Montana Code 80-7-902. Findings — purpose
80-7-902. Findings — purpose. (1) The legislature finds that:
Terms Used In Montana Code 80-7-902
- Forage: means any crop, including alfalfa, grass, small grains, straw, and similar crops and commodities, that is grown, harvested, and sold for livestock forage, bedding material, or mulch or related uses and the byproducts of those crops or commodities that have been processed into pellets, cubes, or related products. See Montana Code 80-7-903
- Noxious weed seed free: means that forage has an absence of noxious weed seeds within a standardized range of variances or tolerances established by department rule. See Montana Code 80-7-903
- State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See Montana Code 1-1-201
(a)natural resources of the state need to be protected from noxious weeds and their seeds;
(b)the movement of agricultural crops or commodities as livestock forage, bedding, mulch, and related materials, including pellets, cubes, and other processed livestock feeds with noxious weed seeds, causes new and expanding noxious weed infestations on private and government-managed lands, which adversely impact agricultural, forest, recreational, and other lands;
(c)it is necessary to develop and implement a state forage and product noxious weed seed free program in cooperation with federal, state, and local government, the university system, and private enterprise;
(d)an educational program is needed to inform all citizens of the importance of the incentive to market and handle forage that is free of noxious weed seeds;
(e)a cooperative forage and product distribution system with federal, state, local, and private land manager participation is needed to prevent increased noxious weed infestations;
(f)compliance standards involving the import or export of forage, in cooperation with county weed districts and the department, are needed; and
(g)to the extent there is a need for standards and good practices for other materials to prevent the spread of noxious weeds, seeds, and other invasive organisms, the department may create options for proof of compliance in a cost-effective manner to protect the state and to provide options for businesses.
(2)The purpose of this part is to promote incentives to benefit the people of this state and other states by producing and making available forage and other materials free of noxious weeds and their seeds.