2019-Gorse Farm Tour 

This week (Feb 19-20, 2019) we organized a farm and ranch tour at four locations in Coos and Curry County at specific sites where the landowner had been actively managing their gorse for decades. GAG partners Will Bailey (Coos County Noxious Weed Board), Lexi Snell (Coos WA) and Carri P. (ODA) accompanied me on the two-day tour. Our goal was to learn what they have done right, their challenges in respect to gorse management on their land and what they could use some help with in the future. These gracious farmers and ranchers were clear about where they have succeeded and failed in as they work to control gorse on their lands.  It was an excellent opportunity, to meet with willing partners, to collaborate on continuing education, cost-share programs, and to facilitate common boundary agreements for invasive weed control between private landowners and public utilities, rights of way and state/federal lands. In all, our tour allowed us to see the situation and issues on about 5000 acres of managed land that included: timberlands, goat, cattle, sheep, horse ranching and cranberry farms, as well as miles of rights-of-way, public easements, river and creek drainages that overlap with these private property owners.