NC S628

Requires the Department of Administration to use seeds and plants classified as native to North Carolina by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on all state-owned or leased property, with exemptions for crop cultivation, research facilities, botanical gardens, wildlife plantings, and nonnative turf grass.

Requires the Department of Transportation to use native North Carolina plants in highway right-of-way for erosion control and landscaping, except nonnative grasses and seeds may be used for soil and slope stabilization.

Requires cities and towns to strongly prefer native North Carolina plants when using Powell Bill funds (G.S. 136-41.1 and G.S. 136-41.2) for landscaping projects.

Requires the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Authority to mandate native North Carolina plants in local park and recreation projects funded under the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, with exemptions for crop cultivation, research, botanical gardens, and nonnative turf grass.

Effective upon enactment; consultation with university horticulture programs and the North Carolina Forestry Association is required for implementation.