The Province of B.C. announced on Saturday that it will provide $2.2 million to fight invasive plants in the Thompson-Nicola region.
The investments are specifically going into a three-year pilot project that will explore new ways of managing invasive plants in the region as well as aim to expand and improve current efforts to contain and eradicate spotted knapweed.
The project is entitled Protecting Ecosystem Health and Agricultural Values: A Strategy for Crown Land Invasive Plant Management in the Thompson-Nicola, and it will be delivered in partnership with the BC Cattlemen's Association, the Thompson-Nicola Regional District and the Southern Interior Weed Management Committee.
MLA for Fraser-Nicola Jackie Tegart and Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Steve Thomson praised the project as being an important step to combating invasive plants.
"The strategy released today is the outcome of an extensive stakeholder process that I had the pleasure of leading, said Tegart. "Ranching is an important economic driver in the Thompson-Nicola, and invasive plants are a major threat to ranching viability."
"If this new approach is successful in the Thompson-Nicola, I look forward to expanding it to other areas of the province," said Thomson.
According to the Government of B.C., the new funding marks a 150% increase over previous funding initiatives for invasive plant management in the region.
Part of the money will also go towards supporting research being undertaken at Thompson Rivers University for a centre of excellence on invasive plant management. Among other things, this centre will aim to identify new opportunities for treatment approaches and restoration of impacted ecosystems.
The invasive plant project builds on the investments and long-term action plan outlined in B.C.'s Rural Economic Development Strategy, which is expected to create more than 26,000 jobs and add $2.8 billion to the provincial GDP.
