SCLI concludes landowner training as the Garden Route landscape transforms
Landowners encouraged to draw up invasive alien plant control plans
31 March 2020
KEY WORKSHOP PRESENTATIONS
(Click on document title)
PRESENTATION Invasive alien plant management _Landowner Workshop_March 2020_P Buchholz
PRESENTATION Safe and responsible herbicide use_Herbcon_Carl Stoltsz lowres
Article by Cobus Meiring
Committed to assisting landowners affected by the 2017/2018 Knysna/ Plettenberg Bay wildfire disaster, the Southern Cape Landowners Initiative (SCLI) conducted a half-day workshop on the control and eradication of invasive alien plants in Brenton-on-Sea just days before the national lockdown.
Cobus Meiring, chairperson of the Southern Cape Landowners Initiative (SCLI) says the changing landscape poses new challenges to landowners in the region.
“In the aftermath of the wildfire disasters, many landowners missed a golden opportunity to curb the spread of invasive alien plants on their properties when species such as Rooikrans, Black Wattle and Blue Gum were small and sprouting, and they were able to make use of foliar spray as a most effective method to address regrowth.”
A changing landscape poses new challenges to landowners
“Invasive alien plants have, since the 2017 fires, grown to heights of well over five meters tall, implying that a cost-effective foliar spray is no longer an option for landowners. As soon as invasive plants are above shoulder height, it is no longer advisable nor feasible to make use of foliar spray as an eradication method in curbing spread and growth,” says Meiring.
Almost three years down the line, landowners overwhelmed by invasive plant regrowth now will have to cut down invasive alien trees and treat the stumps with appropriate herbicide types in order to prevent regrowth and resprouting.
An Invasive Alien Plant Control plan is the answer as authorities act against non-compliance
In a determined effort to prevent a recurrence of the 2017 wildfire disaster, the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF), is issuing non-compliant landowners with pre-directives as well as punitive directives, which have far-reaching and costly consequences.
As part of an ongoing programme to assist landowners in the 2017/ 18 burn scars, SCLI is assisting landowners by drawing up Invasive Alien Control Plans for them, as well as by providing appropriate herbicide, advice and assistance.
Landowners in need of assistance can visit the SCLI website for more information or contact the SCLI Secretariat. Email: cobus@naturalbridge.co.za.
Main Photo:
The presenters at the SCLI Invasive Alien Plant Workshop for Landowners were: (from left to right) Cobus Meiring, chairperson of SCLI; Pamela Booth, Manager: Environmental Planning at Knysna Municipality; Carl Stoltsz, technical advisor at Herbcon Services and (at the back) Paul Buchholz, Environmental Practitioner, SCLI. (Photo: Chris Jooste)
SCLI Environmental Practitioner, Paul Buchholz, addresses landowners in Brenton-on-Sea on best practice methods in dealing with governmental insistence on compliance in dealing with invasive alien plants. (Photo: Cobus Meiring, SCLI)
