United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Southwestern Region tp-r3-16-26

Forest weed management plans

Although existing NEPA documents have been used in lieu of a forest weed management plan, such NEPA documents generally do not accurately reflect current conditions for invasive weeds across the forest. They also do not incorporate specific objectives, targets, and strategies in sufficient detail that invasive weeds on the forest can be properly managed into the future. The Regional Invasive Species/Pesticides Coordinator should be consulted in regard to the adequacy of using a NEPA document in lieu of a forest weed management plan.

In general, the weed management plan for a forest should be designed to prevent weed expansion and/or limit seed dispersal, while also shifting the competitive balance toward re-establishing healthy plant communities when desired vegetative cover is at low levels. The forest management plan should incorporate strategies with treatment projects that will manage specific invasive weed species in accordance with priority weed lists. Forests with at least one E class species should develop strategies that will control these particular species on a broad-scale basis. Landscape features susceptible to invasive weed infestations such as specific roads, trails, waterways, campgrounds, heavy equipment facilities, etc. should be addressed in the plan in detail. Scheduling for activities such as surveying, treatment cycles, and monitoring of these landscape features should also be included. In some cases, local CWMAs may be able to assist forests in developing weed management plans. An example of a forest management plan (entitled Draft 2012 Invasive Species Action Plan) that was developed for the San Juan NF can be found at http://fsweb.sanjuan.r2.fs.fed.us/invaspecies.shtml [internal USFS website].

Project plans for weed management

1. 
   chosen herbicides;
   

70.sensitive or high-value areas requiring monitoring within and adjacent to the treatment area; and

71.public concerns about the program.

Project plan example: Basic features of a project-specific plan for weed management (as adapted from Tu and Meyers-Rice, 2001) are shown in the following outline:

INTRODUCTION

1. 
   Short Description of Weed Threat and Interference with Management Goals
   
2. 
   Overview of Proposed Weed Management Strategies
   

1. 
   Boundaries
   
2. 
   Resource Base (Biological Communities, T&E Species, Land-Use History, etc.)
   

1. 
   Inventory of Weed Species (Areas Searched, Weed Species Targeted, etc.)
   
2. 
   Maps of Weed Infestations (as generated by TESP-IS software, other sources, etc.)
   

1. 
   Land Management Goals (Including Watershed Restoration, Desired Conditions, etc.)
   
2. 
   Weed Management Objectives (i.e., Achievable Measures for Sites with Deadlines)
   

1. 
   Description of Prevention Priorities
   
2. 
   List of Priority Weed Species Specific for Forest, District, or Watershed
   
3. 
   Infestation Priorities (Including Maps of High, Medium, and Low Priority Patches)
   

1. 
   List of Specific Actions for Prevention and Detection (Including EDRR)
   
2. 
   Specific IWM Approach for Controlling Priority Weed Species
   
3. 
   Management Strategy for Controlling Priority Species in Project Area
   
4. 
   Coordination with External Organizations (CWMAs, State agencies, etc.)
   
5. 
   Summary of Planned Treatment Actions
   

Table 2 - Implementation Schedule for Treatment Projects

Table 3 - Projected Resource Needs (Equipment, Supplies, etc.) and Costs

Table 4 - Itemized Actual Annual Costs and Labor Worksheets

1. 
   Criteria and Measures to Evaluate Effectiveness of Control Actions
   
2. 
   Schedule for Monitoring
   

Appendix 1. Emergency Information/Directions and Map to Hospitals or Clinic

Appendix 2. Regional Field Guides for Invasive Species (or alternatives)

Appendix 3. Description of Required Personal Protective Clothing and Equipment

Appendix 4. Copies of Forms for Collecting Monitoring Data (optional)

If herbicides are to be used:

Appendix 5. Herbicide Use Protocols (Storage, Mixing, Transport, Application, Disposal)

Appendix 6. Copy of Pesticide-use Proposal (PUP) for Project

Appendix 7. Herbicide Labels

Appendix 8. Safety Data Sheets (formerly MSDSs)

Appendix 9. Record Forms for Herbicide Use

Further information on developing weed plans may be found at the Center for Invasive Species Management’s website (http://www.weedcenter.org/management/planning.html).