A public hearing will be conducted at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, to consider the issuance of a proposed permanent quarantine regarding Callery Pear trees. The hearing will be held in person at the Kansas Department of Agriculture at 1320 Research Park Dr. in Manhattan, as well as via video conferencing system.
KDA is proposing a permanent quarantine that would affect the entire state of Kansas and would prohibit movement of all seeds, plants, or parts of the plant of Callery Pear trees (Pyrus calleryana Decaisne) including trees with the common names of Bradford, Cleveland Select, Chanticleer, and others. Any trees that are the result of grafting another species onto a Callery Pear rootstock would be prohibited.
Significant public input was received in the summer of 2023 to support the issuance of a quarantine due to this tree’s inherent invasiveness and its proven tendency to spread to areas outside of the landscapes in which it is planted. Quarantine of a plant pest is allowed under the provisions of K.S. A. 2-2117.
Although KDA recommends the removal of all invasive species found to be growing on public and private lands, this proposal would not include any requirement for the removal of any Callery pear trees that had already been planted. While the proposed quarantine would become effective this year, the language includes a three-year grace period. The quarantine restrictions would not be enforced until January 1, 2027.
A copy of the proposed quarantine, as well as an expanded notice of public hearing, may be accessed on the KDA website at agriculture.ks.gov/PublicComment. Anyone desiring to participate via video conference must pre-register to be provided with a video link. Written comments can be submitted on the public comment web page prior to the hearing or sent to the Kansas Department of Agriculture, 1320 Research Park Dr., Manhattan, KS, 66502.
Any individual with a disability may request accommodations in order to participate in the public hearing and may request a copy of the regulations in an accessible format. Persons who require special accommodations must make their needs known at least two working days prior to the hearing. For more information, including special accommodations or a copy of the regulation, please contact Ronda Hutton at 785-564-6715 or Ronda.Hutton@ks.gov.
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WHAT: Public hearing on proposed permanent quarantine of Callery Pear trees
WHEN: 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 24, 2024
WHERE: Kansas Department of Agriculture
1320 Research Park Dr., Manhattan, Kansas
Or virtual: via video conferencing system