county_weeds01

Butte County Agriculture Commissioner
Weed Abatement Program
Grant Proposal
Evolutionary Relic Heritage Foundation

Executive Summary
Butte County requests $237,000 to augment its three-
year Weed Abatement Program.
This money will help the county purchase a modern
computer mapping system, hire program staff, conduct
public information meetings, purchase supplies, and
eradicate noxious weed infestations.

Executive Summary
Noxious weeds are those that:
Destroy wildlife habitat and hunting, fishing, and
camping
Threaten endangered species and reduce diversity
Disrupt bird migratory or nesting habits
Cost billions of dollars in lost productivity and in control.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management states that a noxious
weed is any plant designated as being injurious to public
health, agriculture, recreation, wildlife or property.

Executive Summary
Because of these factors, regulations have been adopted
mandating that state and local agencies formulate weed
management programs.
The Butte County Agriculture Commissioner has been
charged with the responsibility of managing and eradicating
these nuisance pests to agriculture and human health.
The Butte County Agriculture Commissioner, which
employs 19 persons, serves nearly 1000 farmers and more
than 220,000 citizens within Butte County.

Executive Summary
Since the late 1950s, the Butte County Agriculture
Commissioner has hand mapped and eradicated over 200
serious infestations of noxious weeds.
Butte County is a rural agriculture county situated
between the Sacramento River to the west and the Sierras to
the east. These difficult terrains have made weed mapping
and management difficult, expensive, and time consuming.
The Economic hardships imposed by Proposition 13 has
forced the county to make budget cuts. These factors have
created a funding need for a weed abatement program.

Objectives, Methods, and Evaluation
Because of the these factors, an additional funding need of
$237,000 is need to augment Butte County’s three-year
(2002-2004) Weed Abatement Program.
This money will be used to purchase a GIS computer
station, including software, which will be used for digitally
cataloguing and mapping noxious weed locations in Butte
County.
Funder will receive receipts for the system, as well as
output including mapped infestations and photo images.

Funds will also be used to hire a five-person crew to
staff the Weed Abatement Program, including one full-time
GIS Analyst, one full-time GIS-tech, and 3 part-time Field-
techs.
Candidates for these positions will be interviewed by the
Agriculture Commissioner, Deputy Agriculture
Commissioner, and staff Biologists.
A list of successful candidates will be sent to the funder.

Funding resources will also be used to hold 4 public
information meetings with property owners; educating them
about noxious weeds, and securing access agreements to
effected sites.
The public information campaign will also be conducted
via direct mailings to residents and the Agriculture
Commissioner’s website. Access agreements will be secured
from those respondents who are effected by noxious weeds.
Copies of advertisements, presentations, seminar sign-up
sheets, web-site address, and agreements will sent to the
funder for review.

Resources in budget year 2002, will be utilized by GIS
staff to survey and map noxious weeds infestations within in
Butte County, with the Field-tech crew following up by
eradicating mapped sites.
Resources in budget years 2003 and 2004, will be used
by GIS staff to follow up on any re-emergent weeds and
map any new infestation sites. Field-techs will eradicate any
re-emergent or new sites found.
Regular reports containing maps, update photos, and
spreadsheets will be sent to the funder for review.

Funding & Budget: Total Budget
The total budget need for the three-year Butte County
Weed Abatement Program totals $550,625. Butte County
will provide the funding for $313,625 of the total budget.
The funding requested for Butte County’s three-year
Weed Abatement Program is $237,000, which includes
salaries and capital outlays.

Funding & Budget: Salaries
Total funding requested for salaries for the three-year
budget totals $223,500. This includes $60,0000 for the full-
time GIS Analyst, $51,000 for the full-time GIS-tech, and
$112,500 for the three part-time Field-techs. The county will
contribute $111,000 towards staff salaries.
Budget costs associated with payroll taxes, health
benefits, and worker’s compensation totals $83,625 and will
be carried by the county.
Costs associated for volunteer property owners are
estimated at $50,000 and will be paid for by the county.

2002, 2003, 2004 Budget Years: Salaries
Position Funds Request Other Funding Volunteers Total Budget
GIS Analyst $60,000.00 $60,000.00 $120,000.00
GIS-tech $51,000.00 $51,000.00 $102,000.00
Field-tech (3) $112,500.00 $112,500.00
Property Owners $50,000.00 $50,000.00
Benefits $83,625.00 $83,625.00
Total Salaries $223,500.00 $194,625.00 $50,000.00 $468,125.00

Funding & Budget: Capital Outlays
Capital outlays funding totaling $13,500 is requested
for a Pentium based computer system, plotter, scanner, GIS
and mapping software, and a GPS unit.
Butte County will bear 50% of the costs associated with
the computer and plotter, totaling $3,000.
The county will also cover $19,350 in costs associated
with web-site development and Microsoft Office software,
including $18,000 to purchase a Toyota 4X4 work truck.

2002, 2003, 2004 Budget Years: Capital Outlays
Equipment Funds Request Other Funding Volunteers Total Budget
Computer $1,750.00 $1,750.00 $3,500.00
Plotter $1,250.00 $1,250.00 $2,500.00
Scanner $900.00 $900.00
GPS System $4,500.00 $4,500.00
GIS Software $2,500.00 $2,500.00
FreeHand $800.00 $800.00
PhotoShop $800.00 $800.00
AutoCAD $1,000.00 $1,000.00
Web-Site $1,000.00 $1,000.00
MicroSoft Office $350.00 $350.00
Work Truck $18,000.00 $18,000.00
Total Outlays $13,500.00 $22,350.00 $0.00 $35,850.00

Funding & Budget: Other Outlays
All other outlays included in the Weed Abatement
Program will be carried by Butte County. Other outlays total
$46,650 and include gasoline and maintenance for the truck,
maps and survey equipment, pesticides and applicators,
hand tools, training, and space rent and utilities.

2002, 2003, 2004 Budget Years: Other Outlays
Other Outlays Funds Request Other Funding Volunteers Total Budget
Gas & Maint. $9,500.00 $9,500.00
Survey Equip. $1,500.00 $1,500.00
Maps $1,500.00 $1,500.00
Applicators (3) $750.00 $750.00
Pesticides $1,600.00 $1,600.00
Hand Tools $500.00 $500.00
Utilities (3 yrs) $10,800.00 $10,800.00
Office (3 yrs) $18,000.00 $18,000.00
Training $2,500.00 $2,500.00
Total Outlays $0.00 $46,650.00 $0.00 $46,650.00

Future Funding
After the third year of the program, future funding for the
Weed Abatement Program will come from:
Grants provided to California counties through
Assembly Bill 1168
Grants provided by the California Department of Water
Resources, CalFed, and the Nature Conservancy.
The Butte County General Fund.
Fund raising by the Butte County 4-H Club and Grange.

Conclusion
The Funding targeted to augment Butte County’s three
year Weed Abatement Program is $237,000, which includes
$223,500 for salaries and $13,500 for capital outlays.
The funder will receive regular updates on the progress
of the Weed Abatement Program.
Butte County is also making a significant resources
commitment in money, equipment, and personnel totaling
$313,625.
It is hoped you will support this grant so Butte County
can keep the economic and public welfare of its citizens
secure.

county_weeds01

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