Over the past year, a CIPWG subcommittee reviewed Invasive Plants that are not prohibited from sale, to discuss whether they should be prohibited by statute going forward. The subcommittee made recommendations to the Invasive Plants Council (IPC) to prohibit these plants from sale and use in the future. 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 5013) to the legislature. It passed through the house and senate and the governor signed the bill into law. It is now Public Act 25-126.
Public Act 25-126 includes:
- Star-of-Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum L.) was immediately prohibited from sale when the bill became PA 25-126 as there is little economic value to warrant a phase out period.
- Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii), winged euonymus (Euonymus alatus), Glossy buckthorn (Frangula alnus), European buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica), reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea), European privet (Ligustrum vulgare), black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), and miscanthus (Miscanthus sinensis) will be prohibited from sale with a 3-year phase out period; these species will be prohibited from sale as of October 1st 2028.
- Norway maple (Acer platanoides) will be prohibited from sale with a 5-year phase out period; it will be prohibited from sale as of October 1st 2030.
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 you posted on those updates as they are completed.
Vickie Wallace, Rose Hiskes, and Emmett Varricchio, CIPWG Co-chairs
info@cipwg.org
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