Since 2018, when MWCA received grant funding to hold a new coordinator training, 25 counties in Montana have new coordinators. In 2025, MWCA received another grant to help produce a New Weed Manager Training. This training is primarily designed for new county weed coordinators, however, weed coordinators who’ve never attended a training of this type, other agency weed managers, MSU extension agents and assistant county weed coordinators are welcome to attend. The cost of this training will be $75 and there are grant funds to help cover hotel rooms.
A hotel has not been set up yet, but please mark your calendars for April 14-16, 2026, at the Gallatin County Weed Office in Bozeman.
Topics will likely include:
- Understanding county budgets
- Understanding and/or establishing mill levies
- Understanding how herbicides work & what herbicides generally may work best for certain species
- Calibrating equipment
- Weed ID and/or EDRR plant ID
- Public relations including social media and news outlets
- Monitoring
- Licensing/recertification and registration for yourself and your crews
- Equipment/mechanical issues
- HR/employees/seasonals
- Working with your commissioners
- Working with your weed board
- Noncompliance & weed laws within MT statute (including embargos, gravel pits and realtors)
- How to lobby on behalf of your district & understanding the Montana legislative process
- Providing noxious weed education for the public
- County weed management plans
- Working/partnering with agencies
- Grants for your county
- Working with or establishing cooperative weed management areas (CWMA’s)
- Understanding what MWCA membership does for you and understanding the role of your MWCA area council
We may not be able to delve into each of these topics deeply, but we do hope to touch on most of them. We are also hoping that many of our “seasoned” coordinators can help present and answer questions. Another important aspect of this training will be to get to know your fellow weed coordinators and the networking that will be involved and encouraged. Because of the networking aspects and the hand’s on style of learning, we are not sure if we will offer virtual attendance at this time.
As soon as a hotel is secured, an agenda is firmed up and registration is open, Becky will send out notice, likely after the MWCA Annual Conference.
