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Agriculture / Weights & Measures
Preventing the Spread of Pests

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Preventing the Spread of Pests

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Dog Team Program and Parcel Inspections

When agricultural products are sent to California, they may contain pests that cause economic or environmental damage. Since unmarked and uncertified packages pose the greatest risk, it can be difficult to identify these high-risk parcels. Fortunately, the Department of Agriculture is able to employ a powerful nose. Contra Costa County has a detector dog and handler team intercepting packages at parcel delivery facilities like FedEx, UPS, and the post office. They work together to find illegal pests and prevent them from being released to the public.
Export Certification

The Department provides an essential service by certifying outgoing agricultural commodities for compliance with other county, state, and foreign quarantine requirements. This allows our agricultural industry to ship their products throughout the world.
Green Waste

Green waste is biological matter that is high in nitrogen. Because it has the potential to harbor destructive pests, California takes an active role in mitigating the likelihood that these pests will be moved from infested to non-infested areas. Certain businesses that deal with green waste are required to meet the requirements of a green waste compliance agreement by voluntarily taking steps to ensure the safe and effective handling and disposal of any products that may contain harmful organisms.
Noxious Weed Management

Noxious weeds negatively impact agriculture by decreasing the profitability, biodiversity, and aesthetic value of impacted cropland, rangeland and forested areas. They come from other areas of the globe where they evolved with characteristics that allow them to outcompete California's native population of plants. They also lack the natural enemies in California that control their spread. Invasive plants can increase fire hazard when they dry out, and management costs to control large populations can be considerable. The Department performs noxious weed control to protect ranchers and sustain native plant populations, which in turn prevents soil erosion and protects wildlife diversity.
Pest Detection

The primary responsibilities of the pest detection program is the early detection and prompt eradication of serious agricultural pests from California. This is accomplished through the operation of a countywide trapping program focused on detecting specific exotic insect pests.
Pests of Concern

The Contra Costa County Department of Agriculture works extensively at preventing new agricultural pests from entering California. Daily inspections conducted at farms, nurseries and delivery facilities ensure product shipments are not inadvertently introducing pests of economic importance to the county. Our department also offers advice to businesses and individuals on managing pests already established in the county.
Vertebrate Pest Management

The vertebrate pest management program provides assistance and advice on a cooperative basis to growers and public agencies for the control of ground squirrels. Because ground squirrels carry disease and can do millions of dollars of damage to California's landscape, the Department of Agriculture performs control measures during the months when the population is highest around critical county infrastructure and roadsides.

Dog Team Program and Parcel Inspections
Export Certification
Green Waste
1. Green Waste Program
2. Green Waste Compliance Agreement and Exhibits
Noxious Weed Management
1. Artichoke Thistle
2. Purple Star Thistle
Pest Detection
1. Pest Detection Trapping Program
2. Recent Pest Finds and Eradication Efforts
Pests of Concern
1. Glassy-winged Sharpshooter/Pierce's Disease
  1. GWSS and Pierce's Disease Program
  2. GWSS Identification
Vertebrate Pest Management

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County Administration Building:
1025 Escobar Street, Martinez, CA 94553
1st Floor: Clerk of the Board
2nd Floor: Human Resources
3rd Floor: County Counsel
4th Floor: County Administration
For all other County departments and offices, see their web pages.

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