Comment on Terrestrial Plant Rule before Dec. 20th!
For those of you who attended the Forest Pesticide Training Program in Danville on November 29th this e-mail is a follow up to the presentation that Dawn gave. If you did not attend the training program please check out the following link to learn more about this rule that will ban the sale, distribution and transport of 44 invasive plants in Indiana. http://www.sicim.info/news/
Non-native invasive plants are a threat to the health, productivity, and sustainability of Indiana’s forest resources so please take the time to lend your support to this proposed rule.
The following is some updated information directly from Dawn Slack, chair of the Invasive Plant Advisory Committee:
The proposed terrestrial plant rule timeline has been updated and a notice of intent has been posted in the Indiana register.
The public hearing will be Dec 19 @ 10:00 AM in the Government Center North Bldg., 1st Floor – typically 1st room on the right . The online comment period will remain open until the end of the day Dec 20th.
What does all this mean for us:
Written comments are the most effective tool, so please continue to share and ask people to comment on the rule.
Timeline is here: https://www.in.gov/nrc/files/lsa18316_timeline.pdf
To post a comment: https://www.in.gov/nrc/2377.htm
The public hearing is run by the Law Judge (Dawn Wilson, Administrative Law Judge). She will host the hearing in her office and open the meeting for comments. As mentioned above, written comments of support are the most important tool. IPAC members discussed yesterday that it is not necessary to pack the room during the public hearing with those in favor of the rule. We do hope that representatives of various businesses and organizations attend the public hearing (Nursery, Landscaping, Forestry, Land Trusts, Special Interest, etc.) and provide support for the rule at that time.
We are not discouraging participating in the public hearing, but again, we want to express that the most important tool we have are written comments - especially since we have until Dec 20th to provide such comments.