Restoration Planning for Invasive Species

Forest plans and five-year restoration plans

In addition to the forest plan, each forest has a five-year restoration plan that guides its restoration work. The five-year restoration plan provides a description of the work to be done with the forest’s base budget as well as identify additional projects that could occur with supplementary funding. Each plan is updated annually to add another year of planned restoration work and refine existing information. Invasive species coordinators should be engaged in the development of the five-year restoration plan for their forest. Coordinators should ensure that all benefits and accomplishments accruing from an invasive species project are accurately portrayed in the plan as well as reporting any additional benefits or accomplishments as necessary.

Both the forest plan and the five-year restoration plan for a forest should be consulted along with relevant NEPA documents in prioritizing and setting up treatment projects for invasive species. The five-year restoration plan for a forest should be reviewed in particular for information on

1. 
   identification and prioritization of landscapes,
   

73.implementation of needed restoration work, and

74.implementation and monitoring of treatment projects.

Watershed restoration

In accordance with USDA’s Strategic Plan for FY 2010-2015 and FSM 2520, treatment activities should be developed to restore ecological condition and improve or maintain the watershed condition class of priority watersheds. Priority watersheds are identified and prioritized across NFS lands at the 6th HUC level of classification by using the Water Conditions Framework (WCF) process on an ongoing basis. The 6-step WCF process includes

1. 
   rating watersheds for current condition,
   

76.developing watershed action plans for the entire watershed (including non-NFS lands) that identify specific project level activities needed to change condition classes,

77.implementing integrated suites of projects within priority watersheds,

78.tracking restoration accomplishments, and

79.monitoring the effectiveness of change in condition.

The WCF process was established to facilitate the Forest Service’s primary objective of restoring watershed and forest health on NFS lands by improving watershed condition class. The WCF accomplishes this objective by (1) classifying the condition of the 15,000 watersheds found on NFS lands, (2) prioritizing relative restoration needs, and (3) implementing integrated restorations actions, as well as tracking and monitoring outcomes and accomplishments. Further information on the WCF process is available at http://apps.fs.usda.gov/WCFmapviewer/.

IPM treatment projects for invasive species should be established in conjunction with watershed restoration as called for in the forest’s five-year restoration plan. In particular, treatment projects may be set up for watersheds that have watershed restoration action plans (WRAPs). Treatment projects for invasive species should be identified as an essential project within a WRAP. To ensure effectiveness and efficiency, a majority of treatments may be focused in priority watersheds or other high-value landscapes such as wilderness areas, habitat areas for TES species, and other sensitive sites. High priority should especially be given to invasive plant treatments that restore diversity and abundance of native vegetation, aquatic species habitat, and soil productivity in the watershed.

Although many activities funded with the NFRR BLI (budget line item) are intended to help restore priority watersheds, not all activities are expected to occur within priority watersheds as there can be a need for restoration outside of these areas. A balance should be struck between work performed in priority watersheds and work done for other forest or Regional priorities. However, random acts of restoration should be avoided with all projects. Funds from other programs (Hazardous Fuels, Forest Health Management, Trails, Roads (CMRD & CMII), etc.) may be utilized as appropriate to implement restoration actions identified as part of a targeted approach to restoring watershed condition class. Forest planners, botanists, biologists, hydrologists, range conservationists, and other pertinent specialists should be consulted in setting up invasive species projects in support of restoring a particular watershed.