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Calendar for the listing process of noxious weeds

November - April Call for change requests

During this time, anyone can file a report requesting that a plant be added, removed, or changed (such as Class status or Designate area) to the Washington State noxious weed list. The guidelines can be downloaded here, and you can either email a request to the WSNWCB, or you can mail it to:
     Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board
     P.O. Box 42560
     Olympia, WA 98504-2560
If you have questions regarding this process, please call us at 360-902-1901. 

May Requests are reviewed by the Noxious Weed Committee
This is typically the first meeting of the Noxious Weed Committee. The requests for changes to the WA State Noxious Weed List are reviewed and discussed during this meeting.

June & July Information is gathered about the proposed plants
During this time, information that will help with the decision process is collected. A Written Findings report, a detailed research paper, is written for each of the proposed species to provide the Noxious Weed Committee with necessary information, such as:
  • The plant's current distribution in Washington
  • Economic and ecological impacts of the plant elsewhere
  • Beneficial uses of the species
  • Control methods, including cultural, mechanical, chemical, and biological

You can download the Written Findings from the information webpage for any of the noxious weeds.

July The Noxious Weed Committee make preliminary recommendations
During this second meeting, the Noxious Weed Committee makes preliminary recommendations about the proposed changes to the Weed List, based on the information gathered. These recommendations are then sent to county noxious weed boards and weed districts for review and comments.  

September The Noxious Weed Committee decisions are finalized
The Noxious Weed Committee discuss the proposed changes and the input they have received from county noxious weed boards and weed districts, and make their final decisions. They present their recommendations at the September State Weed Board meeting.

October Final recommendations are sent out for comment and review
The Noxious Weed Committee's final recommendations are sent out to the county noxious weed boards and the weed districts for their comments and reviews. These proposed changes are filed at the Code Revisers Office in Olympia. 

November Public hearing and adoption of new weed list
At the November State Weed Board meeting, there is a public hearing where you can present your comments in person or in writing. Afterwards, there is a technical presentation reviewing the proposed changes. The State Weed Board then makes its recommendations and votes on each proposed change. At this time, the state noxious weed list is officially adopted. This list is filed with the Code Revisers Office in Olympia.

January The new State Noxious Weed List becomes effective
The State Noxious Weed List is now effective and is published in the WAC 16-750, which is updated every year. The State Board distributes the new list and WAC 16-750 to the county noxious weed boards and weed districts. 

  Return to The Listing Process

  Return to the Noxious Weed Lists