The King County Road Services Division is scheduled to begin its roadside weed-control program in unincorporated areas of the county and in the cities of Shoreline, Woodinville, Sammamish, Newcastle, Maple Valley, Covington and Burien beginning April 12, 2004.

As part of the program, certified technicians will perform controlled herbicide spraying along some road shoulders through the summer to reduce safety hazards for pedestrians, motorists and bicyclists. The spraying will also control noxious weeds that are toxic to some animals and pose environmental risks to native vegetation.

As in past years, residents who do not want crews to spray county right-of-way that abuts their property may post "owner will maintain" signs. Those residents, however, must sign an agreement with the county to maintain the right-of-way themselves. Maintenance agreements must be completed and returned to the Road Services Division before "owner will maintain" signs can be issued. Maintenance agreements should be received by the Road Services Division by April 9, 2004.

The signs are once again being provided to property owners at no charge. The county has already sent letters to property owners who asked to maintain right-of-way last year. Signs and copies of the maintenance agreement are available by calling (206) 296-8100 or toll-free by calling 1-800-KC-ROADS.

The Road Services Division uses small amounts of herbicides on a carefully controlled basis. Trained technicians use only those herbicides approved by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Food and Drug Administration and the state Department of Agriculture. Applications are additionally guided by best management practices that include follow-up monitoring and soil testing.

No routine herbicide spraying is conducted in ditches or near water including rivers, streams, wetlands, bridge abutments, guardrails near water, levees, backslopes, or in moratorium zones, which include the Snoqualmie Valley and Vashon and Maury islands. Noxious weed control, which is mandated by law, can include spot spraying, even in moratorium areas.

Herbicide applications are designed to keep road shoulders safe for bicyclists and pedestrians, prevent root systems from damaging roadways and reduce sod buildup that causes road flooding and icy conditions in winter. Weed control also reduces fires that can ignite uncontrolled vegetation and overgrowth that can cause accidents due to reduced visibility.