Comment on Terrestrial Invasive Plant Rule by December 20
The public comment period is still open for the proposed terrestrial invasive plant rule! This rule would ban the sale of invasive plants in the nursery trade. We encourage you to participate in the rulemaking process and voice your opinion about this rule. COMMENTS SHOULD BE SENT TO THE INDIANA NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION, as described below. The DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS IS DECEMBER 20.
How to Comment
Use the following link: https://www.in.gov/nrc/2377.htm to access the Indiana Natural Resources Commission’s rule webpage. Then scroll to the bottom of the page to a list of rules that are open for comment.
The terrestrial invasive plant rule is listed last. Click on the “comment on this rule” link and you will be directed to a page that allows you to input personal data in required fields (name, city, county, email address) and a section to write a comment about the proposed rule.
If your comments require more space than allowed with the electronic form, please mail your comment with the LSA document number (LSA #18-316) to the following address: Natural Resources Commission, Division of Hearings, 100 North Senate Avenue, Room N103, Indianapolis, Indiana 46204-2200.
Suggested Comments
After much discussion internally and with conservation partners, INPAWS leadership thinks it best to support the rule as currently written. That is, we feel it is most important to have this rule adopted now and focus on adding other highly invasive plants – like Callery pear and Norway maple – later. Once the rule is adopted, work will begin to amend the rule to add those species and any other assessed species that rank as highly invasive in the state.
We suggest that you include these points in your comments:
- That you support the adoption of this rule;
- Specifically how you are impacted by invasive plants, and why it is important to you that this rule is adopted;
- That the 44 species in this rule are just the start, and that all other species that are ranked as highly invasive in Indiana should be added through amendments.
On-line comments need to be entered by August 25. In addition to this internet comment period, there will be a public meeting scheduled in the future. We’ll let you know details once it has been scheduled.
Again, we encourage you to participate in the rulemaking process and to voice your opinion about the terrestrial invasive plant rule.