Over the past year, a CIPWG subcommittee reviewed the CIPWG research list (plants that were being studied to determine invasive potential) and made recommendations to the Invasive Plants Council (IPC) regarding plants that should be moved to the invasive plant list. The IPC is the state-mandated body that recommends changes or updates in invasive species legislation to the CT legislature through the Environment Committee (EC).
In the IPC annual report, the IPC made recommendations to the EC. The EC followed the suggestions of the IPC and submitted a bill (HB 5225) to the legislature. It passed through the house and senate and the governor signed the bill into law this Tuesday (5/14).
The bill includes:
- Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana) will be added to the CT invasive plant list with a 3-year phase out period; it will be prohibited from sale as of October 2027.
- Quackgrass (Elymus repens) and Japanese angelica tree (Aralia elata) will be added to the invasive plant list and prohibited from sale as of October 2024.
- Japanese wisteria (Wisteria floribunda) and Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) will be added to the potentially invasive plant list and prohibited from sale as of October 2024.
- Porcelainberry (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata) and Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris), which are already on the invasive plant list, will be added to the prohibited from sale list as of October 2024.
You can read the text of the bill, view testimony, votes of CT legislators, and more at cga.ct.gov.
We, the CIPWG co-chairs, are thrilled to see CIPWG, the IPC, and the Environment Committee work together in such an effective way to make progress on regulation of invasive plant species in CT.
We are grateful for the efforts of CIPWG members, the IPC, and the Environment Committee for the continued effort to take meaningful steps to regulate invasive plant species in our state.
We are in the process of updating the Invasive Species list with the changing regulations and will keep posted on those updates as they are completed.
Vickie Wallace, Rose Hiskes, and Emmett Varricchio, CIPWG Co-chairs
info@cipwg.org