VT Agency of Agriculture- Noxious Weed Quarantine #3 – Formal Adoption Amendments

In late February the formal adoption of the amended Noxious Weed Rule occurred.  Among other things, the Rule prohibits the sale of Norway Maple, Japanese and Common Barberry, Burning Bush, Amur Maple, yellow flag iris, and brittle waternymph.  The rule was presented to the Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules (LCAR) in mid-February and was well received by the membership, who required no substantive changes in order for approval.

The sunset period for sale of existing in-state inventories of these added species has been changed from the originally proposed date of January 1, 2015, to July 1, 2013, in response to overwhelming public interest in seeing the deadline occur sooner.  There is no sunset for material ordered after the final date of rule adoption, or for importation of these species from points outside Vermont; the prohibition is effective as of the adoption date for plants currently outside Vermont. 

The final paperwork and submission of the Rule to the Secretary of State and Legislative Council is in process and is expected be to be in effect by the end of March, assuming all the filing details go well.  Expect the Rule to bein effect by the beginning of the landscaping season. 

The VT Agency of Agriculture -State Plant Pathologist office will begin the next phase of rule implementation (continued outreach, labeling/tagging of current inventories, education of nursery dealers and landscapers, enforcement, etc.) immediately, and will continue with these activities throughout the next several growing seasons.

Anyone with concerns, comments, or questions on the rule or its implementation are welcome to contact Tim Schmalz, VT State Pathologist directly.  Copies of the rule, public comments and response summary, and the original rule (prior to amendment) are available at the Agency website http://www.vermontagriculture.com/ARMES/plantindustry/plantPathology/weeds/documents.html, or from Tim Schmalz’s office.