Noxious Weed Control Districts

Weed laws establish all property owners’ responsibility for helping to prevent and control the spread of noxious weeds. Washington’s weed laws spell out these responsibilities, and create the government infrastructure needed to educate citizens and ensure that the laws are respected. Washington’s weed laws also direct the state Noxious Weed Control Board to create and maintain the state’s official list of noxious weeds that landowners may be required to control. RCW 17.10, (Revised Code of Washington) is the state’s basic weed law. The Washington Administrative Code (WAC) contains the rules and regulations needed to carry out the state law. WAC Chapter 16-750 includes the state Noxious Weed List, definitions and descriptions of region boundaries for Class B weeds, and the schedule of monetary penalties. WAC Chapter 16-752 describes the quarantine list maintained by the state Department of Agriculture. (The state law that calls for the creation and maintenance of the quarantine list is RCW 17.24.)