Highway Inspection [Location] [Date] Weeds and Roads Welcome the group to the meeting, and thank them for allowing you to speak to them. Introduce yourself, and explain any roadside maintenance background or expertise you may have. Also explain your invasive plants background. Remind them that roadways are one of the most common vectors of invasive plant spread. Seeds and plant parts are moved quickly throughout the province’s network of roads – on tires, in truck loads, in materials spread on roadsides. And from the roadside, the plants spread into fields, forest and other natural areas. Also point out that the group before you is critical in the prevention and control of invasive plants on roadways! They will notice unusual new plants along right-of-ways; they can ensure that the materials applied are weed free; they can make sure that their vehicles and equipment do not transfer seeds or other plant parts. Explain that this session is 5 of 6 in a series of tailgate sessions for MoT contractors. Each session covers specific best practices to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive plants. Today the focus will be on best practices for highway inspection. J. Leekie D. Polster Highway Inspection [Location] [Date]

Overview Best Practices for Highway Inspection Invasive Plants and Impacts The Contractor’s Role Best Practices Priority Plants Review the key components of the presentation The plant in this picture is common tansy. It is a common roadside weed species throughout the province. This plant can be spread in many ways: by moving contaminated ditch materials, mowing after seed set, disturbing roots; and populations grow quickly where disturbed, exposed soil exists. B. Stewart Common Tansy

Invasive Plants Definition Invasive plants are non-native plants that can cause significant damage. They spread very quickly, displacing and sometimes eliminating native plants They are sometimes called ‘noxious weeds’ Animated slide – introduce each point before you show it. Invasive plants are non-native plants that can cause significant damage: economic, environmental or social. They spread very quickly. This picture is of scentless chamomile. One single plant can produce up to a million seeds that spread very quickly, displacing and sometimes eliminating native plants. Seeds remain viable for up to 15 years in the soil and are readily dispersed by wind or water, on equipment and vehicles, or as a contaminant in soil, fill material, crop seed, and animal feed. Transportation corridors serve as major sources of infestation and spread. Invasive plants are sometimes referred to as noxious weeds. BC MAL 3 3

Impacts Economic Agriculture and Ranching Forestry Transportation Establish a link between contractors’ actions and economic impacts on these industries. Remind the group that if the roads support invasive plants these industries can be affected... Agriculture and Ranching Invasive Plants affect agriculture and ranching. Estimates indicate that up to $50 Million is lost in BC every year due to crop and forage losses. There are additional costs to treat animals who ingest toxic plants, have burs or spines embedded in their faces, bodies or mouths. There are also additional costs for treating invasive plants on farm or range land. A plant such as Tansy ragwort can reduce forage production of pastures by up to 50%, and can be toxic to cattle, causing liver damage and sometimes even death. Furthermore, the chemicals in the plant taint honey produced by bees so that it is too bitter and off-color to market. Forestry Depending on your location in the province, there are invasive plants that can impact forest regeneration activities. Because these plants are highly competitive, they can invade a disturbed area very quickly. Natural regeneration could be highly limited, or plantation vigour and survival could be poor. According to a report from Environment Canada, invasive alien species damage (including that of Invasive Plants) results in an estimated $7.5 billion of lost revenue annually to the agricultural and forestry industries nationwide. Transportation MoT invests $1.3 Million each year on invasive plant control! And there are additional costs – such as: repairing roads that have had their surface broken up due to knotweed roots. Knotweed is so aggressive that roots have been known to grow up to 20 m from the parent plant – growing underneath a highway to become established on the other side! Cutting back some species of invasive plants to re-establish sightlines. Condemning of gravel pits infested with invasive plants. L. Scott

Impacts Environmental Reduced biodiversity Increased erosion and sedimentation Threats to wildlife In addition, to economic impacts, environment is also affected. As a monoculture, or a single species takes over, biodiversity is reduced. Biodiversity, or the species richness of an area, is a critical piece of healthy ecosystems. Reduced biodiversity means: fewer native plants; displaced and possibly endangered wildlife; poorly functioning systems. The plant here, purple loosestrife, affects an estimated 190,000 hectares of wetlands, marshes, pastures, and riparian meadows in North America each year, with an economic impact of millions of dollars. Healthy complexes of plants hold the soil in place with a variety of rooting structures and moisture demands. Monocultures of invasive plants have identical rooting structures; which don’t anchor the soil very well. This contributes to erosion, sedimentation, and degraded fish habitat. Although found primarily on disturbed sites, burdock will spread to natural areas from nearby roadsides, rail tracks, and abandoned fields. Infestations can be found in grasslands and forests, and along roadsides, ditches, stream banks, and pastures and can seriously disrupt native ecosystems, sometimes even trapping birds, bats and threatened species. Randy Westbrooks, U.S. Geological Survey, Bugwood.org Purple Loosestrife Ohio State Weed Lab Archive, The Ohio State University, Bugwood.org P.Rodriguez de la Vega Common Burdock 5

Your Role Guidance Documents B.C. Weed Control Act Environmental Best Practices MoT Best Practices Guide Explain that there are three key guidance documents that the contractors should consider: 1. B.C. Weed Control Act - The WCA requires that all land occupiers control the spread of noxious weeds on their land, and specifies provisions for transportation, movement, and cleaning of machinery.   (The Transportation Act deems that provincial public highways are the responsibility of the provincial government, THUS, government must manage noxious weeds on public highways lands. There may be NO DISPERSAL OF NOXIOUS WEEDS OR THEIR SEEDS.) 2. MoT’s Environmental Best Practices Document - BPs were created to guide contractors’ activities which relate to invasive plant introduction and spread. Remind the group that BPs should not add significant costs to activities. Rather, they provide a practical, cost-effective approach compatible with current Maintenance Specifications. 3. The MoT Best Practices Guide also provides a summary of best practices for several maintenance activities. 6

What can you do to manage invasive plants during highway inspections? Your Role What can you do to manage invasive plants during highway inspections? Ask the group: “What can you do to manage invasive plants during highway inspections?” Record their answers on a flipchart. Explain the general maintenance specifications pertaining highway inspections and how they might relate to invasive plants: • “inspect annually all highways and components of the highway system within the Service Area; and document results” • “inspect annually all highways and components of the highway and reflect findings in the work identification and planning program” 7

Your Role Review MoT’s suggested Best Practices Hand out the best practices table 2 for highway inspections, or the Best Practices Guide, and discuss the items in the table (or diagram): • Learn and follow best practices. Participate in best practices training. • Consult the necessary resources to help identify problem plants, and learn best practices. Resources include Best Practices Guide, Environmental Best Practices document, Field Guide to Noxious Weeds and other Invasive Plants of BC, and regional weed committee. Establish a contact list (including a local spray contractor, and regional invasive plant committee coordinator). Collaborate and coordinate activities throughout the maintenance program. • Consult invasive plant inventory and treatment maps (e.g. IAPP) prior to management activities and include in annual planning program. • Encourage spray contractors to visibly mark treatment areas along rights-of-way and to notify MoT of proposed treatments (date, methods, and areas). 8

Your Role VIDEO CLIP 9

Best Practices What Should Happen Here? Invasive leafy spurge 10 Ask the group to look through the best practices table (or guide) for highway inspection and point out which best practices should have been or could be applied in each of these scenarios: Infestation of leafy spurge along a highway and adjacent to a parking area -Learn best practices. (Treat this plant prior to flowering and seed set, and ensure it is not present in the parking area). -Consult invasive plant inventory and treatment maps (e.g. IAPP) and include in annual planning program. (Schedule treatment effectively.) -Consult necessary resources. (Ensure you can identify key problem plants in your area, and contact local experts for support to help identify, plan activities, and treat target plants.) Invasive leafy spurge L. Scott 10 10

Best Practices What Is Happening Here? 11 Ask the group to look through the best practices table (or guide) for highway inspection and point out which best practices are taking place or should take place here: Discussion between regional weed coordinator and maintenance supervisor -Collaborate and coordinate when planning activities. -Consult resources (regional weed committee) to help identify problem plants, and learn best practices before starting management activities and while developing the planning program. -Learn best practices. (Do not park in infestations.) 11 11

Best Practices What Should Happen Here? 12 Ask the group to look through the best practices table (or guide) for highway inspection and point out which best practices should have been or could be applied in each of these scenarios: Herbicide treatment of invasive plants -Encourage spray contractors to visibly mark treatment areas along rights-of-way and to notify MoT of proposed treatments. -Collaborate on and coordinate treatments and activities. 12 BC MoT 12

Plants of Concern Priority Plants within the District [plant common and scientific name] With the help of the District MoT staff, or the regional committee, list three key plants of concern (or more if time permits). Find out the following things about each plant: Where it is currently found? How to ID it/What it looks like? How it is spread, and when it is most likely spread? How to manage highway inspections if the plant is present? Refer to the regional carabiners or MoT Best Practices Guide for pictures of the plants. Encourage the group to clip the carabiners to their truck keys. In addition, show a paper copy of an IAPP map of the area – using the map, discuss key information and geographic concerns like: containment areas; healthy, un-infested places; areas that plants have already been reported. **This is your first mention of IAPP – you may want to elaborate on what it is!** 13

For More Information… Contact your local Regional Committee Call 1-888-WEEDSBC Visit www.invasiveplantcouncilbc.ca Thank the group for their attention and remind them that they are a key to finding plants, especially new invaders! If roadside workers are all keeping their eyes open for small incidences of invasive plants, these sites can be managed! The earlier we get a handle on small sites, the more effectively we can manage the plants. But the first step of course, is knowing that the plants are there, and that’s one place this group can play a key role. This group can also minimize the spread of invasive plants by implementing best practices that MoT has identified. Ask a few people what they will do differently now that they’ve learned these best practices? Remind the group to contact the regional weed committee or IPCBC for more information, to report a weed, for help with identification, or for management strategies. Point out that carabiners have committee contact information on them, and that coordinators are pleased to help, at no cost! Solicit questions. P. Jorgenson