A public hearing will be conducted at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 26, 2019, to consider the issuance of a permanent quarantine regarding Caucasian Bluestem and Yellow Bluestem, commonly known as Old World Bluestem, within the state of Kansas. The hearing will be held in room 124 on the first floor of the Kansas Department of Agriculture, 1320 Research Park Dr. in Manhattan.

The quarantine would restrict movement into or within the state of Kansas. Regulated items under quarantine would include the following: all seeds, plants, or parts of the plant of either Caucasian Bluestem or Yellow Bluestem (Bothriochloa bladhii and Bothriochloa ischaemum) capable of growing or propagation. A copy of the proposed quarantine may be accessed on the KDA website at agriculture.ks.gov/PublicComment.

All interested persons may attend the hearing and may present comments either orally or in writing, or both. In order to give all parties an opportunity to present their views, it may be necessary to request that each participant limit oral presentations to five minutes.

Written comments and requests for information concerning the proposed quarantine should be directed to Jeff Vogel, Plant Protection and Weed Control Program Manager, Kansas Department of Agriculture, 1320 Research Park Dr., Manhattan, KS 66502, or at Jeff.Vogel@ks.gov. Written comments can be submitted on the public comment website prior to the hearing as well.

Any individual with a disability may request accommodation in order to participate in the public hearing and may request a copy of the quarantine in an accessible format. Persons who require special accommodations must make their needs known at least five days prior to the hearing. For more information, including special accommodations or a copy of the quarantine, please contact Ronda Hutton, 785-564-6715.

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WHAT:          Public hearing on proposed permanent quarantine for Caucasian Bluestem and Yellow Bluestem

WHEN:          10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 26, 2019

WHERE:       Kansas Department of Agriculture, 1320 Research Park Dr., Manhattan