According to a BC forestry ad that appeared in the Nov. 23 issue of the Nelson Star, the Ministry of Forests in Kamloops is planning “a multi-agency Pest Management Plan (PMP) for Southern and Coastal B.C.” which includes the Central Kootenays. “The purpose of the proposed PMP is to manage invasive plants on Provincial Public Land.”
I quote: “The pest management methods proposed … include mechanical, cultural and biological control, and the use of herbicides.”
The herbicides listed are a raft of poisonous chemicals including Roundup and 2,4-D, both very nasty poisons. “Herbicides will be applied using selective application methods such as wick/wipe-on, stem injection, ground vehicle mounted sprayers, and backpack or handheld sprayers. Aerial application is not permitted under this PMP.”
“The proposed duration of the PMP is from April 15, 2024, to April 15, 2029. A draft copy of the proposed PMP is available at gov.bc.ca/invasive-species.”
Members of the public are invited to comment on this PMP. The contact info they give are: Email: invasive.plants@gov.bc.ca, Phone: 604-996-4683, Mail: Ministry of Forests, Range Branch, 441 Columbia Street, Kamloops, B.C., V2C 2T3
My concerns about using poisonous chemicals to “manage” invasive plants (a useless, expensive project as the plants will all be back in a few years) are many. They will impact pollinators, both wild and domestic, the wild life that browse, shelter, or nest in these plants, and the people who use gravity fed water from the local mountains. Personally, I see no benefits from this project, just negatives, only reasons to abandon the project.
Shirl Bayer
Passmore