A Virginia county is offering financial help to residents and community organizations working to eliminate harmful nonnative species from their properties. Loudoun County opened applications in September for awards from $5,000 to $50,000 to remove several problem plants, Loudoun Now reported.
The initiative grew from advocacy by the Loudoun Invasive Removal Alliance, a volunteer group that has educated homeowners for years about these plants’ effects. Mike Littman, who leads the organization, addressed community members at a recent information session held at a local vineyard.
“This is not just about the environment. It’s about health and safety. It’s about the economy, specifically the rural economy,” Littman said. He described how Bradford pears collapse in bad weather, how ivy suffocates native vegetation, and how barberry bushes harbor disease-carrying ticks…