Thurston County, WA Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

010: to limit economic loss and adverse effects to the county's agricultural, natural, and human resources from the presence and spread of noxious weeds, and to establish measures containing certain noxious weeds designated by the Thurston County Noxious Weed Control Board. 020, authority to administer and enforce the chapter, and applies it in all unincorporated areas of the county, including designated urban growth areas, so it reaches rural acreage and unincorporated suburban lots alike rather than singling out farmland. Rather than setting a blanket height limit for weeds or grass, the board designates specific noxious weeds as 'target species' and can then establish containment areas and management standards for parcels where that species is present, reviewing Type II and III development permit applications inside those containment areas for conditions that prevent the weed's spread.

090: failing to comply with the board's management standards, a cease-and-desist order, or a permit condition issued under the chapter is unlawful, and each day a violation continues is charged as a separate offense. Property owners, anyone who engages in the violating activity, and anyone who aids or abets it can each be held individually liable. The board may issue a cease-and-desist or stop-work order directly, and the violator is on the hook for all costs, fees, and expenses the county incurs enforcing compliance.