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SUBJECTS › LEGAL › NUISANCES › Regulating Weeds and Noxious Weeds
Updated 03/07

Regulating Weeds and Noxious Weeds

Contents

About Uncontrolled Weeds

The need to regulate the growth of uncontrolled weeds and other vegetation include: the prevention of serious fire hazards, the removal of obstructions or interfere with streets and sidewalks, the prevention of noxious weed infestation, and neighborhood preservation. Weeds tend to overgrow or choke out more desirable plants such as desired crops, flowers gardens and lawn cover and may become detrimental to public health. See also Nuisances - Vegetation.

There are statutory provisions in  RCW 35.21.310 for any class of city or town to enact a general ordinance to require the owner of a property to remove or destroy grass, weed, shrubs, bushes or trees which are growing or which have grown and died from property owned or occupied by them which are a fire hazard or a menace to public health, safety or welfare.   Noxious weeds are addressed in RCW 17.10  - Noxious Weeds – Control Boards.  A noxious weed is defined as a plant that when established is highly destructive, competitive, or difficult to control by cultural or chemical practices. A state noxious weed list appears  in Ch. 16-750 WAC. An additional reference source for noxious weeds is the Noxious Weeds in the U.S. and Canada Database at the University of Montana, supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Some local jurisdictions have broadened the definition of weed to include both the state list of noxious weeds and other weeds that are commonly considered a nuisance.  An example is the definition found in a few municipalities.  Information on  eradicating weeds can be obtained from Agricultural Extension Offices around the state.

Statutes and Regulations

Weed Control Provisions Included in General Nuisance Ordinances

Separate Weed Control Provisions

  • Bellevue City Code  Chapter 14.06 - Trees, Weeds, and Vegetation
  • Edmonds Municipal  Code Chapter 6.30 - Noxious Weeds
  • Kent Municipal Code  Chapter 8.07 - Weeds and Vegetation
  • Kirkland Municipal  Code Chapter 9.12 - Control of Vegetation
  • Redmond Municipal, Code  Chapter 6.12  - Noxious Weed Control and Tree Regulations

County Weed Control Programs

Milfoil Removal Programs

Fire Season Weed Abatement

Integrated Weed Control

Additional Reference Sources

Provisions from General Nuisance Ordinances Not Available on Web

  • Ellensburg Municipal Code 5.40.40 – Time for Removal – Maximum Height of Weeds.  All such hazardous weeds, grass, shrubs, bushes, tress, or other vegetation on such lots, parcels, or tracts of real property within the City limits of the City of Ellensburg, including abutting parking strips, and/or the nontraveled portions of public right-of-way abutting upon private property, shall be cut and destroyed at least once each month during the months of May through September or more often if ordered by the  City Manager or agent designated by him, and in no event shall any such hazardous weeds, grass, shrubs bushes, trees , or other vegetation be allowed to exceed one foot in growth height; provided further, that no such hazardous weeds, grass, shrubs, bushes, trees, or any other  vegetation shall be allowed  to exceed six inches in growth height with twenty feed of any building (Ord. 3493 s2, 1985) [Back to List]
  • LaConner Municipal Code 7.10.020 Types of nuisances....    (11)(f) Any poison oak or poison ivy, Russian Thistle, Bull and Canadian Thistle, Evergreen and Himalayan blackberries, Tansy Ragwort and other noxious weeds, whether growing or otherwise, including, but not limited to any noxious weeds identified by the Skagit County Noxious Weed Control Board; but nothing herein shall prevent the temporary retention of such weeds in approved covered receptacles;....[Ord. 672 §§ 1, 2, 1995; Ord. 567 § 2, 1989; Ord. 536 § 2, 1986.] [Back to List]
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