Fines take effect for spreading bamboo
The Fairfax County ordinance that prohibits bamboo spreading to neighboring yards takes effect today, Jan. 1, 2023.
The Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance last March setting fines for homeowners who let running bamboo spread beyond their property line.
The ordinance is enforced on a complaint basis. If a property owner finds bamboo encroached into their yard, they can file a complaint with the Department of Code Compliance.
Related story: Supervisors set fines for invasive bamboo
Property owners can file a complaint online. County staff would first encourage voluntary compliance. If that doesn’t work, the county could issue a notice of violation and take the property owner to court.
The court could then set a fine of $50 a day, up to a maximum of $2,000 in a 12‑month period.
Running bamboo roots can be contained using a barrier made of certain kinds of high-density plastic or metal. The plant can also be managed through regular mowing and herbicides.
According to Fairfax County, running bamboo is an aggressively invasive plan that harms the natural environment and suppresses native plant species.
The county has invasive bamboo EVERYWHERE that they never cut down that spreads to residential neighborhoods. No matter how much I cut the bamboo in my backyard, it would keep coming from the massive patch on county land. The county should eliminate their bamboo first. OR the law should have a stipulation that a homeowner can’t be fined if encroaching bamboo that spreads across property lines originated from county property. This is absurd.