Kelowna - Ron Cannan, Member of Parliament for Kelowna-Lake Country is pleased to announce that the British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture and Lands has received a grant of $45,000 under the Invasive Alien Species Strategy for Canada program to produce a field guide which will improve the understanding and awareness of the spread of invasive alien species (IAS) in the Okanagan Valley and British Columbia.

“Our Government , through the Minister of the Environment John Baird, is proud to support a project that will result in increased awareness to help communities actively prevent invasions of harmful species, detect new invaders, and respond rapidly to them,” said Mr. Cannan

Hugh Philip, PAg of the Food Safety & Quality Branch of British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture & Lands in Kelowna said that he is pleased that the funding request was approved.

“The funds will be used to produce an identification guide and management plans for invasive alien plant pests and diseases that threaten British Columbia agriculture. The information will be distributed to Master Gardeners, garden centres, consultants and others providing pest identification services throughout BC to strengthen our support network for early detection of new pest species,” he said.

Invasive Alien Species (IAS) are plants, animals and micro-organisms that spread beyond their natural range into new locations as a result of human activity. They have the potential to threaten forests, agricultural sectors and society. Introduction of IAS is increasing with the growing volume of trade, broadening of trading partners, and increased travel that accompany globalization.

“We know what pine beetle has done to our forests and what invasive species like apple maggot have done to our fruit crops. They can do a lot of harm and cost a lot to eradicate. The more we can do to understand and ultimately prevent the spread of invasive species the more we will be able to protect our resources and our livelihood,” said Mr. Cannan.

The Invasive Alien Species Strategy for Canada is administered jointly by Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Natural Resources Canada, Transport Canada and the Parks Canada Agency.