Noxious Weeds and Invasive Plants

What are Noxious Weeds?
Noxious Weeds, also called lnvasive Plants, are non-native plant species, typically introduced from Eurasia, that invade our ecosystems and out-compete local plants and cultivated crops for water, nutrients and light. highly adaptable and difficult to control, these alien plants grow aggressively without the insect predators and plant pathogens that kept them in check in their native habitats.

Identifying Noxious and Invasive Weeds
Brochure - 2 pages (8.5"x11" PDF)
Inside Poster (11"x17" PDF)

Impacts of Invasive Plants
Invasive plants affect biodiversity by rapidly displacing native plant species that provide habitat for wildlife, and food for people and livestock. Invasive plants pose a threat to rare ecosystems, increase the frequency of wildfires and reduce survival rates of native species following fire. In addition, riparian habitat alteration may result in erosion, sedimentation and loss of aquatic habitat.

Regional Noxious Weed Program
The Weed Control Officer, John Friesen, manages the Regional District of North Okanagan's Noxious Weed Program with a staff of 1 full-time and 4 seasonal workers. The goal of the Noxious Weed Program is to prevent the introduction of new species of noxious weeds and invasive plants, and to reduce the spread of existing noxious weed infestations to minimize the impacts on lands within the North Okanagan. To achieve this, the RDNO provides education to raise public awareness of the impacts of invasive plants, assists in the coordination of control efforts of agencies and individuals, and provides management advice to North Okanagan residents.

What You Can Do
The Weed Control Act of BC imposes a duty on occupiers of land to control noxious weeds, but without wide-spread cooperation and a commitment by individuals to address the problem, the efforts of weed programs such as the RDNO's can only have limited success. Please do your part by learning more about invasive plants and get actively involved, for the sake of our environment and economy. Together, we can make a difference!

How to Contact:
For enquiries to the RDNO Noxious Weeds & Invasive Plants Program, please contact:
John Friesen, RPF
Weed Control Officer
Phone: 250-550-3749
Fax: 250-550-3701
Email:john.friesen@rdno.ca