battle to keep a potentially devastating species out of lakes in the North Okanagan and Shuswap. Local MLA's Eric Foster and Greg Kyllo have announced 59-thousand dollars for three organizations to help control the spread of invasive plants. Kyllo, the MLA for Shuswap, says if left unchecked, the potential introduction of Zebra mussels will have a detrimental effect on pristine lakes and impact thousands of jobs in the tourism sector. He says the funding will be used to educate the public, survey the plant populations, and treat high priority sites. The mussels, which are now mostly in the U-S but can be transferred on boats, can clog water intakes and leave razor sharp shells on beaches. The government awarded grants to the following organizations:
Regional District of North Okanagan received $35,000
Columbia Shuswap Regional District received $10,000
Columbia Shuswap Invasive Species Society received $14,000"In addition to the disruption they cause for native species, invasive plants are a significant problem for our agriculture industry," Vernon-Monashee MLA Eric Foster said. "These funds will help protect our industry and our environment." Invasive plants are species that have been introduced into BC from other areas. They displace native vegetation and can cause considerable economic and environmental damage, and some pose a health risk to people.
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