The Cariboo Regional District (CRD) will send a letter of support to assist the Cariboo Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) in its effort to access grant funding.
If the CCA is approved for the Cattle Industry Development Council’s Horn Levy funding, the money will be used for hosting a seminar on invasive plant targeted grazing.
The targeted grazing seminar will feature the expertise of Dr. Kathy Voth, and participants can learn aspects of her method for training livestock to eat invasive plants.
After the seminar, participants will have a sustainable, environmentally friendly, and low cost alternative to managing invasive plants on their land.
CRD Area L Director Bruce Rattray says the growing problem of invasive plants needs more public attention.
“It’s a huge issue for [ranchers]. A lot of the problems
seem to come from developments that go on, as the invasive plants like broken ground.”
Quite often, he adds, the material used for ground fill and the travelled
portion of the roadways can transfer invasive, unwanted plants or seeds
from one location to another.
“People like exotic plants in their garden, and the next thing you know, you’ve got something running wild.”
The local cattlemen’s group has proposed a partnership with the regional district and the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Invasive Plant Committee (CCCIPC) for the project.
While the lead applicant for the project will be the CCA, all aspects of the overall project delivery will be administered jointly with the CRD’s Invasive Plant Management Program.
Some $3,000 is being requested from the Horn Levy Fund to support this initiative, while the CRD Invasive Plant Management Program has committed $5,000 within the 2011 advertising budget and another $5,000 of in-kind staff support for the project.
Additional costs will be covered by the CCCIPC through other funding applications, including $2,900 requested from the Beef Cattle Industry Development Fund, $6,050 from the Agriculture Environment and Wildlife Fund, and $1,000 from the British Columbia Gaming Fund.
More information on invasive plant targeted grazing is available on Voth’s website at www.live stockforlandscapes.com.
