MLAs Terry Lake and Kevin Krueger recently announced $84,000 for the Southern Interior Weed Management Committee (SIWMC). This funding will help SIWMC treat high-risk invasive plant species and sites on Crown land, conduct surveys of new occurrences, do an inventory of marsh plume thistle, and to monitor treatment efficacy.
"Some of these plants look nice but that is very deceptive," the MLA for Kamloops-North Thompson. "In many cases, they are poisonous. Add to that the devastating impact they have on local plants and the need to act becomes clear."
Invasive plants harm the environment by out-competing native plants, altering ecosystems and creating an increased wildfire hazard. They can affect human health by causing skin irritation, blisters, scarring and severe breathing problems; impact animal health via toxins in some plants that make them inedible or toxic.
Some invasive plants harm the economy by negatively impacting property and crop values and increasing costs associated with treating infestations on rangelands, gardens, parks or along roadsides.
Invasive plants impede recreation by making trails impassable, damaging fishing streams and puncturing tires.
"This grant follows many others provided locally and province-wide to fight noxious weeds introduced to British Columbia by human error," said Kamloops-South Thompson MLA Kevin Krueger. "Fighting the spread of invasive plants helps protect native species vital to our local ecosystems. The work this funding supports will be of great benefit to the Kamloops area."
Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations is providing over $705,000 to Invasive Plant Committees and Regional Districts to assist in controlling high priority invasive plant species, such as giant hogweed, hoary alyssum and field scabious, and reduce the spread of others.
This funding builds on the $3 million announced earlier this year for the Invasive Plant Council of BC to create an employment program - called Take Action - that will train and hire up to 150 people to manage invasive plants.
An invasive plant is a non-native plant that has been introduced, either intentionally or accidentally, from other areas and is harmful to the environment, economy or animal or human health.
To find out where invasive plants are known to occur in your area, visit the Invasive Alien Plant Program map display at http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hra/plants/application.htm
To learn more about the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Invasive Plant Program, visit http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hra/plants/index.htm