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Until recently, invasive plant management was not addressed as a
separate subject in our regional planning documents. Invasive plants were discussed in
general terms within management plans addressing broader vegetation
management issues. Following is
a synopsis of this management history.
What is the
history of vegetation management direction in the Pacific Northwest?
On June 2, 1981 the Forest Service issued a Final Environmental Impact
Statement (FEIS) and Record of Decision (ROD) on the “Methods of Managing
Competing Vegetation”.
Analysis for that FEIS considered all vegetation management
activities, excluding only tree harvest and tree nursery operations. The management decision was to implement
“full use of all methods of vegetation management, with reduced use of
chemicals”.
A lawsuit was filed against
the FEIS in US District Court of Oregon on July 13, 1983. The lawsuit was filed by the
Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP), the Oregon
Environmental Council, and the Audubon Society of Portland against the Forest
Service, Bureau of Land Management, and the Environmental Protection
Agency. Oregonians for Food and
Shelter, an organization representing the business community, were intervenors
on behalf of the government agencies.
A judgment was entered on
March 14, 1984, finding that, “The defend[a]nts have not prepared an adequate
Worst Case Analysis, pursuant to their NEPA obligations.” An injunction against the use of
herbicides in the Pacific Northwest Region of the Forest Service and the
Bureau of Land Management Districts in the State of Oregon was issued, to be
in effect until the agency obligations were fulfilled.
Responding to the Court’s directive, the Forest Service and the Bureau
of Land Management prepared a comprehensive human health risk assessment for
the use of herbicides, including a worst-case analysis. This was intended to be part of a
supplement to the 1981 FEIS.
After the preparation of the risk assessment, the Forest Service
determined that a new EIS on the vegetation management program in the Pacific
Northwest was needed. Work on a
new EIS began in July of 1986.
In December 1988 the Pacific Northwest Region of the Forest Service
issued a new Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and accompanying Record of
Decision (ROD) titled “Managing
Competing and Unwanted Vegetation”. The purpose of those documents was to
identify methods of managing competing and unwanted vegetation within the
forest environment and to select a preferred alternative. Competing and unwanted vegetation
occur in all ecological systems.
Unwanted vegetation may include logging slash, roadside brush, or
plants that compete for nutrients and sunlight with more desirable species. In respect to the EIS, most of the
emphasis was focused on treatment of unwanted vegetation within forest
plantations following regeneration harvests and plantings. Invasive plants were addressed in the
document, but only in a limited manner.
Following release of the FEIS and ROD, the defendants asked the court
to dissolve its previous order enjoining the Secretary of Agriculture from
using herbicides within the Pacific Northwest Region of the Forest
Service. Oregonians for Food and
Shelter subsequently joined in the motion. After a status conference by telephone, plaintiffs filed a
statement of opposition to lifting the court ordered injunction. Paul Merrell filed a motion to
intervene, as he had an interest in the matter stemming from a previous
lawsuit (Merrell v. Block).
Thereafter the parties, plus Mr. Merrell engaged in court-approved and
arranged mediation. They
succeeded. Their outcome was a
written agreement (Mediated Agreement) detailing resolution on several points,
including several compliance details on the part of the Forest Service. District Court Judge James M. Burns
signed the Mediated Agreement on May 8, 1989. The court ordered injunction prohibiting Forest Service
use of herbicides was lifted.
Why do you need new management direction?
The 1988 Vegetation Management EIS and Record of Decision, and the
1989 Mediated Agreement focused on competing vegetation in forest
plantations. The ROD identifies prevention as the preferred strategy for
vegetation management, and provides direction for analyzing prevention
strategies for projects.
However, neither the ROD, nor the Mediated Agreement, thoroughly
addressed the numerous issues specific to prevention and treatment of
invasive plants, nor do they identify standards or practices that could be
applied to prevent invasive plants from becoming established.
The 1988 ROD specified and specifically limited the type and range of
tools available for the treatment of competing and unwanted vegetation. Neither the ROD nor the Mediated
Agreement provides a mechanism for adapting its requirements and adopting new
technologies. The use of
biological agents and prescribed fire as control mechanisms were not fully
examined. Herbicides approved
for use in the ROD were developed before 1980. Today, new herbicides are available that appear to be more
effective on target plants, and potentially less hazardous to humans and
wildlife.
Given the seriousness of the current invasive species situation,
National Forest managers need more operational flexibility with reduced
process, greater cost-effectiveness and timely responsiveness, without
increasing environmental risks.
A new roadmap for prevention and site restoration, as well as a new
and expanded toolbox, including; biological, fire, mechanical, manual,
cultural, and chemical tools, are critical to successfully managing our
invasive plant problem. New
Forest Plan standards and guidelines will significantly enhance our ability
to deal effectively with this threat to the integrity and productivity of the
National Forests in the Pacific Northwest Region
What is the situation with invasive plants at this
time?
Approximately 400,000 acres of National Forests and Grasslands are
degraded in the Pacific Northwest Region by infestations of invasive,
non-native plants. This infestation
has a high potential to expand and further degrade forest and
grasslands. Invasive plants
spread across landscapes, unimpeded by ownership boundaries. Infested areas represent potential
seed sources for continuation of the invasion on neighboring lands.
Infestations can be eliminated, controlled or exacerbated through utilization
of specific management practices.
Invasive species create a host of environmental and other effects,
most of which are harmful to native ecosystem biodiversity and processes,
including:
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Displacement of native plants
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Reduction in functionality of habitat and forage for wildlife and
livestock
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Threats to populations of threatened, endangered and sensitive species
§
Alteration of physical and biological properties of soil, including
productivity
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Changes to the intensity and frequency of fires
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High monetary cost of controlling/managing invasive plants
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Loss of recreational opportunities
What is the state of current management direction?
Current regional management direction addressing invasive plant
prevention, early detection, treatment, inventory and monitoring, and
subsequent site restoration needs to be expanded and clarified. There is a
critical need for the development of clear, and comprehensive Forest Plan
standards and guidelines that allow more timely and more effective management
and prevention practices for projects and programs in the Pacific Northwest
Region. Current noxious
weed/invasive plant strategy can be found at the attached links.
Forest
Service Noxious Weed Strategy
Forest
Service Strategy for Noxious Weeds and Non Native Invasive Plants
Pacific Northwest
Noxious Weed Strategy
Executive Order 13112 Invasive Species (Feb. 1999) provides direction
that Federal agencies shall: (1) prevent the introduction of invasive
species; (2) detect and respond rapidly to and control populations of such
species in a cost-effective and environmentally sound manner; (3) monitor invasive species
populations accurately and reliably;
(4) provide for restoration of native species and habitat conditions in
ecosystems that have been invaded.
This EIS and subsequent site-specific NEPA (National Environmental
Policy Act) analysis will implement this Executive Order. See the attached link for Executive
Order 13112.
Executive Order
13112 - Invasive Species
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