The purpose of this petition is to advocate for all levels of government collaborate to:

1. Develop comprehensive strategies to help mitigate the harms that invasive plant species pose to our ecosystem and our economy;
2. Promote planting and sale of native plants to support our ecosystems and urban biodiversity; and
3. Work with the horticultural industry to restrict the sale of harmful invasive plants.    

Problems with invasive plants include, but are not limited to:

• Invasive plants outcompete Nova Scotian and Canadian native plants and occupy space that native plants need to grow.
• Invasive plants evolved in other climates and spread rapidly.
  • Invasive plants did not evolve within our ecosystem and provide little support to insect and wildlife populations.  They disrupt ecosystems that have evolved for thousands of years.
  • Native plants support the life cycles of 10 – 100x more insects than non-native plants. These include pollinators (eg: bees, moths, butterflies, etc.) that are critical parts of the ecosystem and improve agricultural  yields. They also provide food for birds and other fauna. 
• Invasive plants pose threats to the economy through harm to the forestry, agriculture, fisheries, tourism, and recreational industries, and to property values.
  • Environment and Climate Change Canada estimates that the annual cumulative lost revenue caused by only 16 invasive species is between $13 – 35 billion.  Effects on the agricultural and forestry industries is estimated to be $7.5 billion in lost revenue annually.  
• Limits access to water ways and movement through natural areas.
  • Many invasive non-native plants form incredibly dense thickets that are impossible for animals and humans to safely cross.
• Destroys habitat essential for our insects and animals to survive.
• Invasive plants outcompete native plants and replace the native understory trees, shrubs and herbaceous levels of the ecosystem that are necessary for supporting biodiversity and for providing habitat for animals e.g.: burrowing sites, protection from predators, and nesting sites.

Now is the time for a coordinated approach between municipal, provincial, and federal governments.  

The Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act of Nova Scotia commits to the protection of 20% of provincial land and water by 2030.  This Act plays a fundamental role in the outlining the commitment Nova Scotia has to working to “address climate change and to achieve sustainable prosperity”.

The Act helps to protect land and water to conserve the province’s biodiversity; however, land and water cannot be protected solely by preserving it from development.

Proposed solutions:

• Development of comprehensive, actionable strategies for invasive plant removal and control with federal leadership and support.
• Regulate the sale of harmful and invasive plant species in cooperation with the horticultural industry.
• Develop safe disposal mechanisms for these invasive plant species by members of the public and safe disposal of roadside and other excavated soils during construction.
• Increase education of the public and horticultural industry about the harms of invasive plants. Education regarding the importance of using native plants in garden design by private home owners, businesses, and at federal, provincial and municipal buildings to promote urban biodiversity.
• Removal of invasive, non-native plants at municipal, provincial and federal buildings and lands and replace with beneficial native plants. 
• Develop a grant program to encourage community groups and volunteers to help remove invasive plants in their communities. 
  • Indigenous communities and leaders could be engaged in this work and support two-eyed seeing to address this problem.