Title 17 — Title 17 WEEDS, RODENTS, AND PESTS

The purpose of this chapter is to limit economic loss and adverse effects to Washington's agricultural, natural, and human resources due to the presence and spread of noxious weeds on all terrestrial and aquatic areas in the state.The intent of the legislature is that this chapte…

The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise:(1) "Agent" means any occupant or any other person acting for the owner and working or in charge of the land.(2) "Agricultural purposes" are those that are intended to prov…

(1) In each county of the state there is created a noxious weed control board, bearing the name of the county within which it is located. The jurisdictional boundaries of each board are the boundaries of the county within which it is located.(2) Each noxious weed control board is…

There is created a state noxious weed control board comprised of nine voting members and four nonvoting members. Four of the voting members shall be elected by the members of the various activated county noxious weed control boards, and shall be residents of a county in which a c…

An inactive county noxious weed control board may be activated by any one of the following methods:(1) Either within sixty days after a petition is filed by one hundred registered voters within the county or, on its own motion, the county legislative authority shall hold a hearin…

(1) Each activated county noxious weed control board consists of five voting members appointed by the county legislative authority in the manner prescribed in this section. In appointing the voting members, the county legislative authority shall divide the county into five geogra…

(1) Each activated county noxious weed control board must employ or otherwise provide a weed coordinator whose duties are fixed by the board but which shall include inspecting land to determine the presence of noxious weeds, offering technical assistance and education, and develo…

(1) In addition to the powers conferred on the state noxious weed control board under other provisions of this chapter, it has the power to:(a) Employ a state noxious weed control board executive secretary and educational specialist, and additional persons as it deems necessary, …

(1) In addition to the powers conferred on the director under other provisions of this chapter, the director, with the advice of the state noxious weed control board, has power to:(a) Require the county legislative authority or the noxious weed control board of any county or any …

(1) The state noxious weed control board shall each year or more often, following a hearing, adopt a state noxious weed list.(2) The state noxious weed control board shall adopt guidelines by rule for placing plants on the state noxious weed list. These guidelines must include cr…

(1) Each county noxious weed control board shall, within ninety days of the adoption of the state noxious weed list from the state noxious weed control board and following a hearing, select those weeds from the class C list and those weeds from the class B list not designated for…

Where any of the following occur, the state noxious weed control board must hold a hearing, then may order any county noxious weed control board or weed district to include a noxious weed from the state board's list in the county's noxious weed list:(1) Where the state noxious we…

A regional noxious weed control board comprising the area of two or more counties may be created as follows:Either the county legislative authority, or the noxious weed control board, or both, of two or more counties may, upon a determination that the purpose of this chapter will…

In any case where a regional noxious weed control board is created, the county noxious weed control boards comprising the regional board shall still remain in existence and shall retain all powers and duties provided for the boards under this chapter.The regional noxious weed con…

The powers and duties of a regional noxious weed control board are as follows:(1) The regional board shall, within ninety days of the adoption of the state noxious weed list from the state noxious weed control board and following a hearing, select those weeds from the state list …

Obligations or liabilities incurred by any county or regional noxious weed control board or any claims against a county or regional noxious weed control board are governed by chapter 4.96 RCW or RCW 4.08.120: PROVIDED, That individual members or employees of a county noxious weed…

(1) Except as is provided under subsection (2) of this section, every owner must perform or cause to be performed those acts as may be necessary to:(a) Eradicate all class A noxious weeds;(b) Control and prevent the spread of all class B noxious weeds designated for control in th…

(1) All state agencies shall control noxious weeds on lands they own, lease, or otherwise control through integrated pest management practices. Agencies shall develop plans in cooperation with county noxious weed control boards to control noxious weeds in accordance with standard…

It is recognized that the prevention, control, and eradication of noxious weeds presents a problem for immediate as well as for future action. It is further recognized that immediate prevention, control, and eradication is practicable on some lands and that prevention, control, a…

Any authorized agent or employee of the county noxious weed control board or of the state noxious weed control board or of the department of agriculture where not otherwise proscribed by law may enter upon any property for the purpose of administering this chapter and any power e…

(1) Whenever the county noxious weed control board finds that noxious weeds are present on any parcel of land, and that the owner is not taking prompt and sufficient action to control the noxious weeds, pursuant to the provisions of RCW 17.10.140, it shall notify the owner that a…

Any owner, upon request pursuant to the rules and regulation of the county noxious weed control board, is entitled to a hearing before the board on any charge or cost for which the owner is alleged to be liable pursuant to RCW 17.10.170 or 17.10.210. The board shall send notice b…

Each activated county noxious weed control board must publish annually, and at other times as may be appropriate, in at least one newspaper of general circulation within its area, a general notice. The notice shall direct attention to the need for noxious weed control and give ot…

(1) The state noxious weed control board shall:(a) Work with the various federal and tribal land management agencies to coordinate state and federal noxious weed control;(b) Encourage the various federal and tribal land management agencies to devote more time and resources to nox…

Open areas subject to the spread of noxious weeds, including but not limited to subdivisions, school grounds, playgrounds, parks, and rights-of-way shall be subject to regulation in the same manner and to the same extent as is provided for all terrestrial and aquatic lands of the…

(1) Whenever the director, the county noxious weed control board, or a weed district finds that a parcel of land is so seriously infested with class A or class B noxious weeds that control measures cannot be undertaken thereon without quarantining the land and restricting or deny…

Any owner knowing of the existence of any noxious weeds on the owner's land who fails to control such weeds in accordance with this chapter and rules and regulations in force pursuant thereto; or any person who enters upon any land in violation of an order in force pursuant to RC…

(1) The director of agriculture shall adopt, with the advice of the state noxious weed control board, rules designating noxious weed seeds which shall be controlled in products, screenings, or articles to prevent the spread of noxious weeds. The rules shall identify the products,…

(1)(a) The activated county noxious weed control board of each county shall annually submit a budget to the county legislative authority for the operating cost of the county's weed program for the ensuing fiscal year: PROVIDED, That if the board finds the budget approved by the l…

The legislative authority of any county with an activated noxious weed control board or the board of any weed district may apply to the director for noxious weed control funds when informed by the director that funds are available. Any applicant must employ adequate administrativ…

The administrative powers granted under this chapter to the director of the department of agriculture and to the state noxious weed control board shall be exercised in conformity with the provisions of the administrative procedure act, chapter 34.05 RCW, as now or hereafter amend…

Each noxious weed control board may obtain such insurance or surety bonds, or both with such limits as they may deem reasonable for the purpose of protecting their officials and employees against liability for personal or bodily injuries and property damage arising from their act…

Every activated county noxious weed control board performing labor, furnishing material, or renting, leasing, or otherwise supplying equipment, to be used in the control of noxious weeds, or in causing control of noxious weeds, upon any property pursuant to the provisions of chap…

Every county noxious weed control board furnishing labor, materials, or supplies or renting, leasing, or otherwise supplying equipment to be used in the control of noxious weeds upon any property pursuant to RCW 17.10.160 and 17.10.170 or pursuant to an order under RCW 17.10.210 …

No lien created by RCW 17.10.280 exists, and no action to enforce the same shall be maintained, unless within ninety days from the date of cessation of the performance of the labor, furnishing of materials, or the supplying of equipment, a claim for the lien is filed for record a…

The county noxious weed control board may issue a notice of civil infraction if after investigation it has reasonable cause to believe an infraction has been committed. A civil infraction may be issued pursuant to RCW 7.80.005, 7.80.070 through 7.80.110, 7.80.120 (3) and (4), and…

(1) Any person found to have committed a civil infraction under this chapter shall be assessed a monetary penalty not to exceed one thousand dollars. The state noxious weed control board shall adopt a schedule of monetary penalties for each violation of this chapter classified as…

A county noxious weed control board may be deactivated only if there are neither any class A noxious weeds nor any class B noxious weeds in the county. Upon receiving documentation of the absence in the county of both class A noxious weeds and class B noxious weeds, the county le…

Any weed district formed under chapter 17.04 or 17.06 RCW prior to the enactment of this chapter, continues to operate under the provisions of the chapter under which it was formed: PROVIDED, That if ten percent of the landowners subject to any such weed district, and the county …