§ 2.2-220.2. Development of strategies to prevent the introduction of, tocontrol, and to eradicate invasive species.
A. The Secretaries of Natural Resources and Agriculture and Forestry shallcoordinate the development of strategic actions to be taken by theCommonwealth, individual state and federal agencies, private businesses, andlandowners related to invasive species prevention, early detection and rapidresponse, control and management, research and risk assessment, and educationand outreach. Such strategic actions shall include the development of a stateinvasive species management plan. The plan shall include a list of invasivespecies that pose the greatest threat to the Commonwealth. The primarypurposes of the plan shall be to address the rising cost of invasive species,to improve coordination among state and federal agencies' efforts regardinginvasive species prevention and management and information exchange, and toeducate the public on related matters. The Secretaries of Natural Resourcesand Agriculture and Forestry shall update the state invasive speciesmanagement plan at least once every four years. The Department ofConservation and Recreation shall provide staff support.
B. The Secretary of Natural Resources shall establish and serve as chair ofan advisory group to develop an invasive species management plan and shallcoordinate and implement recommendations of that plan. Other members of theadvisory group shall include the Departments of Conservation and Recreation,Game and Inland Fisheries, Environmental Quality, Forestry, Agriculture andConsumer Services, Health, and Transportation; the Marine ResourcesCommission; the Virginia Cooperative Extension; the Virginia Institute ofMarine Science; representatives of the agriculture and forestry industries;the conservation community; interested federal agencies; academicinstitutions; and commercial interests. The Secretary of Agriculture andForestry shall serve as the vice-chair of the advisory group. The advisorygroup shall meet at least twice per year and shall utilize ad hoc committeesas necessary with special emphasis on working with affected industries,landowners, and citizens, and shall assist the Secretary to:
1. Prevent additional introductions of invasive species to the lands andwaters of the Commonwealth;
2. Procure, use, and maintain native species to replace invasive species;
3. Implement targeted control efforts on those invasive species that arepresent in the Commonwealth but are susceptible to such management actions;
4. Identify and report the appearance of invasive species before they canbecome established and control becomes less feasible;
5. Implement immediate control measures if a new invasive species isintroduced in Virginia, with the aim of eradicating that species fromVirginia's lands and waters if feasible given the degree of infestation; and
6. Recommend legislative actions or pursue federal grants to implement theplan.
C. As used in this section, "invasive species" means a species, includingits seeds, eggs, spores or other biological material capable of propagatingthat species, that is not native to the ecosystem and whose introductioncauses or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to humanhealth; however, this definition shall not include (i) any agricultural cropgenerally recognized by the United States Department of Agriculture or theVirginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services as suitable to begrown in the Commonwealth, or (ii) any aquacultural organism recognized bythe Marine Resources Commission or the Department of Game and InlandFisheries as suitable to be propagated in the Commonwealth.
Nothing in this section shall affect the authorities of any agencyrepresented on the advisory group with respect to invasive species.
§ 2.2-220.2. Development of strategies to prevent the introduction of, tocontrol, and to eradicate invasive species.
A. The Secretaries of Natural Resources and Agriculture and Forestry shallcoordinate the development of strategic actions to be taken by theCommonwealth, individual state and federal agencies, private businesses, andlandowners related to invasive species prevention, early detection and rapidresponse, control and management, research and risk assessment, and educationand outreach. Such strategic actions shall include the development of a stateinvasive species management plan. The plan shall include a list of invasivespecies that pose the greatest threat to the Commonwealth. The primarypurposes of the plan shall be to address the rising cost of invasive species,to improve coordination among state and federal agencies' efforts regardinginvasive species prevention and management and information exchange, and toeducate the public on related matters. The Secretaries of Natural Resourcesand Agriculture and Forestry shall update the state invasive speciesmanagement plan at least once every four years. The Department ofConservation and Recreation shall provide staff support.
B. The Secretary of Natural Resources shall establish and serve as chair ofan advisory group to develop an invasive species management plan and shallcoordinate and implement recommendations of that plan. Other members of theadvisory group shall include the Departments of Conservation and Recreation,Game and Inland Fisheries, Environmental Quality, Forestry, Agriculture andConsumer Services, Health, and Transportation; the Marine ResourcesCommission; the Virginia Cooperative Extension; the Virginia Institute ofMarine Science; representatives of the agriculture and forestry industries;the conservation community; interested federal agencies; academicinstitutions; and commercial interests. The Secretary of Agriculture andForestry shall serve as the vice-chair of the advisory group. The advisorygroup shall meet at least twice per year and shall utilize ad hoc committeesas necessary with special emphasis on working with affected industries,landowners, and citizens, and shall assist the Secretary to:
1. Prevent additional introductions of invasive species to the lands andwaters of the Commonwealth;
2. Procure, use, and maintain native species to replace invasive species;
3. Implement targeted control efforts on those invasive species that arepresent in the Commonwealth but are susceptible to such management actions;
4. Identify and report the appearance of invasive species before they canbecome established and control becomes less feasible;
5. Implement immediate control measures if a new invasive species isintroduced in Virginia, with the aim of eradicating that species fromVirginia's lands and waters if feasible given the degree of infestation; and
6. Recommend legislative actions or pursue federal grants to implement theplan.
C. As used in this section, "invasive species" means a species, includingits seeds, eggs, spores or other biological material capable of propagatingthat species, that is not native to the ecosystem and whose introductioncauses or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to humanhealth; however, this definition shall not include (i) any agricultural cropgenerally recognized by the United States Department of Agriculture or theVirginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services as suitable to begrown in the Commonwealth, or (ii) any aquacultural organism recognized bythe Marine Resources Commission or the Department of Game and InlandFisheries as suitable to be propagated in the Commonwealth.
Nothing in this section shall affect the authorities of any agencyrepresented on the advisory group with respect to invasive species.
§ 2.2-220.2. Development of strategies to prevent the introduction of, tocontrol, and to eradicate invasive species.
A. The Secretaries of Natural Resources and Agriculture and Forestry shallcoordinate the development of strategic actions to be taken by theCommonwealth, individual state and federal agencies, private businesses, andlandowners related to invasive species prevention, early detection and rapidresponse, control and management, research and risk assessment, and educationand outreach. Such strategic actions shall include the development of a stateinvasive species management plan. The plan shall include a list of invasivespecies that pose the greatest threat to the Commonwealth. The primarypurposes of the plan shall be to address the rising cost of invasive species,to improve coordination among state and federal agencies' efforts regardinginvasive species prevention and management and information exchange, and toeducate the public on related matters. The Secretaries of Natural Resourcesand Agriculture and Forestry shall update the state invasive speciesmanagement plan at least once every four years. The Department ofConservation and Recreation shall provide staff support.
B. The Secretary of Natural Resources shall establish and serve as chair ofan advisory group to develop an invasive species management plan and shallcoordinate and implement recommendations of that plan. Other members of theadvisory group shall include the Departments of Conservation and Recreation,Game and Inland Fisheries, Environmental Quality, Forestry, Agriculture andConsumer Services, Health, and Transportation; the Marine ResourcesCommission; the Virginia Cooperative Extension; the Virginia Institute ofMarine Science; representatives of the agriculture and forestry industries;the conservation community; interested federal agencies; academicinstitutions; and commercial interests. The Secretary of Agriculture andForestry shall serve as the vice-chair of the advisory group. The advisorygroup shall meet at least twice per year and shall utilize ad hoc committeesas necessary with special emphasis on working with affected industries,landowners, and citizens, and shall assist the Secretary to:
1. Prevent additional introductions of invasive species to the lands andwaters of the Commonwealth;
2. Procure, use, and maintain native species to replace invasive species;
3. Implement targeted control efforts on those invasive species that arepresent in the Commonwealth but are susceptible to such management actions;
4. Identify and report the appearance of invasive species before they canbecome established and control becomes less feasible;
5. Implement immediate control measures if a new invasive species isintroduced in Virginia, with the aim of eradicating that species fromVirginia's lands and waters if feasible given the degree of infestation; and
6. Recommend legislative actions or pursue federal grants to implement theplan.
C. As used in this section, "invasive species" means a species, includingits seeds, eggs, spores or other biological material capable of propagatingthat species, that is not native to the ecosystem and whose introductioncauses or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to humanhealth; however, this definition shall not include (i) any agricultural cropgenerally recognized by the United States Department of Agriculture or theVirginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services as suitable to begrown in the Commonwealth, or (ii) any aquacultural organism recognized bythe Marine Resources Commission or the Department of Game and InlandFisheries as suitable to be propagated in the Commonwealth.
Nothing in this section shall affect the authorities of any agencyrepresented on the advisory group with respect to invasive species.
