August 23, 2011
Weeding Out Invasive Plants

PARKSVILLE – MLA Ron Cantelon announced $15,000 for the Coastal Invasive Plant Committee (CIPC). This funding will help CIPC treat high risk invasive plant species and sites on Crown land and conduct surveys of new occurrences.

Why this matters:

• Invasive plants:
• Harm the environment by out-competing native plants, altering ecosystems and creating an increased wildfire hazard.
• 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.
• Harm the economy by negatively impacting property and crop values and increasing costs associated with treating infestations on rangelands, gardens, parks or along roadsides.
• Impede recreation by making trails impassable, damaging fishing streams and puncturing tires.

Quotes:

"There is a core of very dedicated people who consider it their mission to do everything they can to eradicate or at least slow and control the advance of they these non-native noxious weeds. This funding will give them heart and support their efforts."
- Parksville-Qualicum MLA Ron Cantelon

Additional Information:

• The 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.

Learn More:

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

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