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<subtitle article="gag" title_number="9.5" subtitle_number="1" title_name="Invasive Plants Prevention and Control" subtitle_name="Definitions">
  <section article="gag" article_name="Agriculture" number="9.5-101" title_number="9.5" title_name="Invasive Plants Prevention and Control" subtitle_number="1" subtitle_name="Definitions">
    <level label="a">
      <text>In this title the following words have the meanings indicated.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="b">
      <text>“Classify as a prohibited invasive plant” means the Secretary is including an invasive plant on the Consolidated List of Maryland Invasive Plant Species in accordance with §§ 9.5–301 and 9.5–301.1 of this title.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="c">
      <text>“Committee” means the Invasive Plants Advisory Committee.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="d">
      <text>“Consolidated List of Maryland Invasive Plant Species” means a list of plant species classified as prohibited invasive plants in accordance with §§ 9.5–301 and 9.5–301.1 of this title.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="e">
      <text>“Early Detection Rapid Response (EDRR) plant species” means a nonnative plant species that:</text>
      <level label="1">
        <text>Is not yet widespread in the State but is at risk of:</text>
        <level label="i">
          <text>Becoming established as an invasive species; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="ii">
          <text>Causing significant damage; and</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="2">
        <level label="i">
          <text>Has been found in at least one native species habitat in the State; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="ii">
          <text>Has not yet been found in the State.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="f">
      <text>“Expert assessor” means:</text>
      <level label="1">
        <text>An individual or a team within the Department or the Department of Natural Resources; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="2">
        <text>A qualified independent assessor.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="g">
      <level label="1">
        <text>“Invasive plant” means any living part of a plant species or its subspecies that:</text>
        <level label="i">
          <text>Did not evolve in the State; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="ii">
          <text>If introduced within the State, will cause or is likely to cause, as determined by the Secretary:</text>
          <level label="1">
            <text>Economic harm;</text>
          </level>
          <level label="2">
            <text>Ecological harm;</text>
          </level>
          <level label="3">
            <text>Environmental harm; or</text>
          </level>
          <level label="4">
            <text>Harm to human health.</text>
          </level>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="2">
        <text>“Invasive plant” includes a commercial or noncommercial plant that is terrestrial or aquatic and meets the definition under paragraph (1) of this subsection.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="h">
      <text>“Invasive plant species status assessment protocol” means a protocol based on the NatureServe’s 2004 protocol (“An Invasive Species Assessment Protocol: Evaluating Non–Native Plants for Their Impact on Biodiversity. Version 1.”).</text>
    </level>
    <level label="i">
      <level label="1">
        <text>“Invasiveness rank” means a rank assigned to a nonnative species to signify its level of invasiveness based on the results of an invasive assessment protocol.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="2">
        <text>“Invasiveness rank” includes an invasiveness significance ranking of high, medium, low, or insignificant.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="j">
      <text>“Landscaping services” includes services for ornamental horticultural design, maintenance, and installation of living plants.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="k">
      <text>“Prohibited invasive plant” includes invasive plant species that cause or are likely to cause severe harm within the State.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="l">
      <text>“Qualified independent assessor” means an individual or a team that:</text>
      <level label="1">
        <text>Possesses at least 2 years of field experience in invasive plant species in Maryland or in nearby jurisdictions, including Washington, D.C., Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="2">
        <text>Has assessed invasive plant species without supervision from the Department, the Department of Natural Resources, or the Committee.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="m">
      <text>“Watch List” means a list of plant species that:</text>
      <level label="1">
        <text>Have been assessed by an expert assessor in accordance with § 9.5–301 of this title;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="2">
        <text>Were not determined by the assessment to be eligible for classification as a prohibited invasive plant; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="3">
        <text>May be reassessed in the future.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </section>
</subtitle>