Title 17, WEEDS, RODENTS, AND PESTS

(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 …

For the purpose of destroying or exterminating squirrels, prairie dogs, gophers, moles or other rodents, or of rabbits or any predatory animals that destroy or interfere with the crops, fruit trees, shrubs, valuable plants, fodder, seeds or other agricultural plants or products, …

Whenever ten or more resident freeholders in any county petition the board of county commissioners, asking that their lands be included, either separately or with other lands designated in the petition in a district to be formed for the purpose of preventing, destroying, or exter…

Upon the hearing of such petition the board shall determine whether such a district shall be created and shall fix the boundaries thereof, but shall not enlarge the boundaries of proposed districts or enlarge or change the boundary or boundaries of any district or districts alrea…

If the board shall deem the interests of the county or of any particular section thereof will be benefited by the creation of such a district or districts, or the changing thereof, it shall make a record thereof upon the minutes of the board and shall designate such territory in …

The county treasurer shall be ex officio treasurer for each of such districts so formed and the county assessor and other county officers shall take notice of the formation of such district or districts and shall be governed thereby according to the provisions of this chapter. Th…

The agricultural expert in counties having an agricultural expert, shall under the direction of Washington State University have general supervision of the methods and means of preventing, destroying, or exterminating any animals or rodents as herein mentioned within his or her c…

Whenever there shall be included within any pest district lands belonging to the state or to the county the board of county commissioners shall determine the amount of the tax or assessment for which such land would be liable if the same were in private ownership for each subdivi…

No district shall be permitted to contract obligations in excess of the estimated revenues for the two years next succeeding the incoming [incurring] of such indebtedness and it shall be unlawful for the county commissioners to approve of any bills which will exceed the revenue t…

The legislature declares that it is the policy of the state of Washington to require all state agencies that have pest control responsibilities to follow the principles of integrated pest management. [ 1997 c 357 s 1.]

The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise: (1) "Integrated pest management" means a coordinated decision-making and action process that uses the most appropriate pest control methods and strategy in an environmenta…

Each of the following state agencies or institutions or county agencies shall implement integrated pest management practices when carrying out the agency's or institution's duties related to pest control: (1) The department of agriculture; (2) The state noxious weed control board…

(1) A state agency or institution listed in RCW 17.15.020 shall provide integrated pest management training for employees responsible for pest management. (2) A state agency or institution listed in RCW 17.15.020 shall designate an integrated pest management coordinator. [ 2011 c…

The application and the control of the use of various pesticides is important and vital to the maintenance of a high level of public health and welfare both immediate and future, and is hereby declared to be affected with the public interest. The provisions of this chapter are en…

The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise. (1) "Agricultural commodity" means any plant or part of a plant, or animal, or animal product, produced by a person (including farmers, ranchers, vineyardists, plant propa…

The director shall administer and enforce the provisions of this chapter and rules adopted under this chapter. (1) The director may adopt rules: (a) Governing the loading, mixing, application and use, or prohibiting the loading, mixing, application, or use of any pesticide; (b) G…

All rules adopted under the provisions of this chapter shall be subject to the provisions of chapter 34.05 RCW as enacted or hereafter amended, concerning the adoption of rules. [ 1989 c 380 s 35; 1961 c 249 s 4.]

All hearings for the imposition of a civil penalty and/or the suspension, denial, or revocation of a license, certification, or permit issued under the provisions of this chapter shall be subject to the provisions of chapter 34.05 RCW concerning adjudicative proceedings. [ 1994 c…

The director may issue subpoenas to compel the attendance of witnesses and/or production of books, documents, and records anywhere in the state in any hearing affecting the authority or privilege granted by a license, certification, or permit issued under the provisions of this c…

The director may classify licenses to be issued under the provisions of this chapter. These classifications may include but are not limited to pest control operators, ornamental sprayers, agricultural crop sprayers or right-of-way sprayers; separate classifications may be specifi…

It is unlawful for any person to engage in the business of applying pesticides to the land of another without a commercial pesticide applicator license. Application for a commercial applicator license must be accompanied by a fee of two hundred forty-three dollars and in addition…

Application for a commercial pesticide applicator license provided for in RCW 17.21.070 shall be on a form prescribed by the director. (1) The application shall include the following information: (a) The full name of the individual applying for such license. (b) The full name of …

(1) No commercial pesticide applicator shall allow a person to apply pesticides under the authority of the commercial pesticide applicator's license unless the commercial pesticide applicator has, by mail or facsimile transmissions, submitted the name to the department on a form …

(1) Certified applicators licensed under the provisions of this chapter, persons required to be licensed under this chapter, all persons applying pesticides to more than one acre of agricultural land in a calendar year, including public entities engaged in roadside spraying of pe…

It is unlawful for any person to act as an employee of a commercial pesticide applicator and apply pesticides manually or as the operator directly in charge of any apparatus which is licensed or should be licensed under this chapter for the application of any pesticide, without h…

It is unlawful for any person to act as a private-commercial pesticide applicator without having obtained a private-commercial pesticide applicator license from the director. Application for a private-commercial pesticide applicator license must be accompanied by a fee of thirty-…

It is unlawful for any person to act as a private applicator, limited private applicator, or rancher private applicator without first complying with requirements determined by the director as necessary to prevent unreasonable adverse effects on the environment, including injury t…

(1) The director may renew any certification or license issued under authority of this chapter subject to the recertification standards identified in subsection (2) of this section or an examination requiring new knowledge that may be required to apply pesticides. (2) Except as p…

Except as provided in RCW 17.21.203, it is unlawful for a person to use or supervise the use of any experimental use pesticide or any restricted use pesticide on small experimental plots for research purposes when no charge is made for the pesticide and its application without a …

(1) Any license, permit, or certification provided for in this chapter may be revoked or suspended, and any license, permit, or certification application may be denied by the director for cause. If the director suspends a license under this chapter with respect to activity of a c…

Any person applying for a license or certification authorized under the provisions of this chapter shall file an application on a form prescribed by the director. (1) The application shall state the license or certification and the classification(s) for which the applicant is app…

(1) The director shall not issue a commercial pesticide applicator license until the applicant, if he or she is the sole owner and manager of the business has passed examinations in all classifications that the business operates. If there is more than one owner or the owner does …

(1) If the application for renewal of any license provided for in this chapter is not filed on or prior to the expiration date of the license under this chapter or as set by rule by the director, a penalty of twenty-five dollars for the commercial pesticide applicator's license a…

A person who has committed any of the following acts is declared to be in violation of this chapter: (1) Made false or fraudulent claims through any media, misrepresenting the effect of materials or methods to be utilized; (2) Applied worthless or improper pesticides; (3) Operate…

The director shall not issue a commercial pesticide applicator license until the applicant has furnished evidence of financial responsibility. (1) Evidence of financial responsibility shall consist of either a surety bond; or a liability insurance policy or certification thereof,…

The following requirements apply to the amount of bond or insurance required for commercial applicators: (1) The amount of the surety bond or liability insurance, as provided for in RCW 17.21.160, shall be not less than fifty thousand dollars for property damage and public liabil…