BLM Vegetation Management
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- WELCOME!
AGENDA
• Introductions, Meeting Objectives,
Meeting Manners
• EIS – EIS Overview
• Local Issues, Need, Expectations
• Next Steps, Timeline
• Public Comment
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Click toIntroductions
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•EIS Team, Oregon State Office
– Todd Thompson, BLM Project Manager
– Ken Denton, Contract Team Lead
– Jeanne Standley, BLM Botanist
– Susan Hale, Contract Meeting Manager
•District Office
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Coordinator
, District Manager
, District Botanist / Weed
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Meeting
Objectives
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• Introduce the EIS objectives to the Public
• Gather information from the public about:
– Scope of the EIS
– Issues that should be examined in the
EIS
– Alternatives that should be examined in
the EIS
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Manners
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- Please hold comments until after the
presentation
- Be respectful of others and varying points
of view
- Speak only when called upon
- Do not interrupt other speakers
- Do not have side conversations, which can
affect other people’s ability to hear
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Providing
Comments
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Oral comments
- We will attempt to record main points
- We will ask for clarification
- Contribute ideas for issues and alternatives
- Avoid repeating comments already made
Written comments
- Just as important as oral comments
- Contribute ideas for issues and alternatives
- Complete a comment form at the meeting
- Mail or email comments; addresses are provided
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Vegetation
EIS
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• The BLM is initiating an EIS to examine
• the effects of adding up to 14 herbicide
active ingredients to the 4 currently used
• to other tools already available to the BLM
districts in Oregon
• for use in their noxious weed, invasive plant,
and other weed management programs.
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Invasive Plants on BLM
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in Oregon
Of the 15.7 million acres managed by BLM in
Oregon:
Invasive plants and noxious weeds currently affect
over 1,000,000 acres
Invasive plants & noxious weeds are increasing at
an estimated rate of 10% – 15% per year
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Plant
Damage
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Invasive plants and noxious weeds invade desirable
plant communities and:
 Displace native vegetation
 Degrade soil fertility and stability
 Dominate riparian habitats and degrade water quality
 Compete with trees and important forage plants
 Harm habitats for fish, wildlife and endangered species
 Reduce restoration success
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Invasive Plant Damage
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(continued)
Invasive plants and noxious weeds also:
 Poison livestock, wildlife, plants, and even people
 Reduce native species diversity
 Increase fuel loading and the frequency & intensity of wildfire
 Reduce recreational access, enjoyment, and aesthetics
 Increase land management costs and reduce property values
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Weeds
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Plants
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 Other weeds are undesirable plants that
interfere with land management objectives.
 The EIS proposes to use herbicides on
“other weeds” in rights-of-way,
administrative sites, and recreation sites.
 The EIS proposes to use herbicides on any
plants to control pests and diseases and to
meet landscape health objectives.
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Weed
Examples
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Noxious Weeds – Law
Himalayan blackberry
Japanese knotweed
Canada thistle
Invasive Weeds - Behavior
Scotch broom
Cheatgrass
Tansy ragwort
Dandelion
Knapweeds
Common periwinkle
Sow thistle
Other Weeds - Location
Teasel
Poison oak or ivy
Water hemlock
Alder
English hawthorn
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Direction
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Several Laws and an Executive Order provide for the
management and control of invasive vegetation, including:
Noxious Weed Control Act of 2004
Plant Protection Act of 2000
Federal Noxious Weed Act of 1974
Invasive Species Executive Order of 1999
Carlson-Foley Act of 1968
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BLM
Plan title
Direction
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• BLM policy for noxious weeds and invasive plants
requires:
– Prevention including education, awareness, and
regulation
– Early detection and eradication of new invaders
– Control of existing infestations
– Cooperation with state, counties, and landowners
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BLM
Click toTreatment
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• Treatment methods used to control
vegetation include:
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Biological
Fire
Mechanical
Manual
Chemical
Other (shade, hot water, etc.)
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Manual & Mechanical Treatments
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BLM uses both manual & mechanical
methods to treat vegetation including invasive
plants and noxious weeds
Manual methods such as hand-pulling and
mowing are used to treat approximately 5,000
acres per year
Mechanical methods (motorized equipment)
and fire are used to treat approximately 11,000
acres annually
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Biological & Chemical
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Treatments
BLM also uses biological and chemical controls
exclusively on noxious weeds:
Biological methods include insects, pathogens,
disease, and directed livestock to target specific
noxious weeds on approximately 2,400 acres per
year
Herbicides are used alone or in conjunction with
other methods to control noxious weeds on
approximately 12,000 acres of noxious weeds each
year
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Use
of Herbicides
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For many weed species, herbicides used alone or in
combination with other treatments provide the most
effective control.
For certain species, such as Canada thistle,
herbicides provide the only practical treatment to
meet land management objectives.
Herbicides may be more effective, environmentally
friendly, and selective than other treatment options.
Herbicide use may prevent the spread of priority
pathogens better than other treatments.
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BLM
PEIS
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In 2007, BLM National Office released the Vegetation
Treatments Using Herbicides Final Programmatic EIS and
Record of Decision (PEIS & ROD)
The PEIS & ROD analyzed and approved national use of
18 herbicides for non-commodity weed management
This decision also specified Standard Operating
Procedures and Mitigation Measures (see handouts)
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Oregon BLM
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Herbicide
As a result of 1984 and 1987 U.S. District Court
Orders, the BLM in Oregon is limited to:
Only four herbicide ingredients: dicamba, glyphosate,
picloram, and 2,4-D
Applying these four herbicides only to county, state, and
federally listed noxious weeds
Other chemicals may not be used on BLM lands at this time, nor may
any chemical be used for control of non-noxious invasive plants, or other
weed control along rights-of-way such as roads and power lines.
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Oregon BLM
ClickVegetation
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Treatments
In order to implement the national decision, to address
the deficiencies identified by the U.S. District Court, an
Oregon-specific programmatic EIS is being prepared.
The Oregon EIS will tier to the National PEIS and
adopt its analysis including its human and environmental
risk assessments.
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The
Need
&
Proposed
Action
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The BLM in Oregon has a Need to treat noxious
weeds; treat invasive plants and other weeds in
administrative sites, recreation sites, and rights-of-way;
treat hazardous fuels; treat forest pests and diseases;
and, achieve landscape health objectives.
The Proposed Action is to improve program
effectiveness by including 18 herbicide active
ingredients with the other (existing) tools being used
for treating the above vegetation and areas.
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INSERT DISTRICT
PRESENTATION
HERE
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Vegetation Treatments EIS
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Scoping
Comments
The Oregon BLM is seeking public input on:
The scope of the EIS analysis
Issues that should be examined by the EIS
Alternatives that should be examined in the EIS
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Oregon
EIS
Issues
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The OR EIS will provide the BLM Oregon/
Washington State Director with:
A description of all significant environmental
effects; and,
Any other information needed to make a reasoned
choice from among the alternatives.
The topic areas that address these two needs are
referred to here as Issues.
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Make
Your
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• How would weed management with
herbicides affect local resources?
• Are you aware of research, studies, or local
issues that should be considered?
• Do you have other ideas, suggestions, or
concerns that should be included?
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Vegetation Treatments EIS
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Preliminary
Issues
Preliminary Issues include:
Effect on fish and other non-target aquatics
Effect on water quality
Effect on wildlife and other non-target terrestrial
organisms including non-target plants
Public and worker health & safety
Treatment effectiveness
Cost effectiveness
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Click
Oregon
EIS
Alternatives
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Alternatives to the Proposed Action may
include:
Using fewer herbicides
Limiting application methods
Limiting treatment locations
Expanding invasive plant treatments beyond rights-of-way,
administrative sites and recreation areas
All alternatives will, at a minimum, include the
Standard Operating Procedures & Mitigation
Measures from BLM’s National PEIS
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Alternatives
(cont.)
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Alternatives will NOT:
- Evaluate the use of herbicides for commodity
production such as livestock forage and/or timber
volume
- Address project-specific details. Specific treatment
proposals will require project-level analysis tiered to
this EIS
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Next
Steps
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EIS Schedule
July 2008 – EIS Scoping to identify Alternatives and Issues
August 2008 – Team examines input and comments from
Scoping to recommend Issues and Alternatives to include in the
EIS
May/June 2009 – Public Comment Period on Draft EIS
January 2010 – Issue Final EIS
March 2010 – Sign Record of Decision
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Providing
Comments
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Oral comments
- We will attempt to record main points
- We will ask for clarification
- Contribute ideas for issues and alternatives
- Avoid repeating comments already made
Written comments
- Just as important as oral comments
- Contribute ideas for issues and alternatives
- Complete a comment form at the meeting
- Mail or email comments; addresses are provided
31
Click toGood
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Manners
- Please be respectful of others and
varying points of view
- Speak only when called upon
- Do not interrupt other speakers
- Do not have side conversations, which can
affect other people’s ability to hear
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Click to
Getting
Involved!
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Join the mailing list and track progress at our website:
www.blm.gov/or/plans/vegtreatmentseis/
Please submit Scoping Comments by July 28, 2008
which can be done:
Here today
By email to: [email protected]
On the website at
By letter to:
Bureau of Land Management
Vegetation Treatments EIS
P.O. Box 2965
Portland, OR 97208
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