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Invasive plants : impacts, pathways and vectors, and best practices

British Columbia Mine Reclamation Symposium; University of British Columbia. Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering

The Invasive Species Council of BC (ISCBC) is focusing on the mining industry to reduce the spread and introduction of invasive species. Degraded or altered areas of land are particularly vulnerable to invasive plant establishment. The key mining activities linked to invasive plant introduction are often directly related to the reclamation of mining sites. The most effective way of avoiding the substantial costs that invasive species management can have on mining companies is to regulate the practises that introduce them. Some of these practices include the use of unclean mobile equipment, contaminated seed mixes and infested soil or gravel. With the support of current legislation, it is possible to create and implement invasive plant best management practices for the mining industry, similar to those that were created for and are being utilized by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. There are a variety of “Weeds and Roads” programs offered by the ISCBC to establish best practises to avoid the introduction and spread of invasive plants. Similar programs can be offered to the managers and operational workers of mining companies. By working together to understand and enforce Best Management Practices (BMPs) that minimize the threats that invasive species pose on mining companies, economic and environmental costs can be avoided.

Conference Paper

eng

Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library

10.14288/1.0042629

Non UBC

Other

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/