A community of practice, called the Vermont Invasive Exotic Plant Committee (VIEPC), that has been around in an ad hoc fashion since the 1990s, used to maintain an unofficial watch list of plants that are known to be invasive, and may or may not be present yet in Vermont. The watch list was last updated in 2017, and the link to the complete list of Quarantined and Watch list species is also below.

Together, members of this community of practice would:

• Promote cooperative efforts to address invasive exotic plant issues

• Educate the public, special interest groups and policymakers about invasive plants

• Compile information on invasive plants and facilitate access to the information

• Develop and maintain an unofficial watch list of invasive plants

In 2023, the Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets stood up an official advisory committee, called the Vermont Invasive Exotic Plant Advisory Committee (VIEPAC); VIEPAC is 15 members appointed by the Secretary and is comprised of state, and federal agency subject matter experts, university researchers, representatives of nongovernmental organizations and the private sector.

To learn more about the Vermont Noxious Weed Quarantine, VIEPAC, and for a complete list of Quarantined plants, check out this site from the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets, who oversees the Quarantine.

Pictured, is one of the new additions to the Watch list, European Spindletree, a relative of Burning bush. 

Article Credit: E Spinney, VT FPR

Photo Credit: European Spindletree, 5399623, Robert Videki, Doronicum Kft, CC Non-com 3.0 http://www.ipmimages.org/browse/detail.cfm?imgnum=5399623