Six Species Added to Michigan’s Invasive Plant Lists Following MI Commission of Ag & Rural Development Vote

May 22, 2026
2:05 pm

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The Michigan Commission of Agriculture and Rural Development just delivered a quiet but significant win for property rights and practical land management by adding six notorious invasive plants to the state’s restricted and prohibited lists. Common buckthorn, glossy buckthorn, Callery pear, and Japanese barberry will face new sales and planting restrictions starting in 2028, while the notorious aquatic invaders water hyacinth and water lettuce become fully prohibited this summer. With over 90 percent of 2,000 public comments backing the move, it’s clear most Michiganders are tired of watching these aggressive species choke out native habitat, ruin hunting grounds, and drive up the real cost of owning and stewarding land. For the 2A community, this isn’t some distant environmental footnote. Invasive plants directly impact the quality of the woods, fields, and wetlands we rely on for responsible firearms training, hunting, and conservation work. Buckthorn thickets create impenetrable walls that reduce sight lines for safe shooting, harbor ticks at higher densities, and crowd out the native mast trees and understory that support healthy deer, turkey, and small game populations. Callery pear and Japanese barberry similarly degrade edge habitat and biodiversity. Every acre lost to these biological pollutants is an acre that no longer supports the kind of robust wildlife management and outdoor heritage that responsible gun owners have championed for generations. The timing is also instructive. While some politicians push ever more restrictive gun laws under the banner of “public safety,” Michigan is simultaneously recognizing that genuine stewardship sometimes requires drawing clear lines against destructive forces, whether they are invasive species or unconstitutional infringements. This vote demonstrates that targeted, evidence-based restrictions on things that actually cause widespread harm enjoy broad public support. The same principle should apply when evaluating firearm regulations. Law-abiding citizens who manage land, control invasives, and pass on hunting and shooting traditions are part of the solution, not the problem. Michigan’s decisive action on these six plants quietly reinforces that good stewardship and individual liberty can, and should, go hand in hand.

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For the 2A community, this isn’t some distant environmental footnote. Invasive plants directly impact the quality of the woods, fields, and wetlands we rely on for responsible firearms training, hunting, and conservation work. Buckthorn thickets create impenetrable walls that reduce sight lines for safe shooting, harbor ticks at higher densities, and crowd out the native mast trees and understory that support healthy deer, turkey, and small game populations. Callery pear and Japanese barberry similarly degrade edge habitat and biodiversity. Every acre lost to these biological pollutants is an acre that no longer supports the kind of robust wildlife management and outdoor heritage that responsible gun owners have championed for generations.

The timing is also instructive. While some politicians push ever more restrictive gun laws under the banner of “public safety,” Michigan is simultaneously recognizing that genuine stewardship sometimes requires drawing clear lines against destructive forces, whether they are invasive species or unconstitutional infringements. This vote demonstrates that targeted, evidence-based restrictions on things that actually cause widespread harm enjoy broad public support. The same principle should apply when evaluating firearm regulations. Law-abiding citizens who manage land, control invasives, and pass on hunting and shooting traditions are part of the solution, not the problem. Michigan’s decisive action on these six plants quietly reinforces that good stewardship and individual liberty can, and should, go hand in hand.

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