J0rr Friesen
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REGIONAL DISTRICT of NORTH OKANAGAN REPORT File No.: 5286 TO: Electoral Area Advisory Committee FROM: John Friesen, Weed Control Officer DATE: February 21, 2017 Regional District of North Okanagan 2016 Noxious Weed Season SUBJECT: Report RECOMMENDATION: That the Reg ional District of North Okanagan 2016 Noxious Weed Season Report dated Febru ary 21, 2017 prepared by the Weed Control Offi cer be received for information. DISCUSSION: The Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations (MFLNRO) contributed a $27,800 grant towards the Reg ional District of North Okanagan (RDNO) 20 16 Noxious Weed/Invasive Plant prog ram . During the summer months, the RDNO employs four (4) students for fou r (4) months to conduct operational work re lating to noxious weed control. Activities include invasive plant inve ntory, operation of a seasonal spray program , mechanica l treatment, biolog ica l control activities, providing information and advice to property owners co nce rni ng the identification and control of noxious weeds, undertaking publi c education initiatives aimed at ra ising awareness about noxious weeds, and data entry into the Invasive Alien Plant Program (provincial data base). Attached is the Reg ional District of North Okanagan 2016 Noxious Weed Season Report. Subm itted by: s:J0rr Fri esen?9=> Bylaw Enforcement Officer 2e ~dlitb Leah Me ll ott, General Manager Electoral Area Administration REGIONAL DISTRICT OF NORTH OKANAGAN 2016 Noxious Weed Season Report Prepared for: 2016 Invasive Plant Technical Advisory Committee BC Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations RDNO File Number: 5286.2016 MEMBER MUNICIPALITIES: ELECTORAL AREAS : CITY OF ARMSTRONG VILLAGE OF LUMBY "B" - SWAN LAKE "E" - CHERRYVILLE DISTRICT OF COLDSTREAM TOWNSHIP OF SPALLUMCHEEN "C" - B.X. DISTRICT "F" - ENDERBY (RURAL) CITY OF ENDERBY CITY OF VERNON "D" - LUMBY (RURAL) TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Inventory & Mapping .....................................................................................................2 2. On-the-Ground Weed Management a. Early Detection and Rapid Response ....................................................... 2 b. Mechanical, Chemical, and Biological Control ........................................ 3 c. Name of Pest Management Plan (PMP) ..................................................... 4 3. Management and Coordination a. Coordination ...............................................................................................4 b. Data Management ......................................................................................5 c. Training .......................................................................................................5 4. Education and Awareness a. Outreach Tools ............................................................................................5 5. Compliance and Enforcement .....................................................................................6 6. Provincial Invasive Plant Program Grant ................................................................... 6 7. Expenditure and Revenue Tables ................................................................................ 7 8. Opportunities and Challenges .....................................................................................7 Tables Table A - 2016 Mechanical Treatment ..................................................................... 3 Table B - 2016 ·chemical Treatment ........................................................................ 3 Table C - Chemical Treatment 2012-2016 ............................................................... 4 Table D - 2016 Biological Control Agent Releases ................................................ 4 Table E - 2016 Private Property Complaints and Notices ..................................... 6 Table F - 2016 Weed Program Expenditure Summary .......................................... 7 Table G - 2016 Weed Program Revenue Summary by Funding Agency ............. 7 1 2016 REGIONAL DISTRICT OF NORTH OKANAGAN NOXIOUS WEED SEASON REPORT 1. Inventory and Mapping Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO) Invasive Plant Control Crew conducts noxious weed inventories of priority noxious weed species prior to conducting on-the-ground treatments. Inventories provide information for developing prevention practices, prioritizing and planning treatments, and monitoring strategies. RDNO encompasses approxim ately seven hundred and eighty seven thousand hectares of land making it difficult to obtain and maintain a comprehensive inventory. Invasive plant mobility and limited financial and capacity resources further inhibit inventory activities. Ministry of Forests Lands and Natural Resource Operations (M FLNRO) have developed an Invasive Alien Plant Program (IAPP) GIS database to map noxious weeds in British Columbia. The IAPP is intended to co-ordinate and share information from various agencies and non-government organizations involved in invasive plant management in British Columbia. The application has been developed to allow the entry, edit, and query of invasive plant information including: site details; GPS coordin ates; invasive plant inventory information; planning; treatment methods and data; and monitoring data. An IAPP "Site and Invasive Plant Inventory Record" form is completed at each site and if on-the-ground treatments occur, the IAPP "Invasive Plant Chemical & Mechanical Treatment Record" form is completed. Inventory and treatment records completed by the RDNO Invasive Plant Control Crew are entered into the IAPP. Extracts from the IAPP database are used for planning and on-the-ground operations. In 2016 the RDNO Invasive Plant Control Crew surveyed 2439 invasive plant sites. 2. On-the-Ground Weed Management a) Early Detection Rapid Response The most economical and efficient noxious weed management strategies are prevention and early detection rapid response. Ensuring noxious weeds are not introduced into weed-free areas is the best approach to prevention. An early detection rapid response plan is comprised of six steps, early detection, identification, alert screening, risk assessment, response planning, and rapid response to new plant species incursions in our region. The process increases the likelihood that new incursions will be discovered, assessed and eradicated before they become widely established in the region. Chemical and mechanical treatments were conducted on several Garlic mustard sites with some success at eradication. We continued to identify and · assess Yellow flag iris and Purple loosestrife infestations. Treating Yellow flag iris and Purple loosestrife infestations is difficult as these sites are typically wet and difficult to access. The two Common reed sites in Electoral Area "B" were treated by the Invasive Species Council of BC JCP team. Responding to noxious weed observations and complaints continues to be an integral part of noxious weed control program within RDNO. Properties are promptly inspected, and if noxious weeds are confirmed to exist on the property, a letter with information about the noxious weed(s) is sent to the property owner. The noxious weed control program includes Electoral Areas "B, C, D, E & F", the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTi), BC Hydro, FortisBC, Township of Spallumcheen, the District of Coldstream, Ministry of Environment (MOE), and MFLNRO. 2 Complaints directed to RDNO from within the Electoral Areas, are dealt with on a priority basis. Complaints received by participating municipalities are directed through the municipal offices to RDNO. b) Mechanical, Chemical and Biological Control Weather conditions during the field season influenced the type of management activities. Between May 1 and August 31 RDNO experienced thirty-seven (37) work days with precipitation and thirty-one (31) work days with temperatures in excess of 27 .0° Celsius. Approximately 203 sites or 85.3 hectares were mechanically spot treated by the RDNO Invasive Plant Control Crew during 2016 (190 sites or 77.67 hectares for Noxious Weed management and 13 sites or 7.62 hectares for Industrial Vegetation Management). Mechanical treatment includes clipping and bagging flowers, digging, hand pulling and weed whacking. All vegetation is treated on industrial sites including conifer and deciduous species. Many areas are mechanically treated due to proximity to water, certified organic farm producers and property owner's request. During 2016, 1067 kg (2352 lbs) of noxious weeds were bagged and disposed of at regional disposal facilities. Table A - 2016 Mechanical Treatment Jurisdiction 2016 TOTAL 2015 2014 2013 2012 (hectares) TOTAL TOTAL TOTAL TOTAL RDNO 19.55 26.7 18.6 20.3 29.3 MOTi 31.54 85.3 54.6 34.9 31.3 MFLNRO 3.81 0.5 0.3 3.3 6.0 Spallumcheen 14.31 29.7 16.1 13.0 3.1 Coldstream 16.09 15.7 14.6 2.5 13.7 0.3 1.0 TOTAL 85.30 157.9 104.2 74.3 84.4 Approximately 102 sites or 33.93 hectares were spot treated with herbicide by the RDNO Invasive Plant Control Crew in 2016 (95 sites or 31.44 hectares for Noxious Weed management and 7 sites or 2.49 hectares for Industrial Vegetation management). All vegetation is treated on industrial sites. Chemical treatments were affected by rainfall during May and June and by high temperatures in July and August. Table 8 - 2016 Chemical Treatment Jurisdiction Description Tordon Milestone Roundup Transline Weathermax Litres Hectare Litres Hectare Litres Hectare Litres Hectare RDNO Property 1.238 0.275 3.400 0.500 2.637 3.183 - GVW Sites 14.620 2.160 - P&R Parks