Landowners co-operating to proactively manage weeds

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

Every farmer and rancher is familiar with the trouble caused by weeds. Leafy spurge and other aggressive, invasive exotic plants represent serious threats to the productivity and profitability of many agricultural operations and wildlife habitats. An invasive weed can reduce the market value of land, degrade zoning capacity and devastate wildlife habitat.

Some invasive plants can also reduce the lifespan of man-made structures such as roads and rail lines. When the deep-penetrating roots of perennial plants like leafy spurge or spotted knapweed burrow into the normally impermeable road or rail bed, channels are left through which water can seep and cause premature degradation.

Ignoring or putting off dealing with invasive plant problems will simply result in the spread of the weed, and ultimately add to the time and cost required to contain and control the plant and recover lost productivity/habitat. For example, if herbicide is the control method of choice, delaying application can mean a ten-fold or even hundred-fold increase in the amount of herbicide required. This will result in increased costs and increased herbicide-loading in the environment, in addition to the damage done by the plant up to that point.

But a unique approach being tried in southwestern Saskatchewan may become a model for proactive weed management by facilitating co-operation among landowners in combating the spread of invasive plant species.

The Frenchman River-Wood River Weed Management Area (WMA) was established in 2005 across seven rural municipalities and the Grasslands National Park, which have similar habitats and share pathways of invasion that make the territory particularly susceptible to the spread of aggressive plants like leafy spurge or spotted knapweed.

Sue Michalsky, a rancher and board member of the WMA, says it is believed to be the first of its kind on the Canadian prairies, although these bodies are more common in the United States.

“A WMA is a clearly defined land area based on characteristics such as similar geography, topography, weed species, climate or land usage,” Michalsky said. “Its size and shape are determined by natural and logical boundaries that influence where specific types of weeds reproduce and spread.”

Since weeds are not limited by arbitrary man-made boundaries, neither are management areas. They can coincide with a broader watershed region, or cut across several municipalities, as is the case with the Frenchman River-Wood River WMA. In fact, since this particular zone borders Montana, plans are even being developed to partner with similar WMAs south of the border to prevent weeds from spreading in either direction.

“This reflects the reality that a land manager’s or producer’s success in combating an invasive weed species is generally not determined by his or her own efforts alone. It requires a co-operative, concerted approach before the spread of a weed can truly be controlled,” said Michalsky.

Weed management areas offer many advantages as a vehicle for weed management efforts. Rather than a year-by-year approach to weed control, Michalsky says management areas emphasize a long-term plan for combating the problem. They enable local landowners to establish priorities; emphasize particular threats; pool talents and resources; share information; communicate with the general public; deliver educational programs; assess risks to local water sources, crops and endangered species; and help to secure more stable funding for long-term management efforts.

The Frenchman River-Wood River WMA received funding from Environment Canada’s Invasive Alien Species Partnership Program to assist with weed prevention, detection and control programs. Additional funding will be provided by the Grasslands National Park and the participating municipalities. It is expected the project will also be able to access technical support from other existing initiatives, such as the Greencover Canada program, administered by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and the Invasive Plant Program, delivered jointly by Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food (SAF) and the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities and funded under the Agri-Environmental Group Planning Program of the Agriculture Policy Framework Environmental Chapter.

Business is now picking up for this southwest WMA. The group recently hired a co-ordinator, Julie Mackenzie, and will soon engage in public consultations. Land managers within the RMs of Val Marie, Old Post, Waverley, Mankota, Glen McPherson, Wood River and Pinto Creek will have an opportunity to learn more about this innovative project in February, when a series of public meetings will be held. More information will be made available in the coming weeks.

SAF encourages groups to try the Weed Management Area concept. Anyone interested in finding out more about WMAs can contact the SAF Weed Control Specialist, Clark Brenzil, at 306-787-4673.

For more information, contact:

Sue Michalsky
Frenchman River-Wood River WMA
Phone: (306) 295-3696