More towns consider bamboo ban

Babylon Village may soon join the Town of Smithtown and the Fire Island villages of Saltaire and Ocean Beach in restricting bamboo.

Village trustees on Tuesday night proposed an ordinance banning new bamboo planting and requiring property owners who already have the plant to put "shields" into the ground to keep its roots from spreading.

Village Attorney Joel Sikowitz, introducing the ordinance, described bamboo as "invasive, with devastating results, and not particularly attractive."

The fast-growing plant -- which originated in China but has grown in Long Island for decades -- is favored by some homeowners as a privacy screen. Shoots can grow more than 40 feet.

The proposed ordinance calls for a $250 fine for violators. Additionally, homeowners whose bamboo encroaches on village property would be responsible for removing it.

Trustees have scheduled the proposal for discussion and a possible vote at their Sept. 13 meeting.