Summit County asks for public’s help cutting down on noxious weeds

COALVILLE, Utah — This spring and summer, experts say to expect to see more weeds because of the abundance of water Utah received this winter.

The Summit County Weed Department needs help cutting back on noxious weeds, specifically. Those are weeds that are non-native and can hurt the environment.

“Because there’s no insects or anything that it eats, they tend to take over,” said department supervisor Chris Bingham.

His department is offering residents loans of weed-eliminating equipment so they can help reduce the number of noxious weeds.

“Some of them can be poisonous, some of them can be toxic to humans or livestock, take over in areas,” Bingham said.

His department uses different methods to eliminate weeds including mechanical removal with shovels and mowers, herbicide use and biological controls.

“Insects, fungus, microscopic mites, biocontrol can even be goats or cows,” Bingham said.

The department is loaning different pieces of equipment for up to two weeks, free of cost.

“We loan out equipment from backpacks, four-wheeler sprayers, truck-mounted sprayers, pull behinds, tractor-mounted sprayers,” Bingham said. “We sell herbicides at our cost.”

He said when residents come in, they also learn more about which weeds are native and benefit the ecosystem, and how to remove the noxious variety.

“So you’re not taking something like Roundup and kill everything,” Bingham said. “It’ll work but then you take all of the native, the good stuff out too. So years down the year, you’re fighting an endless battle.”

He said he encourages people to come in and learn more about how to control weeds, to help keep the area healthier.

“We’re trying to help the residents take care of their own weeds,” Bingham said. “Where we are over all of it, I can’t do everything. I can’t trespass on somebody else’s property. I’d never to get everything in some places.”