Where an invasive species such as Bamboo, Himalayan Balsam, Ragwort, has become a burden to the landscape it important to have a control plan. However, a control plan alone if often not enough, and that’s where a PBA Solutions Invasive Weed Management plan can really help.
What’s the process for getting an Invasive Weed Management plan written?
Once you have identified the need for an invasive weed management plan the following would normally happen regardless species, size of infestation and site type:
- Firstly, objectives, outcomes, and funding are agreed.
- A site survey is then carried out to establish the location and distribution of the invasive species.
- Next, a management plan is written that follows an established framework:
- Survey findings are documented.
- Treatment options listed.
- The proposed course of action is stated.
- The timeline for implementation is outlined.
- Treatment is then conducted in line with the management plan proposal.
- The management plan is updated with treatment records and site photographs.
- The completion of all work referenced in the management, with the plan updated accordingly.
How and Invasive Weed Management can make a difference:
- Identification of where appropriate cultural controls can be used and reduce the reliance on herbicide. On a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) this is crucial.
- Consideration of the threats and limitations that might exist to revegetating an area after herbicide treatment.
- Assessment of the economic impacts of different control measures. Specifying when herbicides can be used to replace excavation and when they can’t.
- Awareness created by stating objectives, documenting the treatment schedule, and supplying drawings to identify the location of the infestation, can serve to educate and even pacify people.
Buying and selling property with invasive species
When property is being sold an invasive weed management plan helps ensure that the both the seller and buyer know about the invasive weed issue and how it will be resolved. With Japanese knotweed this is a prerequisite for the seller’s property, whilst for other invasives the use of management plans is becoming increasingly popular, particularly for bamboo.
Dealing with the impact of invasives
Many public and private landowners grapple with invasive plants. Disputes with neighbours or obligations to treat scheduled non-native weeds are often drivers for getting a management plan drawn up.
At PBA we’ve seen a mixture of scenarios, but there is one aspect of invasive weed management that never changes: the need to act and be persistent when treating, to ensuring a management plan is seen through to the end.