The District of Kitimat is joining the Northwest Invasive Plant Council (NWIPC) for a third year to eradicate the area’s invasive plant species.
Municipal and Crown lands identified as having invasive species will be treated, and the local invasive plant contractor will work with private land owners if it’s known plants are growing on private lands too.
The six plant species being targeted in Kitimat are Scotch Brooms, Japanese Knotweed, Burdock, Himalayan Balsam, Mountain Bluet and Common Comfrey.
Two herbicides will be used in Kitimat one called Milestone (aminopyralid) and Vantage XRT (glyphosate).
Those with a green thumb will be able to pitch in the weeding effort too. Up to July 15 people can register for the 2014 Community Weed Pull on August 16. That event will set volunteers to remove Himalayan Balsam from the drainage ditches near Kildala Elementary. It’s a three hour event.
Director of Leisure Services Martin Gould said the District of Kitimat contributes $10,000 annually to the plan and it has been fairly successful since it began.
“The only spot that is always a battle is people don’t realize they have them growing in their own garden as a plant,” he said.
People can visit www.kitimat.ca to see a list of the plants being targeted.