Weed Free Hay, Straw... ( and Seed )

1. Weed Free Hay, Straw... (and Seed) Pilot Project Julie Robinson Ministry of Agriculture

2. Introduction/Overview • North East Invasive Plant Committee (NEIPC) • North West Invasive Plant Council (NWIPC) • Fort Nelson Invasive Plant Management Area Steering Committee (FNIPMASC) • Invasive Aliens Species Partnership Program (IASPP) • WFF Producers • Under guidance of Inter Ministry Invasive Species Working Group (IMIS WG) • Fall 2010 Initiated a Weed Free Forage Pilot Program

3. Introduction/Overview • Based on North American Weed Management Association (NAWMA) Weed Free Forage Program • Inspections (methods/training/in field) • Weed lists • Certification/transit forms and marking • Producer involvement • Piloted in North East/West BC

4. Initial Goals • Effective management of invasive plants in remote areas of BC • Producers providing weed free forage to customers that has met a minimum standard • Inspections of weed free forage fields by trained individuals using a set standard • Customers aware of and buying weed free forage that has met a minimum standard • Details and procedures clarified for the weed free forage program to enable the expansion to the whole province

5. Benefits of Program • Prevent introduction and spread of invasive plants • Protecting natural resources • Education and awareness and change in behaviour for : • Backcountry users, • Oil and gas industry, • Other industries adjacent to and in remote areas or access points • AWARENESS & EDUCATION Early Detection Rapid Response

6. Weed Free Forage Pilot Weed Free Forage & Straw Pilot

7. WFF and Straw Pilot – Evolution • Providing and using a premium product that is recognized as marketable and transportable • Preventing the spread of designated weeds and undesirable plants species • Protecting private and public lands from non-native plant species • Increasing the awareness of the environmental impact on non-native, invasive plant species

8. WFF Pilot-Inspections • 2 training sessions: • 1 in Peace and • 1 in Vanderhoof • 10 people trained • Certified Weed Free Hay or Straw: means hay free of viable seed or propagules of weeds or undesirable plants designated in the Weed List

9. Inspection Procedures • Hay shall be inspected in the field of origin by a duly appointed Inspector to determine if hay meets the weed free requirements of the program. • A minimum 12-foot buffer zone within the field being inspected (or as otherwise directed by the Inspector) free from any plant species listed in the Weed List shall be excluded and cut and harvested separate from the hay being certified. • Fields shall be inspected by the inspector within 10 days prior to cutting or harvesting. • Fields that contain any designated weeds may be certified if, at the time of inspection, the hay is free from viable seed or propagules of the designated plants. • Producers shall bind the hay with special coloured twine available from the Inspector to identify it as certified. • Producers will report to inspectors actual dates of cutting and baling and actual yields.

11. DESIGNATED WEED AND UNDESIRABLE PLANT SPECIES LIST NEIPC - NWIPC Certified Weed Free Hay and StrawProgram Pilot Project • Forage shall be free of those noxious weeds or undesirable plant species identified in the BC Weed Control Act and the invasive plants identified in the Forest and Range Practices Act Invasive Plant Regulation • (NAWMA Noxious weed list is slightly different )

13. Certification/transit forms and marking

14. Producer involvement • 5 fields inspected 2011 (464 ac, 442.5ac certified) • 562 round bales forage • 1482 sq straw • 462 round bales straw • Communication with 10 producers directly • Increased opportunity in market for producer involved

15. How the summer went • Increased awareness for both producer and weed free forage and straw users • Lots of discussion for transition to provincial program

16. Next steps • Provincial delivery plan • Government, ISC, Regionally delivered, or some combination of the above • Signing of an agreement NAWMA • Legislation development? • Review weed lists to add to the minimum requirements for list of species for BC EDUCATION and AWARENESS Change of Behaviour

17. Forage Seed Industry Weed free seed Quality regulations: Canada Seeds Act, Weed Seeds Order • Seed Growers Association – Producer • Canadian Food Inspection Agency - field inspection and site qualifications • Seed trade – cleaned and packaged seed • Blue tags www.peaceforageseed.ca

18. Seed Tags Class of seed: No. 1 - higher purity and % germination No. 2 - lower purity and % germination Grade: Foundation (white tag) Registered (purple tag) Certified (blue tag) Common (company tag) Crop kind and variety included for pedigree seed (i.e. certified seed or higher) Seed grower number Assigned by the Canadian Seed Growers Association The year the crop was produced The year the crop was produced Seed grower number Seed sealing number - assigned by CFIA or any registered firm Pedigreed class of seed Province the seed grower comes from

19. eg. Knapweed – Class 1 eg. Canada Thistle – Class 2 Scentless Chamomile, Night Flowering Catchfly – class 3 & 4 Seed testing certificate number Crop certificate number Crop Kind and Variety Seed sealing number (lot number) Germination - percent of seeds that grow Hard Seeds (only relevant to legume seeds) - seeds still included in germination Pure Living Seed - seed that is pure and viable Pure Seed = crop seed only Inert Matter = stems, seed husks, dirt, etc. TZ = Tetrazolium test (only applicable to cereals) - determines percent viable seed Signed and stamped by accredited seed analyst. Place and Date of analysis.

21. Seed Grades • Common No. 2Allows 25 primary noxious weed seeds per 25 grams 1000 Ca thistle, ox-eye daisy or toadflax seeds per kg of seed! OK if site under intense management but not reclamation situation or backcountry???? • Common No. 1 Forage Seed mixture -Allows zero primary noxious weeds per 25 grams • Seed from OUTSIDE THE REGION may have species that are not present here, so are a greater threat than the SAME GRADE from local sources (Ontario, southern Alberta)

22. Summary • Weed free seed... Or at least tools needed to determine this are already in place and monitored by CFIA... • Next Steps for Weed Free Forage and Straw program is Provincial Program Report of Seed Analysis

23. Supporting Partners • BC Ministry of Environment • ISCBC • BC Ministry of Agriculture • BC Ministry of Forests, Lands & Natural Resource Ops • Bulkley Valley Cattleman's Association • Ministry of Transportation • Guide Outfitters Association of BC • Federation of BC Naturalists • Horse Council of BC • Muskwa-Kechika Management Area Advisory Board • Skeena Stockman's Association

24. Critical People • Amy Farella -coordinator (NWIPC) • Bob Drinkwater - Contractor • Sonja Leverkus (FLNRO) • Denise McLean (Min Agri/FNLRO) • Keith Carroll (FLNRO) • Adrian Petersen NAWMA • Marc Schuffert FLNRO • Andrea Eastham (NWIPC) • Elaine Armagost (PRRD) • Ken Siemens/Fern Mertens (Forage Producers) • Shelley Kirk (Min Agri)

25. Thank You! • Sonja Leverkus • Amy Farella • Denise McLean • Sandra Burton • Talon Johnson • NAMWA “Mr.Osborne may I be excused? My brain is full.”