Invasive Plant Management for Urban Municipalities: A Planning and Decision Support Tool

There are many reasons to tackle invasive plants. To be effective, you need to know the full extent of the invasive plant problem, know the specifics of each invasive plant that is causing a problem, know your own resources and constraints, and then make a choice about how to proceed. You need to know how to tackle the individual invasive plant, and what you need to do to be successful, and when the best time to manage the problem might be. Because of the complexity of items to be considered in invasive plant management, this planning and decision support tool has been developed. It will walk you through a step-by-step process to gather the information you need, assist you with determining priorities, and once you’ve made the decision to proceed, assist you with developing an implementation strategy. Conscientious use of this tool will provide you with a record of how you made your choices, so you can share your reasons with others. It will also provide you with a baseline to use in monitoring the success of your efforts. It may also help you to argue successfully for increased resources to tackle invasive plant management! The goal of this planning and decision support tool is to assist you, as an urban land manager, to think through your options regarding invasive plant management on lands for which you are responsible, and to document the steps you have taken in coming to a decision. Through the use of a systematic process, your decision-making will be supported and you will be in a good position to argue your decisions to City Council or members of the public. It’s a lot of work – but it will pay off.Applied Science, Faculty ofCommunity and Regional Planning (SCARP), School ofUnreviewedGraduat