WSR 97-17-094

PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

[Filed August 20, 1997, 9:30 a.m.]

Subject of Possible Rule Making: To establish a quarantine on an infestation of yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus) on a parcel of land located in Thurston County, Washington.

Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: Chapter 17.10 RCW, Noxious weeds--Control boards.

Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: Yellow nutsedge is a serious noxious weed of agronomic crops. It propagates by seed, rhizomes, bulbs, and nutlets. Soil containing nutlets is the primary mode of spread in cultivated land. Because yellow nutsedge is highly invasive, left unchecked the spread of this Class B weed would entail great economic loss to agricultural industries in the state of Washington.

Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: The state Noxious Weed Control Board establishes the noxious weed list which includes yellow nutsedge. The state Noxious Weed Control Board requested this rule be adopted.

Process for Developing New Rule: After attempting to secure voluntary compliance with the state noxious weed statute, both the state Noxious Weed Control Board and the Thurston County Noxious Weed Control Board have requested this quarantine.

Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting K. Diane Dolstad, Plant Protection Program Manager, Washington State Department of Agriculture, Laboratory Services Division, P.O. Box 42560, Olympia, WA 98504-2560, phone (360) 902-2071, FAX (360) 902-2094, e-mail ddolstad@agr.wa.gov; or Lisa Lantz, Executive Secretary, Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board, 1851 South Central Place, Suite 211, Kent, WA 98031-7507, phone (253) 872-2972; or Rick Johnson, Noxious Weed Coordinator, Thurston County Noxious Weed Control Board, 3054 Carpenter Road S.E., Olympia, WA 98503, phone (360) 786-5576, FAX (360) 754-2975.

August 20, 1997

Mary A. Martin Toohey