MINISTRIES JOIN FORCES TO TACKLE INVASIVE PLANTS

VICTORIA – B.C.’s valuable land base will be better protected from noxious weeds and invasive plants thanks to $3.5 million in provincial funding, Agriculture and Lands Minister Ron Cantelon announced today.

“Cross-ministry management of invasive plants is significant for all regions in our province as their destructive effects are not restricted to one landscape or business sector,” said Cantelon. “Ministries are joining forces to work with all B.C. communities and stakeholders to effectively manage these non-native, invasive species that threaten to destroy crops, forest and recreational land.”

This funding will be shared by community-based invasive plant committees, local government weed programs, and the Invasive Plant Council of BC over the next year. These groups are involved in a variety of invasive plant management activities, including weed control, gathering and maintaining inventory and mapping information, and expanding education to stakeholders and the broader community.

“Invasive plants pose a significant threat to B.C.’s resource-based industries and to the environment,” said Minister of Forests and Range Pat Bell. “Agricultural and forestry production, fish and wildlife habitat, biodiversity and recreational access are all profoundly affected.”

The ministries collaborating on new and innovative approaches to managing invasive plants include the:

· Ministry of Agriculture and Lands.

· Ministry of Forests and Range.

· Ministry of Environment.

· Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.

· Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources.

· Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts.

The Province’s Invasive Plant Strategy identifies approaches to reduce the economic, environmental and social impacts of invasive plants, and provides the framework and capacity for ongoing invasive plant management in B.C.

Invasive plants have the ability to severely affect the biodiversity of our natural ecosystems and to permanently alter landscapes. Invasive plants include gorse, Japanese knotweed, leafy spurge and purple loosestrife. As a leader in invasive plant management, B.C. continues to implement new and innovative solutions. The B.C. Corrections Invasive Plant Work Program employs seven crews of low-risk inmates from six corrections facilities across the province to map and control priority invasive plants on sensitive Crown lands.

The Province will continue to build partnerships with stakeholders such as federal and local governments, universities, the private sector, regional weed committees, and the Invasive Plant Council of B.C., to enhance and deliver joint strategies for effective invasive plant management.

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Media contact:	Caroline McAndrews Media Relations Ministry of Agriculture and Lands 250 387-1693

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