Aliens in Rheenendal on the way out

KNYSNA NEWS - Authorities overseeing the Garden Route Rebuild Initiative (GRRI) are determined to prevent the regrowth of dense forests of invasive alien plants on private land, which contributed very significantly to providing the biomass fuelling the Knysna inferno.

"The Rheenendal and Westford burn scar bordering the Knysna river and N2 highway, provided much of the biomass that fuelled the Knysna fire with sufficient fire energy to jump the Knysna river valley and blaze into town and beyond," says Cobus Meiring of the Southern Cape Landowners Initiative (SCLI).

According to Meiring, national and local authorities are in the process of enforcing legislative powers to ensure that landowners comply with environmental legislation, pertaining to the way they eradicate and control invasive alien plant regrowth on their land.

Private sector leads the way
A private sector sponsorship, aimed at assisting private landowners in the Rheenendal/Westford burn scar by providing vitally important herbicide, is proving to be the catalyst for a game-changing way forward in land management.

Landowners in the Reenendal burn scar who participate in the programme, are required to draw up, and submit an invasive alien plant control plan.

The plan is a simple strategy to guide landowners as to what the extent of their invasive alien problem is, where these areas are and when they were last treated.

In accordance to the number of hectares affected, as well as the densities of invasive alien plants present, a calculation can easily be made to determine the amount of herbicide which will be required to treat the affected areas.

Authorities have indicated that all landowners in the Garden Route will in future be required to prepare and maintain invasive alien plant management plans, and local estate agents are already aware of the importance thereof, in the selling of land affected by invasive alien plants.

Landowners requiring assistance in drawing up management plans can contact SCLI, or visit the website for more information.

* SCLI (www.scli.org.za) is a public platform for landowners and managers with an interest in the control and eradication of invasive alien plants.

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