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Subcommittee clears bill to clarify service‑district authority for invasive‑plant control
Summary
HB 388, amended to specify service districts may remove invasive species identified by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (10.1‑10462), was reported 7‑0 after testimony from conservation groups, the Virginia Farm Bureau and local preservation groups about economic and ecological harms from invasives.
The subcommittee voted to report House Bill 388 with amendments clarifying that service districts may control invasive plant species identified by the Department of Conservation and Recreation under section 10.1‑10462.
Delegate Colson said the change provides clarity for service districts that already perform beautification and landscaping duties, allowing them explicitly to remove identified invasive species while partnering with neighboring localities. Supporters included representatives from Blue Ridge Prism, the Virginia Invasive Plants Coalition, the Virginia Farm Bureau and the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District, who described invasive species as an economic and ecological threat that volunteers and local programs are already addressing.
Michael Littman of the Loudoun Invasive Removal Alliance said local grant programs and partnerships have proven effective and that a state option would provide a foundation for sustained investment. The committee adopted amendments limiting the list of controllable species to those listed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation and reported the bill 7‑0.
