Some bamboos run into legal barriers - legislative updates - a wicked inconvenience

                                         

The noxious, invasive in some places invasive bamboo wars continue to grow and spread. In some sense they are 'popping up' as fast as the plant they have identified as their number one here and now enemy of the personal good.

The local weed warriors are challenged because their needs are not obvious to the disinterested rest of us, and because recent history has made an artificial division between agriculture's noxious weeds and ecology's invasive species. To the beleaguered property owner it is all the same destructive incursion and infestations that deny them the use of their property.  

Local and state government are slow to act because they count voted and so far the documented infestations of problematic bamboo are dwarfed by species such as mile-a-minute, buffelgrass, tamarisk and kudzu, and because the invaded properties do not yet equal a constituency that can sway elections - mostly because it is fragmented and divided as to particular species of concern or method of control. 

Who should pay to clean up the mess is the large elephant in our national political discussion from guns to energy, bamboo to atmospheric gas ratios, we have met the enemy and it is us. We do not want to pay for what we throw over our garden fences whether at the scale of an individual, a corporation or a nation-state.

We face a wicked inconvenience - plants that seem to misbehave are symptoms of our own unwillingness to take responsibility for our own actions. 

        

UPDATED 12-16- 2012                                                                                  INSTITUTE OF INVASIVE  BAMBOO  RESEARCH

Delaware:

1. Dover, DE                                                                                             Bamboo Ban http://bugwood.blogspot.com/2012/07/invasive-bamboo-outlawed-in-dover.html

http://www.wboc.com/story/18759824/dover-to-regulate-bamboo

2.Smyrna, DE                                                                                          10 foot set back http://search.municode.com/html/12853/level3/PTIITOCO_CH74VE_ARTIVBA.html

3.Lewis Park   Newark, DE                                                                    Bamboo Ban – destroying tennis court  http://www.cityofnewarkde.us/archives/61/Bamboo%20Removal_with%20photos.pdf

New York:

4.Hempstead, NY                                                                                   Bamboo Ban                                                                             http://elmontcivic.com/index.php/town-news/351-hempstead-town-adopts-legislation-to-ban-invasive-bamboo-on-local-properties

5.Brookhaven, NY                                                                                  Bamboo Ban                                                                     http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/bamboo-ban-plans-reach-long-beach-brookhaven-1.3846701

http://www.northshoreoflongisland.com/Articles-News-i-2012-07-19-93156.112114-sub-Brookhaven-Town-Board-votes-to-ban-bamboo.html

6. Smithtown, NY                                                                                   10 foot set back                                                              http://ecode360.com/15100285?highlight=bamboo#15100285

7. Village of Branch, NY                                                                        10 foot set back                                                              http://villageofthebranch.homestead.com/bamboo.html

8. Saltaire, NY                                                                                         Bamboo Ban                                                                 http://www.saltaire.org/bamboo.pdf

9. Greenport Village, NY                                                                       Bamboo Ban                                                            http://suffolktimes.timesreview.com/2012/06/32943/greenport-village-considers-a-bamboo-ban/

10.Oyster Bay, NY                                                                                                                                                                 http://oysterbay.going.com/articles/tell-us-bamboo-epidemic-in-tobay-7b2ccb97

11.Long Beach, NY                                                                                                                                                                      http://longbeach.patch.com/groups/editors-picks/p/city-council-votes-to-restrict-bamboo-plantings

12. Woodsburgh, NY                                                                            Bamboo Ban                                             http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/woodsburgh-restricts-bamboo-cats-dogs-1.2819294

13.Babylon Village, NY                                                                         Bamboo Ban         http://www.lilanduseandzoning.com/2012/09/11/several-long-island-municipalities-adopt-bamboo-restrictions/

14.New York *called upon to add to states invasive list               unanimous vote                     http://www.northshoreoflongisland.com/Articles-Opinion-i-2012-09-27-93819.112114-sub-Editorial-Council-should-be-the-panda.html

15. Islip, NY                                                                                            proposed                                                                                  http://sachem.patch.com/articles/islip-notebook-town-looks-to-limit-bamboo-growth

16.Lake Grove, NY                                                                                                                            http://www.northshoreoflongisland.com/Articles-News-i-2012-09-27-93884.112114-sub-Huntington-Town-seeks-state-aid-with-pesky-bamboo-plant.html

17.Huntington, NY                                                                               proposed Dec 18 2012 resolution hearing                                                                                                                         http://www.northshoreoflongisland.com/Articles-News-i-2012-09-27-93884.112114

18. Ocean Beach, Fire Island, NY                                                      Bamboo Ban                                                           http://www.ecode360.com/7717482

New Jersey:

19.Wall, NJ                                                                                                                    http://www.wallnj.com/legal/2012/2012-21.pdf

20. Raritan, NJ                                                                                      proposed                                                                                   http://www.nj.com/hunterdon-county-democrat/index.ssf/2012/10/public_works_superintendent_ba.html

21.Toms River, NJ                                                                                                                               http://tomsriver.patch.com/articles/toms-river-to-crack-down-on-invasive-plants

22.Brick, NJ                                                                                                                                                                               http://brick.patch.com/articles/brick-officials-work-to-curb-invasive-plants                                                                                                                                                       

23.Lacey, NJ                                                                                                                                                             http://lacey.going.com/articles/committee-to-vote-on-wild-plant-ordinance-at-meeting-thursday

24.Lake Como, NJ                                                                                 proposed                                                                   http://haleybehre.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/9-27-bamboo.pdf   

25.Manchester, NJ                                                                                                                                                            http://manchester-nj.patch.com/articles/environmental-commission-considers-invasive-plants-ordinance

26.Long Branch, NJ                                                                                                                 http://www.app.com/videonetwork759857/1823122521001/Homeowner-speaks-about-invasive-bamboo

Pennsylvania:

27. Concord, PA                                                                                       10 foot set back http://delconewsnetwork.com/articles/2012/10/09/garnet_valley_press/news/doc50743effc1905506029621.txt

28.West Bradford, PA                                                                             40 foot set back    http://www.westbradford.org/downloads/2011Ordinances/11-01Bamboo.pdf

29.Rutledge, PA                                                                                       10 foot set back                                      http://www.rutledgepa.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/bamboo-ord-461-dec-2011.pdf

30.Haverford, PA                                                                                                                       http://www.haverfordtownship.com/egov/docs/1317927418_850616.pdf

31.Middletown, PA                                                                         http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2012/07/26/news/doc5010b9753a0e1332618081.txt

32.Rose Valley, PA                                                                                   proposed                                                                      http://www.rosevalleyborough.org/storage/minutes/rvbmins101012.pdf

33.Montgomery Township, PA                                                             proposed                                                     http://www.thereporteronline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20121128%2FNEWS01%2F121129591&template=printart

34. Doylestown, PA                                                                                 Bamboo classified Noxious - height 8 inches                                  http://www.doylestownpa.org/Download/Ordinances/No%20%20353.pdf_brush_grass_weeds.pdf

Maryland:

35.Mount Rainier, MD                                                                            Bamboo Ban proposed            

http://www.wusa9.com/news/article/232369/158/Bamboo-Ban-Considered

36.Cambridge, MD                                                                                    proposed              http://www.choosecambridge.com/index.php/news/667/208/City-Council-Minutes/

37.College Park, MD                                                                                                         http://www.collegeparkmd.gov/temp/Temp%20Docs/11-O-04.Chapter125.BAMBOO.pdf

Massachusetts:

38.Cambridge, MA                                                                                    proposing possible ban          http://www.wickedlocal.com/cambridge/news/x555035388/Cambridge-City-Council-in-60-seconds#axzz2FP8kh9lR

North Carolina:

39.Carolina Beach, NC                                                                                  proposed                          http://islandgazette.net/news-server5/index.php/news/local-and-state-news/local/16908-carolina-beach-considers-prohibiting-uncontrolled-bamboo-growth

Rhode Island:

40.Nether Providence, RI                                                                             10 foot set  back                   http://www.trulia.com/blog/stephen_sisman/2012/06/a_29

http://mainlinemedianews.com/articles/2012/06/23/main_line_suburban_life/news/doc4fdf5391b2192265356167.txt?viewmode=fullstory

California:

41. Loma Linda, Ca                                                                                        Nuisance abatement                                                                                                                                http://www.lomalinda-ca.gov/asp/admin/CityCouncilDoc/getCDoc.asp?ID=293