As a concerned citizen and owner of a 120 acre property in Rockbridge County, with a lifelong concern for preservation of our Virginia natural heritage, wildlife, and landscape, I strongly support the recommendations to strengthen the regulations on noxious weeds  and urge that the regulations be strengthened to include the DCR-DNH invasive plants, among other things as detailed in the petition from Arlington County. 

I have seen firsthand on my property, and on that of my neighbors, the terrible destruction brought on by the unchecked spread of invasive plants.   I have spent countless hours and tens of thousands of dollars on removal of invasives from my own property, while every day homeowners and commercial property owners are allowed to continue adding to the population of harmful plants through purchases from nurseries and landscape companies.

The noxious invasive weeds wreak the same destruction throughout our parks and natural resource areas, overwhelming our native plants and destroying habitat necessary for the survival of our native wildlife.  We need to take serious measures now, as further delay will drastically increase the costs to contain, control, and possibly eradicate the invasive plants from our land.

The nursery and landscape industry must not be permitted to continue to bring these harmful plants into the state, particularly since they do not bear the costs required for control and eradication that are imposed on landowners.  The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services List of Noxious Weeds should include all of these invasive species, leveling the playing field for the nursery and landscape companies.  Being listed as a Tier 1 noxious weed would forbid the sale and movement of these invasive plants that do extensive damage.  The Department should help the nursery and landscape industry develop alternatives to these invasive plants (hopefully native plants), and educate Virginians on the values of these native plants.

The approach that Virginia uses to create its list of noxious weeds is outdated.  For the future of our Virginia, we need to update that approach to include the plants that DCR recognizes as invasive. Please adopt the VA DCR list as the basis for our noxious weed list.