The Policy and Legislation Committee promotes consistent and effective policies and legislation to prevent and control ANS throughout the northeast. The committee's activities provide support for the adoption of state, provincial, and regional ANS policies, management plans, and regulatory and legislative authorities. In particular, the committee seeks to elevate policy-makers' interest in addressing prevention and management issues. Additionally, the committee assists and provides input to the ANS Task Force on national projects and policies, including reauthorization of the National Invasive Species Act.
2005-2006 Workplan

• Draft a Memorandum of Understanding to engage all of the Northeast States in the regional hydrilla eradication effort.
• Create briefing materials concerning the hydrilla eradication effort.

• Produced summaries of ANS legislation for each of the northeast states.
• Conducted a workshop, "Implementing Rapid Response to Aquatic Nuisance Species in the Northeast: Key Components of a Successful Program" (260K, pdf), May 2005.

Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont currently have legislation that put restrictions on certain species of aquatic nuisance plants (see list of plants below). In Connecticut, Public Act 04-203 makes it illegal to move, sell, purchase, transplant, cultivate, or distribute banned plants. In Maine, An Act to Prevent the Spread of Invasive Aquatic Plants makes it illegal to sell, propagate, or introduce banned plants. Chapter 128, Section 20A of the General Laws of Massachusetts says that no one may knowingly transplant, transport, plant, or traffic in water chestnut, or its seeds or nuts, or cause the water chestnuts' growth or spread. In New Hampshire, RSA 487: 16-a prohibits the sale, distribution, importation, purchase, propagation, transportation, or introduction into the state of fourteen exotic aquatic weeds. Article 11, Title 5, Section 11-0509 of the Environmental Conservation Chapter of the New York State Consolidated Laws puts the same restrictions on water chestnut as Massachusetts' law. In Vermont, V.S.A. Title 10, Chapter 47, Section 1026 says that no person shall transport Eurasian water milfoil or water chestnut to or from any Vermont surface water. In addition, the Vermont Department of Agriculture, Food, and Markets established a noxious weed quarantine regulation by the authority of V.S.A. Title 6, Chapter 84, Section 1034. The rule designates plants as Class A or B noxious weeds. The movement, sale, possession, cultivation, and/or distribution of Class A Noxious Weeds is prohibited. The movement, sale, and/or distribution of Class B Noxious Weeds is prohibited.

• Banned or Restricted Plants List (26K, pdf)
• Implementing Rapid Response to Aquatic Nuisance Species in the Northeast: Key Components of a Successful Program - workshop proceedings (248K, pdf)
• Northeast Legislation Summaries:
• Connecticut (97K, pdf)
• Maine ( 104K, pdf)
• Massachusetts ( 88K, pdf)
• New Hampshire (97K, pdf)
• New York ( 98K, pdf)
• Rhode Island ( 85K, pdf)
• Vermont ( 100K, pdf)

Bill Hyatt, CT Department of Protection
Susannah L. King, New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission