Beginning in May, Stearns County Highway Department, as part of its vegetation management program, will be scheduling some roadside vegetation work along all Stearns County highways. The unwanted brush and noxious weeds will be cut and/or treated with herbicide. The county highway department is issuing notice to all property owners who have property abutting county roads who have work scheduled that they have a right to use alternative methods. The county’s goal is to eliminate the brush and noxious weeds and promote grass cover along the roadside. Brush along the road reduces driving visibility, obstructs road signs and reduces driver reaction time to crossing wildlife. Brush presents maintenance problems by retaining water along the roadbed, obstructing ditches and damaging equipment. To meet these goals, the county uses selective herbicides that control the brush and noxious weeds, but allow the grasses to grow unharmed. All herbicides used have been fully tested and approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.
