Access to premises; quarantines; rules and regulations

§ 167. Access to premises; quarantines; rules and regulations. 1. The commissioner or his representatives shall have full access to all premises, places, farms, buildings, vehicles, airplanes, vessels and cars for the purpose of enforcing the provisions of this article. The commissioner or his representatives may examine trees, shrubs, plants and vines, soil, or host plants or any other material which are infested or infected or susceptible to infestation or infection by injurious insects or plant diseases, or contaminated by noxious weed. He or they may open any package or other container, the contents of which may have been so infested or infected or contaminated with noxious weed or which have been exposed to such infestation, infection or contamination. It shall be unlawful to hinder or defeat such access or examination by misrepresentation, concealment of facts or conditions, or otherwise. 2. The commissioner is hereby authorized to make, issue, promulgate and enforce such orders, by way of quarantines or otherwise, as he may deem necessary or fitting to carry out the purposes of this article. 3. The commissioner may adopt and promulgate such rules and regulations to supplement and give full effect to the provisions of this article as he may deem necessary including, but not limited to, the designation of any plant as a noxious weed. 3-a. The department, in cooperation with the department of environmental conservation shall restrict the sale, purchase, possession, propagation, introduction, importation, transport and disposal of invasive species pursuant to section 9-1709 of the environmental conservation law. 4. Non-resident nursery growers or dealers, or other persons, firms, partnerships, associations or corporations desiring to solicit orders for nursery stock in this state shall upon filing a certified copy of their valid state certificate or registration with the commissioner, pay to the commissioner an annual fee of twenty-five dollars. Notwithstanding such filing and fee requirements, the commissioner may enter into reciprocal agreements with the responsible officers of other states, under which agreements the commissioner may accept such other states' certified directories of persons, firms, associations and corporations registered to sell nursery stock, in lieu of requiring the filing of certified copies of individual registrations by the nursery growers of such states and under which nursery stock owned or handled by nursery growers of such states may be sold or delivered in this state without the payment of a New York non-resident fee, provided like privileges are accorded to New York nursery growers in such other states. Upon satisfying the commissioner of such registration in another state and upon payment of the non-resident fee or the waiver of such fee as provided in this section, such person, firm, partnership, association or corporation shall be authorized to solicit orders for nursery stock in this state.