Brookhaven Draws Battle Lines Against Invasive Kudzu And Bamboo

From the City of Brookhaven:

June 29, 2021

At its regularly scheduled business meeting Tuesday, June 29, the Brookhaven City Council adopted changes to its Code of Ordinances to define invasive vegetative species and prohibiting the growth which encroaches on other properties.

The changes to 16-193 – Vegetation and Debris – were updated to define what invasive species are, and that invasive species that grow from one private property to another is a nuisance and prohibited under City Code.

Under the Code, invasive species most notably include Kudzu, English Ivy, Privet, and bamboo; but also include any species on the Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council (EPPC) Invasive Plant List, found here: https://www.gaeppc.org/list/

The changes to the ordinance do not make the mere existence of any of these species illegal, as long as they are maintained within the confines of a private property and do not grow beyond the property lines into the property of another.

“As recently as a few months ago, myself, the Mayor and other City Council members, and City staff had been contacted by citizens raising concerns about invasive vegetation encroaching from one neighbor’s yard to another’s. After reviewing all of the issues, we determined the City can and should modify the Code to require removal and control of such vegetation as it relates to growth from one property to another,” said District 3 Council Member Madeleine Simmons. “The changes to the code, quite simply, are in response to the community demand for clarity and enforcement of this quality-of-life issue.”

This press release was produced by the City of Brookhaven. The views expressed here are the author’s own.