“This new law simply gives landowners a second option to
post notices that trespassing on their property is not allowed,” Keefer said.
“This purple paint makes it easier to define property lines and provides a more
visible notice that private property is not to be trespassed on.”
The law allows landowners to use special purple paint to
mark their property boundaries and alert others not to trespass on the land.
The paint, which is in use in other parts of the country, is specially labeled
as “No Hunting” purple paint and is available in stores.
Under current law, trespassing on agricultural and other
open land is prohibited if the property is posted with signs that indicate the
land is private and/or trespassing is not allowed.
“However, these signs degrade over time, leaving them
illegible and tattered, or are removed either by nefarious acts or adverse
weather conditions,” Keefer said. “Paint is a more permanent means of posting a
property.”
The law provides an update to the state’s Criminal Trespass
statute to allow for the use of commercially available purple paints. The bill
also specifies that the stripes must be at least 8 inches long and 1 inch wide,
between 3 and 5 feet above the ground on trees or posts and are placed no more
than 100 feet apart. The law takes effect in 60 days.
