                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

INVASIVE SPECIES MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR STRATEGIC ACTIONS BY STATE AGENCIES AND
RELATED ADVISORY GROUP; STRATEGIC ACTIONS BY STATE AGENCIES TO PRIORITIZE THE
USE OF NATIVE PLANT SPECIES (§ 2.2-220.2)

A. The Secretaries of Natural and Historic Resources and Agriculture and
Forestry shall coordinate the development of strategic actions to be taken by
the Commonwealth, individual state and federal agencies, private businesses, and
landowners related to invasive species prevention, early detection and rapid
response, control and management, research and risk assessment, and education
and outreach. Such strategic actions shall include the development of a state
invasive species management plan. The plan shall include a list of invasive
species that pose the greatest threat to the Commonwealth. The primary purposes
of the plan shall be to address the increasing threats of invasive species, to
improve coordination among state and federal agencies&#8217; efforts regarding
invasive species prevention and management and information exchange, and to
educate the public on related matters. The Secretaries of Natural and Historic
Resources and Agriculture and Forestry shall update the state invasive species
management plan at least once every four years. The Department of Conservation
and Recreation shall provide staff support.

B. The Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources shall establish and serve as
chair of an advisory group to develop an invasive species management plan and
shall coordinate and implement recommendations of that plan. Other members of
the advisory group shall include the Departments of Agriculture and Consumer
Services, Conservation and Recreation, Environmental Quality, Forestry, Health,
Transportation, and Wildlife Resources; the Marine Resources Commission; the
Virginia Cooperative Extension; the Virginia Institute of Marine Science;
representatives of the agriculture and forestry industries; the conservation
community; interested federal agencies; academic institutions; and commercial
interests. The Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry shall serve as the
vice-chair of the advisory group. The advisory group shall meet at least twice
per year, shall utilize ad hoc committees as 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 and
   waters of the Commonwealth;

   2. Procure, use, and maintain native species to replace invasive species;

   3. Implement targeted control efforts on those invasive species that are
   present in the Commonwealth but are susceptible to such management actions;

   4. Identify and report the appearance of invasive species before they can
   become established and control becomes less feasible;

   5. Implement immediate control measures if a new invasive species is
   introduced in Virginia, with the aim of eradicating that species from
   Virginia&#8217;s lands and waters if feasible given the degree of infestation;
   and

   6. Recommend legislative actions or pursue federal grants to implement the
   plan.
   				Nothing in this section shall affect the authorities of any agency
   represented on the advisory group with respect to invasive species.

C. The Secretaries of Natural and Historic Resources, Agriculture and Forestry,
and Administration shall coordinate the development of strategic actions to be
taken by state agencies to prioritize the use of native plant species. Such
strategic actions shall (i) identify state properties appropriate to restore to
natural communities and native species habitats, (ii) encourage all state
agencies to prioritize native plants and trees when planting or propagating on
state properties, and (iii) provide guidance to state agencies that manage state
properties on restoration of properties degraded by invasive plants by planting
more natural communities and native species habitats.

D. As used in this section, &#8220;invasive species&#8221; means a species,
including its seeds, eggs, spores or other biological material capable of
propagating that species, that is not native to the ecosystem and whose
introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm
to human health; however, &#8220;invasive species&#8221; does not include (i)
any agricultural crop generally recognized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture
or the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services as suitable to
be grown in the Commonwealth or (ii) any aquacultural organism recognized by the
Marine Resources Commission or the Department of Wildlife Resources as suitable
to be propagated in the Commonwealth.

HISTORY: 2009, cc. 144, 619; 2020, c. 958; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 401; 2023, c.
193.