The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is developing rules to address invasive species in Wisconsin, including invasive terrestrial and aquatic plants. The proposed rules will establish a classification and regulatory system for invasive species. Specifically the rules will set restrictions on actions such as sales, transporting and planting or releasing certain species to the wild without a permit and allow DNR to work with local units of government and landowners to quickly contain new infestations of species likely to become problematic. Currently the proposed rule suggests specific species be ranked in one of the following categories:

- Prohibited - means those invasive species that are not currently found in Wisconsin, with the exception of small pioneer stands of terrestrial plants and aquatic species that are isolated to a specific watershed in the state or the Great Lakes, but which, if introduced into the state, are likely to survive and spread, potentially causing significant environmental or economic harm or harm to human health. - Restricted - means those invasive species that are already established in the state and cause or have the potential to cause significant environmental or economic harm or harm to human health and includes established nonnative fish and crayfish, fish in the aquaculture trade, fish in the aquarium trade, and non-viable fish species. - Caution - means those species that cannot be placed in other categories such as prohibited, restricted, or non-restricted because they are not currently found in the state and their potential for invasiveness in Wisconsin is unknown. - Non-restricted - means are those species that may have some beneficial uses or negative impacts on the environment but are already integrated into Wisconsin's ecosystems so that control or eradication is not practical or feasible. - Pending - means species that we are not assessing for classification at this time, but plan to in future rule revisions.

DNR will hold a series of public hearings around the state in August to inform citizens of the proposed rules. If you are interested in this issue I urge that you read the pertinent information and comment on the proposed rule.

Public Hearing Locations:

Additional information:

- To access the official public hearing site for this rule, go to https://apps.dhfs.state.wi.us/admrules/public/Rmo?nRmoId=505.

- To access the DNR's website with more detailed information on the rule, go to http://dnr.wi.gov/invasives/classification/

- If you choose to comment via email, please address it to: DNRNR40Comments@wisconsin.gov

- If you choose to comment in writing, please address it to: NR 40 Comments, Endangered Resources-6, DNR, Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707-7921

            Please forward to interested parties.

 

See the Table below for a list of species that have been reviewed to date and have the following proposed rankings:

 

Recommended Category/ Classification	Common Name	Species and Genus
Prohibited	Porcelain berry	Ampelopsis brevipedunculata
	Wild chervil	Anthriscus sylvestris
	Hill mustard	Bunias orientalis
	Yellow star thistle	Centaurea solstitialis
	Poison hemlock	Conium maculatum
	Scotch broom	Cytisus scoparius
	Chinese yam	Dioscorea oppositifolia
	Hairy willow herb	Epilobium hirsutum
	Giant hogweed	Heracleum mantegazzianum
	Perennial pepperweed	Lepidium latifolium
	Sericea lespedeza	Lespedeza cuneata = Lespedeza sericea
	Japanese honeysuckle	Lonicera japonica
	Japanese stilt grass	Microstegium vimineum
	Princess tree	Paulownia tomentosa
	Mile-a-minute vine	Polygonum perfoliatum
	Giant knotweed	Polygonum sacchalinense = Fallopia sacchalinense
	Kudzu	Pueraria montana = Pueraria lobata
	Sawtooth oak	Quercus acutissima
	Wineberry	Rubus phoenicolasius
	Spreading hedge parsley	Torilis arvensis
	Pale swallow-wort	Vincetoxicum rossicum = Cynanchum rossicum
Restricted/ Prohibited	Celandine	Chelidonium majus
	European marsh thistle	Cirsium palustre
	Tall manna grass	Glyceria maxima
	Japanese hops	Humulus japonicus
	Lyme grass	Leymus arenarius = Elymus arenarius
	Amur honeysuckle	Lonicera maackii
	Japanese hedge-parsley	Torilis japonicus
	Black swallowwort	Vincetoxicum nigrum = Cynanchum louiseae
Restricted	Tree-of-Heaven	Ailanthus altissima
	Garlic mustard	Alliaria petiolata
	Creeping Bellflower	Campanula rapunculoides
	Plumeless thistle	Carduus acanthoides
	Musk thistle	Carduus nutans
	Oriental bittersweet	Celastrus orbiculatus = Celastrus orbiculata
	Spotted knapweed	Centaurea biebersteinii = Centaurea stoebe
	Canadian thistle	Cirsium arvense
	Hound’s tongue	Cynoglossum officinale
	Cut-leaved teasel	Dipsacus laciniatus
	Common teasel	Dipsacus sylvestris = Dipsacus fullonum subsp. sylvestris
	Russian olive	Elaeagnus angustifolia
	Autumn olive	Elaeagnus umbellata
	Helliborine orchid	Epipactis helleborine
	Cypress spurge	Euphorbia cyparrissias
	Leafy spurge	Euphorbia esula
	Glossy buckthorn	Frangula alnus = Rhamnus frangula
	Hemp nettle	Galeopsis tetrahit
	Dame's rocket	Hesperis matronalis
	European bush honeysuckles	Lonicera tactarica, L. morrowii, L. bella
	Purple loosestrife	Lythrum salicaria
	Wild parnsip	Pastinaca sativa
	Phragmites, Common reed	Phragmites australis
	Japanese knotweed	Polygonum cuspidatum = Fallopia japonica
	Common buckthorn	Rhamnus cathartica
	Multiflora rose	Rosa multiflora
	Common tansy	Tanacetum vulgare
	Narrow-leaf cattail	Typha angustifolia
	Cattail hybrid	Typha x glauca
Caution	Blackberry lily	Belamcanda chinensis
Non-Restricted	Hoary alyssum	Berteroa incana
	Scotch pine	Pinus sylvestris
	Callery pear	Pyrus calleryana
Pending	Reed canary grass	Phalaris arundinacea