Washington agriculture, environmental quality and natural resources, including waters and wetlands, are threatened by nonnative, aggressive species of noxious weeds. A number of these noxious weeds are transported and sold within the state of Washington both as nursery plants and as seeds in packets of flower seeds or "wildflower mixes." Subsequent "escape" of these ornamentals has been a documented source of a number of infestations and has resulted in large public and private expenditures by landowners and land managers, weed boards, and weed districts and the department of agriculture to achieve the control mandated in chapter 17.10 RCW. The director of agriculture, pursuant to the powers provided in chapters 17.10 and 17.24 RCW, finds that regulation of the sale of these seed packets and plants as "regulated articles" is necessary to protect Washington agriculture and natural resources and to prevent public and private costs of control.