|
The effects of weed invasions are widespread and affect many aspects of our lives.
- Noxious weeds cost ranchers, farmers, conservation organizations, utility companies, governments and the general public untold millions of dollars each year in lost productivity and increased management costs.
- Noxious weeds transform the landscape and in so doing undermine the economic and environmental health of the areas they infest.
- This problem crosses all political, ecological, and land ownership boundaries, impacting on all industries and activities that rely on a healthy ecosystem.
- Destroy natural habitat for wildlife, birds, and domestic animals
- Reduce yield and quality of agricultural crops and natural forage
- Interfere with regeneration of forests
- Increase wildfire hazard
- Accelerate soil erosion and stream sedimentation
- Negatively impact water quality
- Consume critical water resources
- Destroy habitat for fish and other aquatic organisms
- Decrease land values '
- Endanger public health and safety
- Are potentially toxic to humans, pets, livestock, and wildlife
- Increase allergies and hay fever
- Clog waterways used for swimming and boating
- Reduce visibility on transportation corridors
- Act as carriers of disease and insects of beneficial plants
- Destroy recreational opportunities and the beauty of the landscape
- Increase costs for maintaining resources and public utilities
- Decrease the quality and price of marketable livestock
|
Orange Hawkweed out-competes native grasses and wildflowers including rare and endangered species.
Noxious weeds can increase 12-14% per year. Dalmation Toadflax increased 1200% in just six years in Colorado
|
was initiated in 1998 in response to public pressure to improve noxious weed management in the Boundary.
In the spring of 2004 the committee became a registered charity and is a non-profit society. The overriding objective of the committee is to work cooperatively to effectively manage noxious weeds in the Boundary to protect our shared environmental, agricultural and recreation resources from further impacts.
This is being achieved through an education and coordination program, which provides an extension service to the public, encourages management by inactive individuals and coordinates treatment efforts of all participants in an effective and cost effective manner.
|
The mission of this program is to ensure that land occupiers effectively shoulder their responsibility to control noxious weeds on their land.
Resources such as wildlife habitat, rangelands, agriculture, aesthetics, recreational opportunities and property values can be severely diminished by weed infestations. The ecological balance and biodiversity of our natural ecosystems can be negatively impacted by uncontrolled invasion by invasive plants. Once infestations have become firmly established, many of these resource values cannot be fully restored.
|
- Educate the public, private landowners and land managers regarding noxious and invasive weeds and their impact on the biodiversity of lands within the coverage area;
- Assist in coordinating the management of noxious and invasive weeds on public and private lands;
- Promote and implement an integrated management system with consideration for use of all available methods for the prevention, eradication, control and containment of noxious weeds;
- Increase awareness of noxious and invasive weed management amongst industry, resource users, local and provincial governments and encourage expanded support of local weed control programs and initiatives;
- Assist in maintaining a comprehensive inventory of noxious and invasive weeds within the area of responsibility;
- Hire and direct a coordinator to fulfill the purposes of the Boundary Weed Management Committee
|
Local government, community groups and individuals
Industry Partners
Participating Government Agencies:
Participants from adjacent counties in Wash. State:
Related Links:
|
{ Back to Top }
1. Identification of your invasive plant
- Email a picture to the coordinator;
- Mailing or dropping off a dried specimen (press plant in newspaper between some heavy books for a couple days then mail to the coordinator or drop off at RDKB office in Grand Forks, Village of Midway office or City of Greenwood office; or
- By phoning to arrange for a site visit, the coordinator will come out to your property and identify the plant.
2. Information on invasive plant management
Information can be requested by phone or email by contacting the coordinator who will send out factsheets. You can also contact the coordinator to arrange for a site visit for more detailed information on management in the context of current land management practices on your property. Typically this involves the coordinator coming out to your property to identify the invasive plants present, providing fact sheets on management, discussing treatment options for your specific situation, discussing prevention strategies to keep new weeds out, and supplying field guides and other relevant information that may assist you in planning your management program.
Within the Boundary area the information service is delivered through the Boundary Weed Management Committee through a funding grant.
The area covered by this service includes Midway, Greenwood and RDKB Areas 'C', 'D', 'E'. A similar information service is offered in the West Kootenay area through the Central Kootenay Invasive Plant Committee.
3. Spray equipment loan-out and cost-sharing programs
Within Electoral Areas 'A', 'D', and 'E', the RDKB operates an invasive plant treatment program to assist landowners with managing weeds on their private properties.
This program is funded through taxation in Areas 'A', 'D', & 'E', and through a weed grant received from the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands. It is available to residents within the bylaw areas. The program has two main components available to residents:
- Private Land Treatment Program - Area A
The service area includes PART of Area 'A' and is defined under the bylaw and includes the lower portion of Columbia Gardens Rd south to and including the Pend’oreille valley and west of the Columbia River.
The main focus of the treatment program is to control Hoary Alyssum and Spotted Knapweed. If you live within the bylaw area and would like to use this service contact Jennifer Vogel at (250) 231.2954 or the RDKB Director of Environmental Services at (250) 368.0232.
- Private Land Treatment Program - Areas D & E
The program offers herbicide treatment of infestations of priority weeds free of charge to the landowners within electoral areas D & E . The New Invaders Program covers 100% of the cost of the treatment of target species. Target priority species currently include: Leafy Spurge, Field Scabious, Greater Knapweeed, Common Bugloss, Blueweed, Orange Hawkweed, Hoary alyssum (West Boundary only).
For more information or to add your name to the list contact the Boundary Weed Program.
The RDKB also offers an Spray Equipment Loan-out program and the 50% Cost Share program .
4. Request for treatment on adjacent lands.
The coordinator will work with the appropriate land manager to address the problem. Stakeholders operating programs.
5. Taking reports of new infestations or new invasive plant species.
To report an infestation contact the coordinator. You will be asked to describe the location so the coordinator assess it and organise treatment. The Boundary Weed Management Committee maintains a comprehensive inventory of invasive plants of concern in the area. If you would like access to this information contact the coordinator .
6. Access to Biocontrol Insects for select invasive plants.
The coordinator will do an initial assessment of your property to detect if any agents are already present and for site suitability for release. As insects become available, landowners will be contacted and the coordinator will conduct a release.
This program works in conjunction with the local weed committee to provide biological control insects at suitable sites on private land at the request of landowners.
|
For more information or to request releases contact:
- Boundary including Areas A, C, D & E and the municipalities of Midway and Greenwood - Barb Stewart, Boundary Weed Management Committee at (250) 446.2232.
- West Kootenay, Area A & B – Jennifer Vogel and Crystal Kylm, Central Kootenay Invasive Plant Committee (250) 352.1160.
Larinus obtusus eats knapweed seed
and defoliates the stem |
Root boring weevil for knapweed,
Cyphocleonus achates |
|
|