Share:
Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2017 - 2018
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | December 7, 2016 09:31 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator David G. Argall and Sen. Judith L. Schwank |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Controlled Plant and Noxious Weed Act |
| In the near future, we will introduce legislation that would repeal the Noxious Weed Control Law (Act 74 of 1982) and replace it with the Controlled Plant and Noxious Weed Act to better control existing and potentially noxious weeds, maximizing the control resources of invasive species and protecting state lands. The proposal will update the current list of noxious weeds to include several new weeds that are having an adverse impact on agriculture and wildlife species as well as the use of water and land in Pennsylvania. The bill will require the Controlled Plant and Noxious Weed Committee, consisting of public and private sector stakeholders, to conduct studies and risk assessments on any plant the committee is considering adding or deleting from the noxious weed list. The legislation will allow for the controlled use of plants with economic value for biofuel and other uses that have the potential for damage if not properly contained. The Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Plant Industry worked extensively on this proposal to address and respond to dangerous plant species in order to protect the public as well as the state’s agriculture and wildlife resources. This legislation will mirror Senate Bill 1110 of 2016, which was unanimously approved by the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee on June 23, 2016. |
Introduced as SB567