New Penalties Adopted For Controlling Bamboo In Fairfax County

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to amend a zoning ordinance that will provide greater enforcement powers for the county to control the spread of running bamboo.

Running bamboo is an invasive species and can quickly spread to neighboring properties. Once established, it can be very difficult to remove.

The amended ordinance means that property owners will be assessed a $50 civil penalty for allowing bamboo to spread to other properties. For any subsequent violation of the ordinance, property owners will be assessed a $200 penalty. Total penalties will not be allowed to exceed $2,000 in a year, according to the amended ordinance.

The new ordinance will take effect Jan. 1, 2023.

Many homeowners plant bamboo for its screening qualities. But the same qualities that make it great for screening also make it difficult to control, county staff said.

County Executive Bryan Hill made the recommendation for changing the code in January. Last month, the county held a public hearing on the proposed ordinance and "received great feedback from our residents to ensure a final ordinance works for everyone," county staff said.

Planting bamboo is not illegal, but property owners must ensure they keep it contained on their property. Investigations into the spread of bamboo will be complaint-driven. For a case to be opened by Fairfax County's Department of Code Compliance, a resident must first report a potential violation to the county.

Property owners will not be required to control bamboo that spread prior to the enactment of the ordinance on March 22.

RELATED: Civil Fines Considered For Property Owners Not Controlling Bamboo