TOPEKA (KSNT) - The Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA) is pushing for action against an invasive species growing across the state.
The KDA said in a press release on Thursday, Jan. 11 that it is moving to enact a permanent quarantine for callery pear trees. A public hearing on this topic is scheduled at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 24 at 1320 Research Park Dr. in Manhattan. It will also be available via a video conferencing system.
The permanent quarantine would impact the entire state of Kansas, prohibiting the movement of all seeds, plants or pieces of callery pear trees. This will also include trees with the common names of Bradford, Cleveland select, chanticleer and others. All other trees which are the result of grafting another species onto a callery pear rootstock would also be prohibited.
The KDA received much input from the public in 2023 supporting a quarantine due to the callery pear's invasive nature and tendency to spread to areas outside of the places where it was originally planted. While the KDA recommends removing all invasive species found growing on public and private lands, this proposal would not include any requirement for removing callery pear trees that are already planted. A three-year grace period is included in the proposal, with quarantine restrictions being enforced after Jan. 1, 2027.
Callery pears have also been show to harm the environment by breaking apart during periods of violent weather, causing damage to structures and other property. Other organizations, like the Kansas Forest Service and Evergy, have opened tree buyback programs to help eliminate the invasive species.
More information on the quarantine proposal from the KDA, along with an expanded notice of public hearing, can be found by clicking here. Those wanting to access the meeting virtually must register ahead of time. Written comments can be submitted on the public comment website before the hearing or sent to the KDA at 1320 Research Park Drive in Manhattan. Requests for special accommodations for this meeting can be made by calling 785-564-6715 or sending an email to ronda.hutton@ks.gov.
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