IPC 2025 Annual Report

Invasive Plants Council Twenty-third Annual Report

December 18th, 2025

The Honorable Rick Lopes
State of Connecticut

Senate Legislative Office Building
Hartford, CT 06106

The Honorable John-Michael Parker
State of Connecticut
House of Representatives
Legislative Office Building
Hartford, CT 06106

Dear Environment Committee Co-Chairs Senator Lopes and Representative Parker, and members of the Environment Committee:

As Invasive Plants Council (IPC) Chair, I respectfully submit this report on behalf of the Council for activities conducted in 2025.

Victoria Wallace, UConn Sr. Extension Educator and UConn CAHNR Dean Representative, served as chair for the 2025 term of the 9-member Invasive Plants Council. The council met three times in 2025 (February, June, and October). The Council replaced two members in 2025: Christopher Valley, of Prides Corner Farm in Lebanon, Connecticut joined the IPC as the commercial plant business representative and Alice Colman joined as the CT Department of Agriculture representative. After serving as IPC chair for three years, I requested nominations for a new IPC Chairperson for the 2026 term. A potential new chairperson has expressed interest.

In the U.S., invasive plants present a costly burden, particularly for agricultural, forested, and open space areas. In Connecticut, invasive plants continue to cause environmental and economic injury to our communities, land, and waterways, as well as commercial agricultural industries. Invasive plants pose genuine concern for Connecticut residents and businesses.

UConn Extension, CT Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES), CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), and the CT Department of Agriculture (DoAg) have taken up the charge of responding to invasive plant issues by utilizing the resources and networks provided by the IPC. Ongoing loss of critical staff positions has dramatically limited the ability of these agencies to process invasive plant management permits, control invasive species on state owned land, and provide outreach and education.

In January 2024, Dr. Lauren Kurtz was hired as the UConn Invasive Plant Specialist. During 2025, Lauren’s duties included performing essential administrative responsibilities for the Invasive Plants Council. In this administrative role, she prepared agendas, completed the appointive bodies demographic data reporting specified in Sec. 4-9b of the General Statutes, took and distributed minutes, posted minutes on the IPC website, and responded to requests for information and tasks from the Council. Additionally, Lauren compiled the IPC annual report, which included the Chairperson’s report, minutes of IPC meetings, a list of council members, the Connecticut Invasive Plants List, and Council members’ reports. Her position supported the IPC’s recommendations and guided invasive plant education through public outreach, education, and training. Lauren made a significant impact by connecting with numerous towns and non-profit associations, and assisting UConn, CT DEEP, CAES, and DoAg with invasive plant efforts. She was an invited speaker at conferences and supported substantial invasive plant outreach to Connecticut residents.

As communicated in the 2024 IPC Annual Report, after less than a full year of funding, DEEP withdrew their financial support for this critical position ending December 30, 2024. UConn was able to secure temporary alternate emergency funding to continue this position in 2025, so that momentum gained to support invasive plant education was not lost. However, funding for 2026 and beyond is needed to maintain this vital role.

The IPC wishes to extend our sincere appreciation for the continued effort to support invasive plant legislation in 2025 with passage of HB 5013 in response to recommendations made in the 2024 IPC annual report. The bill included prohibition of sale of the following invasive plants:

  • Star-of-Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum ) was immediately prohibited from sale when the bill became PA 25-126 (October 2025), as there is little economic value to warrant a phase out period.
  • Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii), winged euonymus (Euonymus alatus), Glossy buckthorn (Frangula alnus), 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.

Following testimony in support of the bill from IPC members, the CT Invasive Plant Working Group (CIPWG) members, other green industry associations stakeholders and CT residents, the bill was passed, and the CT Invasive Plant List was amended to include these new prohibitions from sale.

In 2025, the IPC has been concerned with the following challenges:

  • Continued funding for the Invasive Plant Specialist.
  • Enforcement of new and existing invasive plants.
  • Considering exemptions from prohibition of sale of certain invasive plants with known sterile or nearly sterile cultivars.
  • The lack of funding available in Connecticut for organizations to effectively manage invasive species on public and private land and inland waterbodies.
  • The disposal of invasive plants that have been removed from private properties.
  • The growing number of plants on the CIPWG Research List, which could become invasive in the future, especially due to climate change.
  • The rapid expansion of Hydrilla throughout the Connecticut River and other waterways and the need to prevent spread to additional waters.
  • The emergence of toxic algal blooms in many Connecticut waterbodies.

Following passage of HB 5013, the IPC maintained its momentum to address invasive plant concerns in CT. The IPC identified an urgent need for identifying the state agency to be tasked with enforcement of invasive plant statutes, statutory expansion to include specific invasive plant enforcement protocols, and additional resources for enforcement measures. The IPC feels that details related to enforcement, enforcement protocols and resources impacting enforcement must be addressed in the legislature.

As environmental and economic damage by increasing populations of invasive plants continues to accelerate, requests from communities, businesses, private landowners, and public land managers for advice and solutions for managing these problematic, non-native species continue. Since removal of invasive species from natural areas is extremely costly, the state is best served by programs that prevent future invasions through education, training, and the targeting of resources toward prevention and early detection. Prevention, coupled with public education and training, represent the most efficient, timely, and effective responses to emerging invasions and merit increased emphasis and financial support, not passive neglect.

I, and other Council members, are available to answer questions and provide advice as needed. Please contact me via email at victoria.wallace@uconn.edu if questions arise.

See cipwg.uconn.edu/ipc for IPC minutes and more information from the IPC and affiliated groups.

Sincerely,

Victoria Wallace

Connecticut Invasive Plants Council, Chair Dept. of Extension

University of Connecticut

William Moorhead
CT Dept. of Energy and Environmental Protection

Dr. Jatinder Aulakh
Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station

Christopher Valley
Prides Corner Farm
Representing a commercial plant business

Dustyn Nelson
CT Nursery and Landscape Association
Constance L. Trolle

President of Bantam Lake Protective Association

Dr. Bryan Connolly
Eastern Connecticut State University
IPANE

Denise Savageau
Representing a nonprofit environment association

Alice Colman
CT Dept. of Agriculture

*As established in 2003, the Invasive Plants Council operates pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes 22a-381 through §22a-381d and is responsible for developing programs and materials to educate the public on issues related to invasive plants, developing recommendations for controlling and abating the dissemination of invasive species, updating and publishing a list of invasive plants, supporting agencies charged with conducting research on invasive plant control, supporting the development of non- invasive varieties, and making recommendations to the General Assembly for the prohibition of any plant determined to be invasive.

In Connecticut, plants must demonstrate nine specific criteria to be listed on the state’s list of Invasive Plants. These criteria are defined in Sec. 22a-381b of the CT General Statutes as follows:

  • In publishing and updating the list of invasive plants required under section 22a-381a, the Invasive Plants Council shall determine that a plant possesses the following characteristics before it is included on such list:
  • The plant is nonindigenous to the state;
  • the plant is naturalized or has the potential to become naturalized or occurring without the aid and benefit of cultivation in an area where the plant is nonindigenous;
  • under average conditions, the plant has the biological potential for rapid and widespread dispersion and establishment in the state or region within the state;
  • under average conditions, the plant has the biological potential for excessive dispersion over habitats of varying sizes that are similar or dissimilar to the site of the plant’s introduction into the state;
  • under average conditions, the plant has the biological potential for existing in high numbers outside of habitats that are intensely managed;
  • the plant occurs widely in a region of the state or a particular habitat within the state;
  • the plant has numerous individuals within many populations:
  • the plant is able to out-compete other species in the same natural plant community; and
  • the plant has the potential for rapid growth, high seed production and dissemination and establishment in natural plant communities.

In publishing and updating the list of potentially invasive plants required under section 22a-381a, before including a plant on such list the Invasive Plants Council shall determine that a plant: (1) Possesses each of the characteristics set forth in subdivisions (1) to (5), inclusive, of subsection (a) of this section; and (2) possesses at least one of the characteristics set forth in subdivisions (6) to (9), inclusive, of subsection (a) of this section.

  • Upon a finding that a plant meets the criteria for listing as an invasive plant under subsection (a) of this section, or as a potentially invasive plant under subsection (b) of this section, prior to listing such plant as invasive or potentially invasive, as applicable, the majority of the council’s membership shall approve of such listing. On the request of two or more members of the council, the council shall hold a meeting, open to the public, not later than thirty days prior to the publication of the initial invasive plant list or the addition of any plant to the invasive plant list, as applicable.
  • In listing a plant as invasive or potentially invasive, the council may make recommendations on how to discourage the sale and import of such plants in the state and identify alternative plants to the listed plant for growing purposes.