Oregon Vegetation Treatments Draft EIS

Along Snake River at Kniesel, a rancher viewing vast expanse of medusahead.
(photographer: Jerry Asher)

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has released a Draft Vegetation Treatments Using Herbicides on BLM Lands in Oregon Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Noxious weeds, invasive plants, and other weeds infest millions of acres in Oregon. To address this issue, the Draft EIS analyzes the effects of herbicide use on Oregon BLM lands as one of the many tools to control noxious weeds, invasive plants, and other weeds and achieve landscape health objectives. The Draft EIS only addresses the effects of updating the list of available herbicides for use in Oregon. Currently, Oregon BLM uses only four of the 18 herbicides approved for use on BLM lands nationally as identified in the Vegetation Treatment Using Herbicides on Bureau of Land Management Lands in 17 Western States EIS. The Draft EIS does not propose the use of herbicides for commercial timber enhancement or livestock forage production.

Draft EIS Released

Copies of the Draft EIS and Draft Summary can be downloaded on the documents page or you may request a printed copy by contacting the project office. The Draft EIS is also available for review at all the local Oregon BLM offices and the Oregon State Office in Portland.

Draft EIS Comments

The 60-day public comment period will begin with publication of the Notice of Availability in the Federal Register, on October 2, 2009 and close on December 1, 2009. Comments can be submitted by mail or in person to: Bureau of Land Management, Vegetation Treatments EIS, P.O. Box 2965, Portland, OR 97208; email to orvegtreatments@blm.gov; or on-line using the electronic comment form.

For additional information about this project, please view the Background page or Vegetation Treatment Using Herbicides on Bureau of Land Management Lands in 17 Western States EIS Final Programmatic EIS & Record of Decision.

This website is continually updated as information is available. Please view the Schedule page for a list of key project dates. If you would like to be included on the mailing list for information about this project, please fill out the on-line interest form.

If you have questions, please contact the BLM.