Washington counties may establish Horticultural Pest and Disease Boards to more effectively control and prevent the spread of horticultural pests and diseases. The boards may determine which pests and diseases must be controlled, receive complaints concerning infestation of horticultural pests, inspect any parcel of land to determine the presence of pests, order any landowner to control pests and prevent their spread from the property, or control the pests and charge the landowner for the expense of the control work.
Boards can be created by presenting a petition signed by 25 landowners to the county commissioners, or the commissioners can formulate a board on their own initiative, following a public hearing.
Members of the board are appointed by the Country Commissioners, with the horticultural inspector-at-large for the county involved being a mandatory voting member. Operational funds for the board must be provided by the Commissioners.
Complaints are to be submitted to the board in writing. For more information on submitting a complaint, contact your District Horticultural Inspector or your county Washington State University Extension agent.
Boards are located in the following counties:
- Adams
- Benton
- Franklin
- Chelan-Douglas
- Grant
- Kittitas
- Klickitat
- Okanogan
- Skagit
- Spokane
- Walla Walla
- Whatcom
- Yakima