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Legal Rights

If your trees are diseased or infested with pests, please be responsible and remove them. Our tree fruit industry needs your help! RCW 15.08 and RCW 15.09 explains how landowners are required to maintain their trees so that pests and diseases do not spread from their property to others. 

The Horticultural Pest and Disease Board provides advice to homeowners and assists them with problems related to tree fruit. 

RCW 15.09.060  

Owner's duty to control pests and diseases.  Each owner of land containing any plant or plants shall perform or cause to be performed such acts as may be necessary to control and to prevent the spread of horticultural pests and diseases, as such pests and diseases are defined under RCW 15.08.010, as now or hereafter amended, or as such pests and diseases are defined by the director of the department of agriculture in accordance with the purpose of this chapter and with the provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act, chapter 34.05 RCW. The word "owner" as used in this section shall mean the possessor or possessors of any form of legal or equitable title to land and entitlement to possession. For purposes of liability under this chapter, the owners of land shall be jointly and severally liable.  [1969 c 113 s 6.]

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