WHEREAS the Province of British Columbia imposes a duty on all land occupiers to control noxious plants designated in the Weed Control Regulation in Schedule A, Part 1 and Giant Hogweed is not designated as a noxious plant by the Weed Control Regulation; AND WHEREAS Giant Hogweed is a noxious plant in several areas of the province and has a negative impact on human health, the environment and agricultural economic activity: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Union of BC Municipalities request that the Province designate Giant Hogweed as a noxious plant in the Weed Control Regulation, or some other legislation of comparable stature, and impose a duty on all land occupiers to control Giant Hogweed; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this duty to control Giant Hogweed be enforced using provincial rather than local government resources.
MINISTRY OF WATER, LAND AND AIR PROTECTION This is an area of concurrent authority. The Union of British Columbia Municipalities UBCM should contact the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries to discuss the Weed Control Act and the Weed Control Regulation they administer. UBCM can use their existing authority under the Ministry of Water, Land and Air Regulation Spheres of Concurrent Jurisdiction, Section 83 J and K to help control Giant Hogweed. MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND FISHERIES Last fall, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries advised the Regional District of Nanaimo that we would be pleased to support the addition of Giant Hogweed to Schedule A, Part II Regional Noxious Weeds, Regional District of Nanaimo. We had outlined that the next step was for Nanaimo Regional District to provide a management plan and confirmation that it requires the ability to enter lands and enforce control in situations where cooperation is not forthcoming. To date, the Ministry has not received such a plan. However, local government is not prevented from controlling weeds on lands they are responsible for they could add Giant Hogweed to by-laws regarding nuisance vegetation, unsightly vegetation or by-laws they administer and enforce.