Pre-study Collaboration invasive species

It is considered very positive that the municipalities have addressed the issue of invasive alien species through the project, something that has been requested for a long time.

The purpose was to develop a strategy proposal for how the four municipalities in southeastern Skåne could collaborate to manage established invasive alien species in the area.

The project began with a knowledge gathering related to management and strategies concerning the issues of invasive species. Contacts were made with ecologists and researchers, and information was gathered on how the issue is addressed in Sweden, Europe, and the world. The project group, which consisted of project leaders, municipal ecologists, and/or sustainability strategists from all municipalities, met regularly and also held meetings with experts from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, the County Administrative Board in Skåne, the Swedish Forest Agency, and LRF. The park departments in the participating municipalities were also involved and active in the project. During the project, a number of landowners and farmers were visited, and information and dialogue meetings were held with the public and landowners where the project leader answered questions and collected tips on various findings.

The project also acted as a reference and sounding board during the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency's development of a so-called case management support, a digital tool that collects findings, control efforts, and information about invasive species in one place.

The project resulted in a developed strategy proposal which, in addition to responsibility distribution and focus species, describes a number of measures that the project municipalities can and should implement to deepen collaboration among themselves and with other actors to manage the challenge of invasive alien species. The municipalities received support from the state after the project Local Nature Conservation Initiative, LONA, to continue the joint effort. The project created awareness and increased interest in the issue and reached out through about ten newspaper articles as well as appearances on both radio and TV.

Read the draft version of the strategy proposal by clicking on the image below.

Unfortunately, there were not enough resources to capture all the ideas and proposals that came up during the project. However, the municipalities in southeastern Skåne commissioned an inventory of giant hogweed along four watercourses after the project's conclusion. The inventory was summarized in a report, and all findings were registered in Artportalen. A natural continuation would be to also inventory the inflows to the watercourses, but there were no longer any funds available to apply for within the framework of the Local Nature Conservation Initiative (LONA). Ystad Municipality also wanted to inventory all invasive alien plants and some animals on municipal land but did not receive any bids. Two companies have been hired to test different methods for controlling Japanese knotweed on limited areas: with pelargonic acid and through the cut-and-cover method. Ystad Municipality continues to combat snowberry, rowan spiraea, and Norway maple in Ystad's sand forest and the isolated population of giant balsam that exists on municipal land.

LAG board's justification for car accident

An innovative collaboration project that addresses a highly relevant issue. The project benefits both people and the environment and contributes to sustainable development.