El Paso County, CO Invasive Plant Rules: Prohibited Species (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger
- land on Noxious Weed Map
- Requirement
- noxious weed management plan
- Species list source
- C.R.S. § 35-5.5-101 et seq.
- Related ordinance
- County Ordinance 14-097
Summary
Development on land flagged on the county's Noxious Weed Map must address state-listed noxious weeds with a management plan before permits are approved.
This Section shall apply to all lands and the review and approval of development applications and permits for land identified on the Noxious Weed Map or identified by the Forestry and Noxious Weed Manager as containing noxious weeds or adjacent to lands containing noxious weeds.
(3) Target Weeds of Concern. The target weeds that are of concern and which are the subject of this requirement are those noxious weeds as described in the Colorado Noxious Weed Act, C.R.S. §§ 35-5.5-101, et seq., and any amendments thereto, and any applicable El Paso County ordinance.
(B) Noxious Weed Management.
(1) Noxious Weed Management and Plan Required. Noxious weed management shall be undertaken in association with a development application and permit when noxious weeds are identified on the Noxious Weed Map or by the Forestry and Noxious Weed Manager as being located on the subject property. Noxious weeds shall be addressed through the preparation of a noxious weed management plan.
(2) Early Consultation with ESD. The ESD should be consulted prior to submittal of a development application. The ESD input should be reflected in the design of the project.
(3) Site Control Measures. Topsoil stockpiles shall be managed and disturbance should be minimized to control noxious weeds.
(4) Limit of Noxious Weed Management Plan or Action. A noxious weed management plan or any action taken under this Section to control
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Land Development Code: Supplement 3 | Drainage Criteria Manual: Publication | Engineering Criteria Manual: Supplement 3 | Ordinances: Reformat).
Full Breakdown
LDC § 6.3.7 requires development applications on land identified on the Noxious Weed Map, or flagged by the Forestry and Noxious Weed Manager, to address noxious weeds through a required management plan. The 'target weeds' regulated are those already listed under the Colorado Noxious Weed Act, C.R.S. §§ 35-5.5-101 et seq., plus any applicable county ordinance; the county doesn't set its own separate prohibited-species list. The Land Development Code also references County Ordinance 14-097, a Noxious Weed Management Plan Update, adopted under the same authority.
Violations & Fines
Submitting a development application without the required noxious weed management plan can stall permit approval, and non-compliance is enforceable as a Code violation under LDC § 11.3.2, including a PCD Director notice of violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does El Paso County have its own list of banned invasive plants?
When does the noxious weed requirement apply to my project?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in El Paso County
Compare El Paso County to another location·View the Colorado invasive plant rules overview
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