Many readers seem to be noticing something “new” on the landscape across Pennsylvania: splotches of purple on trees and fence posts.

I’ve seen speculation on the reason for the purple ranging from governmental markings to some sort of treatment of spotted lanternflies.

All of that is misinformation.

While purple may have showed up on trees in your normal haunts, the practice has been in place since the start of 2020.

Also, it has nothing to do with secret government programs or anti-invasive species efforts.

The purple paint has been put there in place of “no trespassing” signs.

Since House Bill 1772 took effect in January 2020, landowners in Pennsylvania — except for Allegheny and Philadelphia counties — have had the option to splash the trees and posts around their properties with purple to signal that those lands are private and trespassing is not permitted.

Pennsylvania became the 13th state to enact a purple-paint law, the idea for which began in 1989 in Arkasas. The other 11 are Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina and Texas.

Under that law, vertical purple lines must be at least 8 inches long and 1 inch wide. The bottom of the mark must not be less than 3 feet or more than 5 feet from the ground. And painted marks must not be more than 100 feet apart.

House Bill 1772 added language for the purple pain to the section of state law dealing with criminal trespass. It also authorizes unarmed persons to go onto private property for the sole purpose of retrieving a hunting dog.

In Pennsylvania, defiant trespass is punishable by up to a year in jail and $2,500 in fines. And if trespassing occurs while hunting, additional Game Law violations — and additional penalties — also might apply.