The provincial government is planting funds in the Merritt area to help combat invasive plant species.
A combined $275,300 is being dolled out to five regional organizations to help control the spread of invasive plants.
These organizations include the Southern Interior Weed Management Committee, which will receive $130,000, and the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, which is getting $20,000.
The Okanagan and Similkameen Invasive Species Society will get $71,300, the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen $12,500 and the Lillooet Regional Invasive Species Society 41,500.
These are five of 31 grants, totalling $1.727 million, being distributed throughout the province in 2016 to local governments, regional invasive species committees and the Invasive Species Council of B.C.
These grants will be used to help raise public awareness of invasive plant concerns, survey invasive plant populations and actively treat high-priority sites to control the spread of these destructive plants.
Invasive plants are species that have been introduced into B.C. from other areas, displace native vegetation, and can cause considerable economic and environmental damage. Some pose a health risk to people, and invasive plants can also disrupt natural ecosystems, reduce biodiversity, increase soil erosion, alter soil chemistry and adversely affect commercial crops.
“Our communities and economy rely heavily on ranching and agriculture, so it’s important that these invasive species are not allowed to become established,” Fraser-Nicola region MLA Jackie Tegart said in a press release.
This funding is in addition to the $935,000 already allocated by the Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations for invasive plant control and management in 2016-17.
