Who should become a member. Do you have noxious weeds on your property? Do you know what a noxious weed is? Farmers, ranchers, botanists, naturalists, habitat restorationists, land resource managers and government agencies interested in the control of invasive, non-native weeds are invited to become members of the Santa Barbara County Weed Management Area. Noxious weeds do not respect political boundaries or property lines. A coalition is more effective in the long run at controlling noxious weed problems.

You can join as an individual or as an organization. We are looking for Santa Barbara County people and agencies sincerely interested or actively involved in the control of weeds, in habitat restoration, in farming or ranching, in horticulture, in landscape management or construction, or in botany or ecology, in geographic information systems, or in related fields.

How you can benefit. SBCWMA members influence the activities of the Weed Management Area by giving input during meetings and other discussions. SBCWMA members benefit by association with a multi-agency coalition. Those benefits include participation in noxious weed management projects, increased grant funding competitiveness, increased access to subject experts, and increased access to weed management resources.

Additionally, WMA members receive notification of weed management related grant and educational opportunities. WMA members also enjoy advance registration and discounts for SBCWMA sponsored workshops and seminars.

Of course, the biggest benefit comes from the reduction in the impact of noxious weeds for the betterment of agriculture, horticulture, recreation, wildlife and natural environments.

Are there dues? There are no dues or fees to join. However, we may ask for your energy to assist on a task or for a discount for your services, at your option. We will definitely depend on your expertise and vigilance.

How to join. Please read the Strategic Plan and Memorandum of Understanding. If you agree with the principles of the Strategic Plan, and agree to the conditions of the Memorandum of Understanding, print, sign and return the Memorandum of Understanding. Acrobat versions of the documents are available below.

Contact David Chang, 805-681-5600, dchang@co.santa-barbara.ca.us, or Darlene Chirman, 805-692-2008, dchirman@starband.net, for more information.