Forest Pesticide Coordinators
The Forest Pesticide Coordinator has lead responsibility for coordinating pesticide activities for the forest. These responsibilities include—
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Ensuring that safety requirements for pesticides are met by
16.Acquiring training and any necessary certification in the proper application and safe use of pesticides that will be used during a pesticide project.
17.Preparing and implementing a safety plan for all pesticide-use projects except for
18.housekeeping-type uses;
19.minor uses of less than one pound active ingredient for any one project (except for use of any amount of sodium cyanide, strychnine, or other products of concern that require a safety plan); or
20.fish restoration projects with a piscicide where a safety plan has been completed beforehand by a State game and fish agencies.
21.Purchasing and using protective clothing and equipment prescribed on the pesticide label or otherwise required by the Forest Service or a Safety Data Sheet (SDS).
22.Bi-annually inventorying and properly storing pesticides in non-flammable, self-contained storage areas that are in compliance with the Pesticide Storage Facility Inspection Checklist (FSH 2109.14).
23.Immediately reporting every pesticide incident or accident to line management and then forwarding any required reports to the Regional Safety Manager including a filled-out version of the reporting outline found in FSH 2109.14, CHAPTER 70 - FORMS, REPORTS, AND PUBLICATIONS (FSH 2109.14, CHAPTER 60).
24.Training forest personnel in the proper application and safe use of pesticides.
25.Permitting use of restricted-use pesticides only by certified personnel or those under the direct supervision of a certified applicator.
26.Approving contracts only with applicators who are licensed in the State(s) where pesticide treatment will occur.
27.Maintaining a current list of certified applicators and their pesticide license numbers for the forest. The list should be forwarded to the Regional Invasive Species/Pesticide Coordinator upon request.
28.Completing Pesticide-Use Proposals (Form FS-2100-2) according to direction found in FSH 2109.14 whenever pesticides are proposed for use. A Pesticide-Use Proposal (PUP) must be sent to the Regional Forester for review and approval or disapproval if it involves
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any pesticide use in wilderness, which includes wilderness study areas;
29.any pesticide use in established or candidate research natural areas; or
30.any use of any amount of sodium cyanide.
31.Ensuring that
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a post-treatment evaluation report is completed within nine months after finishing a pesticide project; and
32.if warranted, monitoring occurs after completion of a pilot or operational pesticide project.
33.Completing forms and reports necessary for compliance with regulations of EPA’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program. This includes Notices of Intent (NOIs), pesticide discharge management plans (PDMPs), and annual reports as required by EPA or individual State EPAs.
34.Advising and assisting Forest Service field units on
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preparation and review of documents associated with environmental analysis, appeals, and litigation dealing with pesticide use; and
35.interpretation of pesticide laws and Executive orders, Departmental directives, and Forest Service direction on pesticide use.
36.Coordinating with invasive species managers, fishery biologists, foresters, and other forest pesticide users in compiling pesticide use information for all invasive species treatments that will be recorded in the FACTS database.
37.Coordinating with other agencies and organizations with an interest in Forest Service pesticide-use activities.
District Pesticide Coordinators
Responsibilities for district-level pesticide coordinators are similar to those of forest pesticide coordinators. However, the Forest Pesticide Coordinator has lead responsibility for (1) maintaining a current forest-wide list of certified pesticide coordinators and applicators, and (2) preparing and submitting required NPDES documents to EPA or State EPA agencies. PUPs developed by district pesticide coordinators should be coordinated with the Forest Pesticide Coordinator before submission to the Forest Supervisor or Regional Forester as delegated.
Invasive Species
As directed under FSM 2904, line officers in the Forest Service are responsible for—
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Appointing forest staff to coordinate the forest or grassland invasive species management program in accordance with law and policy, and other national and regional requirements.
38.Providing training opportunities to staff for invasive species identification and management including training associated with invasive species record keeping, integrated pest management techniques, invasive species inventory
and treatment monitoring, and other invasive species program training.
39.Collecting, maintaining, and reporting information [through the assistance of forest or district invasive species coordinators] related to invasive species infestations, impacts, and management activities (including inventories, surveys, assessments, treatments, and treatment efficacy) occurring on the national forest or grassland and associated program performance and accountability information, in compliance with national invasive species program protocols, criteria, rules, and requirements.
40.Maintaining working relationships with the State or local invasive species or noxious weed management committees, districts or boards, and other related stakeholders.
41.Fostering collaborative efforts such as “cooperative weed management areas”, “cooperative invasive species management zones”, and similar collaborative partnerships.
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