MILLSTONE – Action has been taken to prevent the spread of invasive plant species in Millstone Township.
On Dec. 20, Township Committee members adopted an ordinance that adds a section regarding invasive plant species to the municipal code.
According to the ordinance, the purpose of creating the invasive plant species section is to preserve and protect public and private property from the spread of invasive species plants, to protect indigenous and other plant materials from the spread of invasive species plants and to maintain the general welfare of residents.
Plant species that are defined as invasive under the ordinance are bamboo, Canadian thistle, Eurasian watermilfoil, garlic mustard, Japanese knotweed, Japanese stiltgrass, mile-a-minute, purple loosestrife, Russian olive and water chestnut.
According to the ordinance, the owner/occupant of a property where an invasive species is planted is required to confine the species and prevent its spread onto another private property, public property and/or public right-of-way. The owner/occupant may elect to remove the plant species from the property and all affected properties.
Should an invasive plant species reach and affect another property, according to the ordinance, the owner/occupant of the property with the species will receive notice from the township inspector to remove the species from the affected property, confine the species from future encroachment or completely remove the species from the owner/occupant’s property.
If the owner/occupant does not accomplish the removal of the invasive plant species from other properties, a citation will be issued by the township inspector and penalties will be imposed.
Municipal officials may also institute civil proceedings for injunctive or civil relief, according to the ordinance. The invasive plant species will be considered a weed, which will allow the township to remove species at its option and discretion.
“This is an ordinance that was put forth at the behest of the Environmental Commission in response to circumstances within the community of people planting known invasive plants adjacent or a little too adjacent to their neighbors’ properties, or to public properties,” said Committeeman Gary Dorfman, who serves as the liaison to the Environmental Commission.
“To curtail the spread of these [plants] to other properties, this is an ordinance that allows [the regulations] to be enforced through code enforcement and not have to become a civil matter between neighbors and the court system,” Dorfman said.