Heated testimony as committee hears bill to require work group review before listing agricultural crops as noxious weeds

The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee received extensive public testimony Feb. 14 on House Bill 1707, a bill that would require the State Noxious Weed Control Board to hold a Department of Agriculture–convened work group and public hearing before listing an agricultural crop as a noxious weed.

Rebecca Lewis, committee staff, summarized the bill and its background, noting that the state noxious weed control board currently must annually adopt a state noxious weed list and guidelines for listing species. Lewis said HB 1707 would require the board's guidelines to prohibit listing agricultural crops as noxious weeds until the board receives and conducts a public hearing on recommendations from a work group convened by the Department of Agriculture. "The work group must include affected agricultural producers and at least one member of the board," she said.

Sponsor Representative Tom Dent (13th…