DNR seeking comments on Aquatic Plant Management Plan
Water hyacinth is a free-floating plant that occurs sporadically throughout the state with the major concentrations in the coastal plain because of the more moderate climate.
The Draft 2018 Aquatic Plant Management Plan is now available for public review and comment. Comments and suggestions should be submitted in writing or by email, and they must be received by the state Department of Natural Resources by April 26 to ensure they are given proper consideration in the final plan.
Anyone interested in providing input should contact SCDNR Aquatic Nuisance Species Program Leader Chris Page. No telephone messages will be considered. Comments on additional areas of problematic aquatic vegetation on the state’s public lakes and waterways should be addressed and sent to previously mentioned contacts.
SCDNR, in conjunction with the S.C. Aquatic Plant Management Council, is responsible for the management of nuisance aquatic plants in the state's public waters. Each year, SCDNR and the council prepare an Aquatic Plant Management Plan that identifies aquatic weed problem areas, prescribes management strategies, and determines funding requirements. Since the inception of the program in 1981, more than 160,000 acres of invasive aquatic vegetation in public waters have been controlled to improve wildlife and fisheries habitat, public recreational access, drinking water supplies, and other uses.
Page can be reached by writing Chris Page, c/o SCDNR, 2730 Fish Hatchery Road, West Columbia, SC 29170, or by emailing invasiveweeds@dnr.sc.gov.
