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Weeds Cross Borders Project: a Canada-US Collaboration

Lisa Scott, South Okanagan-Similkameen Invasive Plant Society, 8703 Palmer Pl., Summerland, BC V0H 1Z2 Canada, lscott@vip.net

The “Weeds Cross Borders Project” is a partnership of land managers, agencies and regional committees in the greater Okanagan region of Canada and the United States. Partners include the South Okanagan-Similkameen Invasive Plant Society, Okanogan County Noxious Weed Control Board, Boundary Weed Management Committee, Ferry County, BC Ministry of Transportation, Washington State Department of Transportation, and Washington State University. The project facilitated cooperation and coordination of the laws, regulations and policies that have differed in the past. A Cooperative Weed Management Area was established to help prevent and control non-native plant species that have an adverse effect on native plant communities, wildlife habitat and agricultural lands.  The project provides an integrated and coordinated approach to invasive plant management, sharing resources for education, training, inventory and control. Invasive plants do not recognize our political boundaries. They freely travel our waterways, railways and highways, dispersing their seed along the way. Coordinating treatment and education across our borders is necessary to effectively control invasive plants in the long term over the entire geographic area. In 2004 and 2005, priority weeds were inventoried and mapped along both sides of the border. Treatments of selected weeds included seeding, hand-pulling, cutting, biological control and herbicide applications. With public education deemed an essential component of the project, the partners developed an education/outreach program to effectively communicate weed management issues, including the production of posters, press releases and a Cross Borders flier that was distributed to thousands of landowners on both sides of the border.