(The Center Square) – A new law now requires the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to plant native species along state highways.

Although the department began following the directive on its own, state Rep. Brett Miller said the “small, but mighty” bill makes the policy official and will “reach to every corner of Pennsylvania.”

“We are all becoming more aware of the problems associated with non-native species and their negative impact on our ecosystem here in Pennsylvania,” he said on the House floor Wednesday.

Burns said approximately 2,100 native plant species exist in Pennsylvania, including ferns, sedges, rushes, wildflowers, and vines. The new law defines non-native plants according to designation from the National Invasive Species Information Center.

The center warns that invasive species threaten the extinction of native plants and animals and destroy the state’s biodiversity.