Contents III Summary Chapter t Description of Alternatives Including the Proposed Action . . . . . . . . . .
Purpose of and Need for Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . .
Alternatives Including the Proposed Action .............. ... .. . . . . ..
Weed Management Treatments and Design Features . . . . • . . . . . . . • . . . .
Compari son of Impacts ....... ......... ...... ...... . . . ... ....•. .
Implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . • . .
Final Decisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . • . . . . . . .
Monitoring and Studies ......... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Requirements for Further Environmental Analysis . . . . . •. . . . . . • . . . . • . .
Interrelationships .. ......... ...... ............. . • . ..... •.. ..•..
1
2
6
7
11 14 14 14 14 14 Chapter 2 Affected Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . • . .
Climate and Air Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
..•.. . . .. .. . . .
Geology and Topography . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . • . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . .
Soils .... .
. . .. .. .. . .. . .. . .. . . ..•.. . . ...•. . .•. . .. .. . . .. . .. .
Water Resources . .. ...... .. . . ... .. . . .... . . .. . . . •. . .. •. . . .
Vegetation . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . • . • . . . . • . . . . . . . . . • . • . . . . • . . . • . . . . . . .
Animals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . • . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . • . . . . • . .
Cultural Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . • . • . . . . • . . . . • . . . .
Visual Resources and Recreation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Wilderness and Special Areas . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . • . . • . • . . . . • . • . • . . . . .
Economic Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19 20 20 20 20 21 26 28 28 30 30 Social Enviro nment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
31 Chapter 3 Environmental Consequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Impacts on Air Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Impacls on Soils . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . • . . . . • . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Impacts on Water Resources . . . . . . . • • . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Impacts on Vegetation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Impacts on Animals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Impacts on Cultural Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Impacts on Visual Resources and Recreation . .. . ............. . .. . , .
35 36 36 38 40 43 47 47 Impacts on Wilderness and Special Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
48 Impacts on Economic Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . .
Impacts on the Social Environment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Impacls on Human Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
48 49 50 Chapter 4 Consultation and Coordination on the Draft Environmental
Impact Statement ........ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Introd uction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Response to Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Common Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . • . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . .
Specific Written Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . .
57 58 58 58 61 Agencies, Organizations, and Persons to Whom Copies of EIS Are Sent .. . .. . ................................. .
135 Li st of Preparers ..... ...... . . . . • . . . • ... . . . . .... . • . • ... . ........
137 Appendixes ............... . ........... . .... . ........ . . . . . . . . .
A Federal Noxious Weed Control Laws. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
B Results of Scoping and Court Briefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . ..
C Noxious Weeds and Poisonous Plants of th e EIS Area ... . ... . ... . .
o Distribution and Spread of Selected Noxious Weeds . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
E Susceptibility of Common Weeds to Control by 2.4·0, Dicamba, Picloram, and Glyphosate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
F Status of Biocontrol Agents in the EIS Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
G Terrestrial Plant Susceptability to Tardon, Banvel, and 2.4·0 . . . . . . . ..
H Annual Acres of Noxious Weed Treatment .......................
I Project Design Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
J Analysis of Program Costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . ..
K Chemical Hazard Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . .
L Tocxic ity of Dioxins in Herbicides Proposed for Use . . . . . ..• . . . . ...
M Toxicity Research Costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
N Worst·Case Analysis Human Heal th Effects of Using 2,4·0, Picloram, and Glyphosate
o Herbicide Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
139 141 149 151 155 209 235 Glossary ............. • .. ..............•...... ...... . .........
279 161 173 175 177 183 187 189 205 207 References . .. . . . . . ........ . .. .. ............ . . . .. ...... ...... . . 287
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . • . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
293 Abbreviations . ........ .. .. . . .. . . . . . . .. . ... . . ........ inside back cover Tables 1-1
1-2
1-3
1-4
1-5
Areas Affected by Noxious Weeds in EIS Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Estimated Annual Acreage of Weed Treatments by Alternative . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Estimated Annual Acreage at Chemical Treatment by Method and Herbicide . .
Summary at Impacts by Alternat ive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Relationship at Alternatives to State Resource Protection Goals and Concerns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2
6
9
12 2-1
2-2
2-3
2-4
Threatened and Endangered Animals in the EIS Area . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .
Annual Recreation Visits on BLM-Administered Land . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . .
Population , 1970-1980 ....................... .. ....... _...... _. . . . . . .
Employment and Personal Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
29 30 31 31 3-1
3-2
3-3
3-4
Behavior at Herbicides in Soil .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
......
Impacts at Toxic Weeds on Foraging Livestock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Acres Treated, Forage Increases, and Acres Remaining Untreated . . . . . . . . . .
Relative Toxicity at Herbicides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
37 44 49 52 15 Maps
Noxious Weed Control Program General Location Map . . . . _.. .... inside tront cover
1-1 2-1 Noxious Weed Distribution a Idaho ... ... ......... .. . . ..... _.... ..... .. . .... _...... • .... .. _..
b Montana ............ .. ... .... _.. . ...... .. . .. _. .. .. . . ... . . . .. .. .
c Oregon . . . .... . .. .. . . . . . . ...... . . . .... . . . . . . . . ... . . . .. . ... . ... .
. ... . ....... . . .
d Washington.. ... . . ... . . . . . . . .. ... . ..... . . . .. . .
.. . . .. .... .
. .... ... . . .... .
e Wyoming ... ......... . ... ...
5
5
Land Resource Regions tor EIS Area ..... . ... . .. .. . . . .. . ... . . _.... . . . .
23 3
4
4