The Federal Noxious Weed Act of 1974 ("FNWA", Pub.L. 93-629, 88 Stat. 2148, enacted January 3, 1975) established a federal program to control the spread of noxious weeds. The United States Secretary of Agriculture was given the authority to declare plants "Noxious Weeds", and limit the interstate spread of such plants without a permit. The Secretary has the authority to inspect, seize, and destroy products, and quarantine areas, if necessary to contain, or limit the spread of such weeds.
The Act was amended by the 1990 Farm Bill on November 28, 1990. The amendment requires that each federal land-managing agency, including the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Forest Service, do the following:
The Act was superseded in 2000 by the Plant Protection Act (Pub.L. 106-224) on June 20, 2000, except for the introductory section of the FNWA, and the amendment of 1990 (section 15, 7 U.S.C. § 2801 note and 7 U.S.C. § 2814).