Working on Your Behalf

Whether the topic is labor, legislation, transportation, licensing, water quality, or noxious weeds, VNLA is always working on your behalf. Throughout any given year, the Legislative Policy Committee and Executive Director give each of you a voice in local, state and national issues facing our industry.

We are often called upon to support or oppose legislation or serve on working groups to help develop smart legislation and guidelines that impact our industry. Once such working group is the Noxious Weeds Advisory Committee. This committee was established to support the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) in valuation and risk assessment for plants that may be determined noxious weeds.

In its early years, the committee first worked together to develop the tool that is used to assess plants and to assign one of three tiers to plants to be considered as noxious weed. The committee consists of representatives from 16 different agencies and interest groups, and we are fortunate to always have a Board Member serve. Currently, Legislative Policy Committee Chair, Seana Ankers, serves in this capacity, but we hope to have another committee member take over for her soon. Past-President Brent Hunsinger was involved on the committee at the time that the tool was first being developed, and we appreciate the time he spent making sure that our sector of the industry was well represented. Members will be glad to know that the first item of the tool deals with commercial viability of the plant, and the plant being considered cannot proceed on in the process if it is currently commercially viable in the Commonwealth of Virginia. In this way, our growers and their crops are currently protected from being considered.

The committee works together by ensuring that submissions follow the guidelines of the tool, are complete and are backed up with scientific research from qualified sources. It is not a fast process, but the committee works as efficiently as it can to suggest additions to the list in a timely process. They are still in the process of trying to get species added that are of greatest concern, and even private individuals can make submissions. In 2018, the committee recommended additions to list. From the initial recommendation and comment periods, VDACS reviews the list that eventually makes it to the Governor to decide if it will proceed, before the list is presented for a final public comment period. The most recent period ended on July 22, 2020, and the Noxious Weed Regulation was amended and published the following day.

The Noxious Weed List has been edited to include the recommended plants and can be found at the following link https://law. lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title2/agency5/chapter317/section20/. Plants currently on the list are as follows:

A. The following plants are hereby declared Tier 1 noxious weeds:

1. Salvinia molesta, Giant salvinia.

2. Solanum viarum, Tropical soda apple.

3. Heracleum mantegazzianum, Giant hogweed.

B. The following plants are hereby declared Tier 2 noxious weeds:

1. Imperata cylindrica, Cogon grass.

2. Lythrum salicaria, Purple loosestrife.

3. Ipomoea aquatica, Water spinach.

4. Vitex rotundifolia, Beach vitex.

5. Oplismenus hirtellus spp. undulatifolius, Wavyleaf basketgrass.

6. Corydalis incisa, Incised fumewort.

C. The following plants are hereby declared Tier 3 noxious weeds: 1. Ailanthus altissima, Tree of heaven. 2. Ampelopsis brevipedunculata, Porcelain berry. 3. Celastrus orbiculatus, Oriental bittersweet. 4. Hydrilla verticillata, Hydrilla. 5. Persicaria perfoliata, Mile-a-minute weed.

Statutory Authority

§ 3.2-802 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 31, Issue 09, eff. January 29, 2015; amended, Virginia Register Volume 34, Issue 04, eff. November 30, 2017; Volume 36, Issue 22, eff. July 23, 2020.

If you or anyone in your organization would like to make submissions to be considered in upcoming committee meetings, full guidelines, definitions and forms can be found by following this link: https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/ title2/agency5/chapter317/