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STANDARDS FOR NEIPC-NWIPC
WEED-FREE FORAGE PROGRAM PILOT PROJECT
Various stakeholders working through the North East Invasive Plant Committee, NEIPC, and the Northwest Invasive Plant Council, NWIPC, are running a pilot program to develop and test a Weed-Free Forage Program for northern BC. The intent is to use the pilot and its findings to develop a Provincial program. The standards for the pilot program were adopted from and are very similar to the
NORTH AMERICAN WEED FREE FORAGE PROGRAM developed by the North
American Weed Managers Association, NAWMA.
INTRODUCTION
There is a growing demand in North America for certified weed free forage and mulch to
use as a preventative measure in integrated Weed Management Systems to limit the
spread of invasive plants, weeds or noxious weeds. The goal of this standard is to meet
and test the guidelines and minimum requirements for uniform participation in the
NAWMA program. The standards are designed to provide some assurance to all
participants that forage certified through this program meets a minimum acceptable
standard, to provide continuity between the various provinces and states in the NAWMA
program and to limit the spread of invasive plants and weeds through forage and mulch.
MINIMUM STANDARDS
Forage shall be free of those noxious weeds or invasive plant species identified in the BC
Weed Control Act and the Forest and Range Practices Act Invasive Plant Regulation.
Appendix A lists those species.
NOTE: Future versions of the program may proceed with NAWMA designation.
NAWMA utilizes the North American Noxious Weed List appended to the NAWMA
Standards this would result in changes to the list in Appendix A.
1. Forage shall be inspected in the region of origin and also in the field of origin, (field shall include surrounding ditches, fence rows, roads, easements, rights of way or a buffer zone surround the field), by proper officials or authorities. 2. Field shall be inspected prior to cutting or harvesting by the proper officials or 3. Forage which contains any noxious weeds, or invasive plant species, as identified in Appendix A may be certified if the following requirements are met: a. Field upon which the forage was produced was treated to prevent seed formation or seed ripening to the degree that there is no danger of dissemination of the seed, or any injurious portion thereof from such noxious weeds, or undesirable plant species, or the propagating parts of the plant are not capable of producing a new plant. b. Noxious weeds or invasive plant species were treated not later than rosette to bud stage, or boot stage for grass species classified as weeds, prior to cutting or harvesting. c. Treatment method can include but is not limited to: 1) burning, 2) mowing, cutting or roguing, 3) mechanical methods, or 4) chemicals. 4. An inspection certificate (Appendix B) shall document that the above requirements have been met (1 to 3) based upon a reasonable and prudent visual inspection as outlined in Appendix E. 5. Inter-provincial or international shipment of forage shall be accompanied by an original transit certificate (Appendix C) issued by proper officials or authority in the province of origin. Shipments into restricted areas not accompanied by the proper transit certificate may be rejected. Use of the standard North American certification marking is recommended (Appendix D). 7. Pellets and pelleted milled feeds may be certified in the field or may be certified based on official testing by a seed lab for weed seed viability. Proof of results shall be submitted to the Provincial Ministry of Agriculture. 8. Using a transit certificate or certification marking for forage from fields other than the one specified shall constitute a violation of the North American Weed Free Forage Standards and local authorities may take actions. Appendix A: Noxious Weed and Invasive Plant list for this pilot project. Appendix B: Inspection Certificate Standards Appendix C: Transit Certificate Standards Appendix D: Certification Markings Appendix E: Field Inspection Standards Appendix F: Definitions Appendix A:
For the purposes of this pilot project weeds listed as noxious under the BC Weed Control
Act and an additional 10 species listed under the BC Forest and Range Practices Act
(FRPA), Invasive Plant Regulation, will be inspected for prior to cutting or harvesting.
Weed Control Act
WEED CONTROL REGULATION
Schedule A
[Includes amendments up to B.C. Reg. 143/2011, July 21, 2011] Part I — Provincial Weeds
Weeds classed as noxious within all regions of the province: (Phragmites australis subspecies australis) Part II — Regional Weeds
The following additional weeds listed are designated as noxious weeds within the boundaries of the corresponding regional districts: Cariboo, Central Kootenay, Columbia-Shuswap, East Kootenay, Okanagan-Similkameen, Thompson-Nicola Bulkley-Nechako, Cariboo, Columbia-Shuswap, Fraser-Fort George, Kitimat-Stikine, North Okanagan, Okanagan-Similkameen, Peace River, Thompson-Nicola Common Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) Bulkley-Nechako, Central Kootenay, Columbia-Shuswap, Field Scabious (Knautia arvensis) Bulkley-Nechako, Kootenay-Boundary,Thompson-Nicola Columbia-Shuswap, North Okanagan, Thompson-Nicola Bulkley-Nechako, Cariboo, Central Kootenay, Columbia- Cariboo, North Okanagan, Peace River, Thompson-Nicola Puncturevine (Tribulus terrestris) Sulphur Cinquefoil (Potentilla recta) Colombia-Shuswap, North Okanagan, Wild Chervil (Anthriscus sylvestris) Additional species listed in the FRPA Invasive Plant Regulations not listed in the BC Weed Control Act. Baby’s breath Appendix B: Inspection Certificate Standards
Certificate of Inspection Minimum Requirements: 1. Weed Committee information (address and phone number), 2. Inspection Certificate numbering system, 3. Producer name, address, and phone number, 4. Legal description of property being inspected or field number, 5. Area inspected (acres, or hectares), 6. Package/ Bale size, 7. Number of bales or tonnage produced, 8. Commodity/ Forage type, 9. Inspection date, 10. Inspector signature, 11. Comment section. Appendix C: Transit Certificate Standards
Transit Certificate Minimum Requirements: (Will be done post pilot) 1. Weed Committee, Regional District or Provincial Government Ministry information (addresses and phone number), 2. Transit Certificate numbering system, 3. Transporter’s name, address, phone number, 4. Consignee name, address, phone number, 5. Specific destination, 6. Reference to Inspection Certificate number, 7. Comments section, 8. Commodity/ Forage type, 9. Package/ bale size, 10. Number of bales or tonnage, 11. Type of Certification marking used, 12. Issuer signature, Title, and phone number, 13. Issue Date, 14. Statement: "Only originals are accepted". Appendix D: Certification Marking
1. Special purple and yellow colour twine, (after pilot, when certifying to NAWMA a. The words "North American Weed Free Forage Certification
Program".
b. A number system (for tracking purposes).
c. Province of issue.
d. Province telephone number (responsible official).
e. A statement that the product is "Certified to the North American
Standards".
Appendix E: Field Inspection Standards
Minimum guidelines for field inspections. The inspector will follow the following inspection procedures: 1. There shall be a minimum of two entry points per field, 2. There shall be a minimum of one entry point per each 10 acres, 3. Each point of entry shall be at least 150 feet into the field, and each additional 150 feet traveled shall constitute an entry point. Travel shall be uninterrupted, proceeding through the field being inspected, 4. The entire field border shall be walked or driven, 5. Fields shall be inspected within 10 days prior to harvest, 6. The storage area shall also be inspected and meet the standards, 7. An inspector may not inspect fields of which said inspector has ownership or Appendix F: Definitions
1. Certification Markings: tags, purple and yellow colour twine, and galvanized 2. Cubes: hay harvested with equipment which forms the hay into small compact self binding units. These are not considered pellets as defined in this document and therefore the field of origin must be certified. 3. Forage: hay, straw, mulch, cubes, feed grain and pellets. 4. Noxious Weeds: those weeds including any weed seed or propagative plant parts, designated by the BC Weed Act (post pilot the goal will be to include the North American Weed-Free Forage Committee). 5. Pellets: agglomerated feed formed by compacting and forcing through die openings by a mechanical process. Tthe field of origin must be certified. a. Representative of the Provincial Ministries of Agriculture or Natural b. Weed Inspector c. An individual designated by Provincial law or regulations. This individual will be trained and certified in accordance with the Province's standard operating procedures. Appendix G: Proposed Additional Standards above the North American Weed List.
(Will be done post pilot).
The following procedures should be followed for the addition or deletion of species to the North American Weed List. Criteria for species considered for the North American list: 1. Identified as a problem or potential problem by the Province. 2. A petition sent to the weed free forage committee from the Ministry of Agriculture or Natural Resources Operations or other authority requesting listing to the North American Weed List. (Petition should contain a risk assessment with information on impacts to natural resources and forage resources at province and/ or regional level). Species considered for deletion should show why the species is no longer a problem using criteria of #2 above. Procedures for listing a species: 1. Petitioner sends a copy of the request to add or delete a species to the Weed Free Forage Committee chairman 90 days before the Weed Free Forage Committee Meeting. 2. Request should include a risk assessment on impacts to natural resources and forage resources, a description of the plant and 3 color slides (Kodachrome 64 if possible). 3. The Weed Free Forage Committee Chairman will mail information packets to committee members 60 days in advance of the committee meeting. 4. The proposed species should be listed in the NAWMA log and also on the NAWMA Home Page before the committee meeting. Comments will be sent to the Weed Free Forage Committee chairperson for review prior to committee meetings.

Source: http://nwipc.org/documents/private/wffstandardspilotprojectnov7.pdf