Chapel Hill does not maintain a separate prohibited-plant species list in its Code of Ordinances. Uncontrolled noxious or invasive vegetation is enforced through the Town's general public-nuisance authority and the LUMO Appendix A Section 5.7.6 list of invasive exotic species that are explicitly excluded from the protected 'specimen tree' category (Norway maple, Bradford pear, and 9 others). The NC Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) Plant Industry Division maintains the statewide noxious-weed list under 2 NCAC 48A .1701.
Chapel Hill's primary tools for nuisance vegetation are the Town's Code of Ordinances and LUMO Appendix A enforcement provisions. The Town has not adopted a stand-alone prohibited-plant species list applicable to private property, but LUMO Section 5.7.6 explicitly excludes eleven invasive exotic species from the protected 'specimen tree' category — including Norway maple (Acer platanoides), Bradford pear (Pyrus calleryana), tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima), mimosa (Albizia julibrissin), and Princess tree (Paulownia tomentosa). The practical effect is that those species do not count toward Town canopy-retention requirements and can be removed during development without triggering Section 5.7 protections. State-level noxious-weed designations come from NCDA&CS Plant Industry Division under 2 NCAC 48A .1701 (cogongrass, beach vitex, etc.), which preempts inconsistent local rules for designated species and authorizes statewide quarantines. Chapel Hill Code Enforcement (Building & Development Services) handles complaints about uncontrolled vegetation under the general nuisance framework. State preemption under NCGS 160D-921 limits Town regulation of forestry on present-use-value forestland or forester-managed forests, but does not bar nuisance abatement of noxious weeds on developed or vacant residential lots. The Orange County Cooperative Extension provides invasive-species identification and management guidance for Chapel Hill residents.
Violations are abated under the Chapel Hill Code Enforcement schedule with notice and opportunity to cure. Civil penalties under LUMO Appendix A may run up to $500 per violation per day for continued non-compliance, with each day a separate offense. The Town may abate at the owner's expense and assess the cost as a lien against the lot. State-level quarantine violations on NCDA&CS-listed noxious weeds are enforced by the Plant Industry Division.
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