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A local state lawmaker is ready to do battle with an enemy that’s capable of consuming farmland, forests and even water.

State Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre, recently introduced House Bill 790, which calls for a more aggressive approach in combating noxious and invasive plants.

The measure, which was approved by the House unanimously, replaces the Noxious Weed Control Law. Pashinski said the old law didn’t go far enough to address the issue because it didn’t include noxious weeds that can be found in forests and water.

“There was nothing to address things like hydrilla, which is found at Harveys Lake,” said Pashinski, who is the Democratic chair of the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee. “The intention of this bill is to prevent these weeds from taking over areas.”

Specifically, the bill calls for the creation of a database to identity where noxious weeds are present; classifies weed species into one of three categories: able to be eradicated, intend to be eradicated or not feasible to eradicate. It also identifies weeds currently not present in Pennsylvania but could appear.

The bill would also establish a committee of public and private stakeholders that would decide which weeds should be added or removed from the list as conditions change.

Pashinski said he’s optimistic the bill will pass the Senate, and some legislators even expressed an interest to add weeds to the list that are a problem in their districts.

Ken Klemow, biology professor at Wilkes University, is encouraged by the legislation because of the growing threat to agriculture and native plant species posed by noxious weeds.

“This is a more thoughtful approach than the previous legislation. It has more teeth associated with it,” he said.

Still, Klemow did have a few concerns.

He would like to see several weed species that are a problem locally added to the list, such as Japanese knotweed, garlic mustard and buckthorn.

Klemow also questioned a control order in the legislation that would authorize the state Department of Agriculture to require property owners to implement treatment measures for noxious weeds on their land.

Klemow said it would be extremely costly to remove some prolific noxious weeds, such as mile-a-minute vine and multiflora rose.

“Do it in a way that doesn’t burden property owners,” Klemow said. “We need to look at methods to help people, because if you’re a farmer and a neighboring property is a source of noxious weeds, it’s a problem.”

Pashinski said the goal of the legislation is not to burden landowners by forcing them to clear their property of noxious weeds. He said the current legislation already authorizes the state to require that and it’s not new in his bill.

“No one should be alarmed about the government coming in. This is a matter of knowing where these weed species are and controlling them,” he said.

Pashinski also said the list of weed species is fluid and the committee can change it.

“This bill coincides with the federal act and the idea is to have programs to limit noxious weed distribution and prevent them,” he said. “In the past, it was dealt with after it was out of control, which is costly. We want to deal with it before it becomes a problem.”

In terms of strategy, Klemow said there are are several options, including burning, the use of herbicides such as Roundup and biological predator control.

Klemow also cautioned that as noxious plant species are removed, native varieties need to be planted in their place that will benefit wildlife. He mentioned viburnum, dogwood, pasture rose and Virginia rose as good alternatives to invasives.

“I’m optimistic about the legislation. One thing that people aren’t aware of is some species in the wild really don’t belong. As an educator, I’d like to see the opportunity for people to understand what plants belong on the landscape and which ones shouldn’t be there,” Klemow said.

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Ken Klemow
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_Klemow.jpg.optimal.jpgKen Klemow

Pashinski
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_TTL103016pashinski1.jpg.optimal.jpgPashinski

By Tom Venesky

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Reach Tom Venesky at 570-991-6395 or on Twitter @TomVenesky