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JUNE 1998
The Deschutes National Forest (DNF) Integrated Weed
Management Plan (IWMP) is a supplement to the DNF Noxious
Weed Environmental Assessment. Together, these documents
represent an effort to manage noxious weeds on DNF in a
manner consistent with direction provided in the Regional
Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for Managing
Competing and Unwanted Vegetation, its Record of Decision
(ROD), and the associated Mediated Agreement. Specifically,
the IWMP is an effort to 1) increase noxious weed management
in funded or authorized actions on DNF, 2) identify and
promote actions within the noxious weed management
strategies of prevention, early treatment, and maintenance,
3) generate internal and external awareness of the
importance of noxious weed management actions, and 4)
cooperate with neighbors in the management of noxious
weeds.
Schedule of Projects
Project activities, such as vegetation treatments, fuels
reduction treatments, and road construction and
deconstruction, can have a moderate to high risk of
spreading noxious weeds. On a project level, District or
Forest Weed Coordinators will assess the level of risk.
Where appropriate, field surveys can be completed to verify
the risk level for the project and the type of control and
mitigation measures to be developed. For those projects with
a moderate to high level of risk, noxious weed control and
mitigation measures will be developed.
Contract Provision
A weed free vehicle and equipment provision currently
included in some DNF contracts will be included in projects
with a moderate to high level of risk of spreading noxious
weeds, such as timber harvesting, fuels reduction
treatments, and road construction and deconstruction. For
other types of projects, including those with a relatively
low risk of spreading noxious weeds, we recommend that this
provision be considered for inclusion in contracts. The
provision will require that contractors avoid moving their
vehicles and equipment through weed infested sites. If
movement through a population of noxious weeds is
unavoidable, undercarriages of potentially contaminated
vehicles and equipment will be thoroughly washed before
entry is made into non infested areas.
Prevention
Actions to prevent weed encroachment will include the
following:
- DNF vehicles or machinery will not park in or
unnecessarily drive through weed infested areas.
- Undercarriages of DNF vehicles or machinery
potentially contaminated with noxious weed fruits and
seeds will be thoroughly washed before entry is made into
non infested areas.
- Assure that vehicles or heavy equipment on loan to,
or shared by DNF for activities such as road maintenance
and riparian restoration are free of noxious weeds.
- Use gravel and fill that comes from weed free
sources. Inspect aggregate pits to identify weed free
sources. Pit management plans will be updated in
consultation with District or Forest Weed Coordinator to
prevent infestation of weed free pits and to prevent
spread from weed infested pits. Quarries and cinder pits
will be a top priority for noxious weed treatments.
- Conduct surveys for noxious weeds at currently
designated wildfire suppression camps on DNF. For any
weed infested sites it will be necessary either to
relocate the camp or promptly take action to remove the
weeds.
- In Range Annual Operating Plans of permittees:
- Strongly consider excluding livestock (by timing
or otherwise) from high priority noxious weed sites
where the animals are likely to cause a spread of
weeds off site.
- Hay or straw used on DNF be noxious weed free if
at all possible. (As of 6/98, weed-free hay is not
available and the State of Oregon does not have a
program for certified weed-free hay. However, Oregon
State University Extension Service and Central Oregon
hay growers are working together to initiate a
voluntary weed-free certification trial program.)
- Require that permittees take precautions to
prevent transport of noxious weeds, from public or
private lands, by either transport vehicles or
livestock, when operating on DNF.
- Livestock grazed at known noxious weed sites on
public or private lands be fed weed free hay or
pellets for 10 days prior to entry to DNF.
Early Treatment
Among sites occupied by noxious weeds, newly infested
sites are the most easily eradicated. Detection and early
treatment of such sites will be promoted by weed awareness
workshops for field going DNF personnel and volunteers that
will include directions for data collection, reporting, and
appropriate treatment (if any) at fortuitously encountered,
newly infested sites.
Maintenance
Where appropriate, to restrict further encroachment by
noxious weed populations that are too large to eradicate,
use road closures and/or signing to quarantine weed
infestations that are high risk centers of weed seed
dispersal.
Awareness
Successful noxious weed management on DNF will require a
broad base of internal and external support. Providing DNF
employees and the local public with a diversity of
opportunities to increase their awareness of noxious weeds,
and the risks they pose to central Oregon, is critical to
gaining this support. Actions to enhance internal and
external awareness of noxious weeds will include the
following:
- Provide four yearly (one at each unit of Forest)
training sessions on noxious weed identification for
Forest Service employees prior to field season. Sessions
will also include information about threats posed by
noxious weeds, reporting suspected new sites, how noxious
weeds are dispersed, and the importance of avoiding weed
dispersal via DNF vehicles and machinery.
- Present specialized programs to fleet and road
managers, recreation, wilderness managers, sale
administrators, trailhead hosts, campground hosts,
concessionaires, as needed. Solicit critiques on how the
weed prevention program is working and ways to improve
it, and how Weed Coordinators can further help.
- Feature weed identification, prevention, or control
presentation at SO and each District once per year. Try
quick weed identification tests.
- Develop a list of noxious weed talking points that
can be used internally (e.g., Interdisciplinary Team
meetings, contractor and permittee meetings) and
externally (e.g., to media, at lectures, or field
trips).
- Provide weed identification materials (e.g., color
postcards, booklets) and maps of documented District weed
sites to field going personnel, contractors, and
permittees each year.
- Conduct one weed control workday (e.g., such as the
Weed and Feed) with District or Forest personnel each
year.
- Forest and District Weed Coordinators will write at
least one noxious weed article per year for publication
in local newspapers, Volcanic Vistas, or other
publications available to the general public. These
articles will also be posted in the DNF Friday News.
- Display a weed poster and/or provide a free brochure
featuring noxious weed prevention, at Forest recreational
sites. Develop suitable poster and/or brochure if
necessary.
- Post information on weed identification, prevention,
and control on the Forest Web Page.
- Provide, both externally and internally, information
about annual DNF weed management activities, such as
herbicide applications, which might affect the users of
the Forest.
Cooperation
At minimum, DNF cooperative noxious weed control efforts
will include the following:
- Meet with Counties, Oregon Department of
Transportation (ODOT), Oregon Department of Agriculture
(ODA), or other agencies at least once a year to continue
developing cooperative strategies.
- Develop a partnership with ODA or Counties to develop
simple, illustrated mailings for private landowners with
weed infested lands near DNF lands. Develop a mechanism
for mailing to appropriate landowners.
- Solicit low cost or volunteer public assistance in
DNF noxious weed management activities such as inventory,
monitoring, education. and manual control.
- Participate in two-year, seven-partner, GWEB grant,
funding noxious weed education.
IWMP Revision
Forest and District Weed Coordinators will meet annually
to evaluate noxious weed treatments and consider revision of
the IWMP.
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