Invasive plant species; DCR, et al., to study the sale and use of species.
This legislation proposes a study to explore options to phase out the propagation and sale of invasive plants in Virginia. Invasive plants are plants that originate from outside a region and after their introduction to a new area, outcompete native plants and adversely impact wildlife habitat. Invasive plants can also disrupt local agriculture, requiring farmers to use more herbicides that impact water quality. Current noxious weed laws do not sufficiently regulate the 90 invasive plants that are identified to pose a threat, some of which are for sale at your local garden center. The damage invasive plants cause could be greatly lessened if their sale was reduced and/or prohibited.
Introduced by: Delegate David Bulova (District 37)