Governor Signs Landmark Invasive Plant Legislation

(MENAFN- EIN Presswire) EINPresswire/ -- Governor Abigail Spanberger this week signed four bills advancing invasive plant management across Virginia, marking a significant step toward protecting the Commonwealth's lands, waters and wildlife. These new laws will help build a more resilient Virginia and protect our farmers, watersheds, communities and natural areas.

The Virginia Invasive Plant Coalition supported the legislation as part of ongoing work to restore and sustain healthy ecosystems. Blue Ridge PRISM developed three of the bills alongside Del. Amy Laufer (HB88), Del. Holly Seibold (HB109), Del. Katrina Callsen (HB388) and Sen. Saddam Salim (SB 89). Sen. Ryan McDougle introduced SB163.

“Invasive plants are one of the most urgent and under-recognized threats to Virginia's pollinators, songbirds, livestock, waterways, tree canopy and recreational parks,” said Lauren Taylor, Blue Ridge PRISM executive director.“The scope and the scale of the problem are vast, and it will take a village to repair the damage done and ensure a healthy environment for future generations. These bills give communities, local authorities and state agencies more effective ways to respond and reflect growing recognition of the need for coordinated, on-the-ground action.”

The bipartisan bills address key gaps in prevention and management by ensuring that invasive plants are not planted along our state highways (HB88), allowing regulators to add plants to the Noxious Weeds List based on merit and science (HB109), empowering local jurisdictions to raise funds to treat and control invasive plants (HB388/SB89) and giving state agencies flexibility to use volunteers to help control invasive plants on state lands (SB163).

“It was an honor to introduce HB109 on behalf of my many engaged constituents and community leaders who shared with me the importance of this issue affecting their public spaces as well as their own backyards,” said Del. Holly Seibold.“Building on the success of my bill to educate consumers in retail garden centers, we were able to gain significant momentum in public awareness about the harms caused by invasive plants.”

Rowena Zimmermann, VIPC coalition director, said: "This is a watershed moment for Virginia! It is the first time such a sweeping set of invasive plant bills have become enacted in the Commonwealth. Thank you to Governor Spanberger for signing these bills, to the Virginia General Assembly for passing these bills and to the bill patrons in the House of Delegates and State Senate. We are also grateful for the support and advocacy of the Virginia Conservation Network and Environment Virginia and the broader conservation community. We could not have done it without them."

Invasive plants degrade habitat, reduce biodiversity and disrupt ecosystem function across the state. The new laws lay the groundwork for long-term solutions that support more effective prevention and management and help restore Virginia's landscapes.

About Blue Ridge PRISM
Blue Ridge Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM) is a nonprofit environmental organization committed to improving the health of our natural world for future generations. Founded in 2014 as Virginia's first Cooperative Weed Management Area, PRISM is the statewide leader in education and training on invasive plants. Our programs help restore forests and watersheds, protect native wildlife and habitat, steward healthy landscapes and sustain the work through coalition building and effective policy. Learn more at blueridgeprism.

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