B.C. gives over $1.8 million in grants to fight invasive plants

VICTORIA – The B.C. government is handing out over $1.8 million in new grants to help control the spread of invasive plants in the province, Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Minister Steve Thomson and Minister of State for Rural Economic Development Donna Barnett announced today.

The 31 grants are being distributed to regional invasive species committees, local governments and the Invasive Species Council of British Columbia to support their ongoing work to deal with the unwelcome plants and to support the objectives of the provincial Invasive Plant Program.

Over the next three years, the B.C. government is committing over $20 million to invasive plant management.

Invasive plants are species that have been introduced into British Columbia from other areas. They displace native vegetation, can cause significant economic and environmental damage, and may pose a health risk to people and animals. Invasive plants can disrupt ecosystems, reduce biodiversity, increase soil erosion, alter soil chemistry and adversely affect commercial crops.