This will be the largest and most expensive noxious weed control effort ever undertaken in Harney County.
• The Harney County CWMA is working on an extensive OWEB Restoration Project
  • This OWEB project will include everything from noxious weed inventories to pesticide treatments and including reseeding and possible fencing, grazing control, projects.
  • The CWMA will use the County Weed Board Zoning map to identify the high high target areas within the county and prioritize these targets.