Idaho Grasshopper and Mormon Cricket Suppression Program: Overview and
May 1, 2018
In Reply Refer To:
9011 (931) P
EMS TRANSMISSION 05/01/2018
Information Bulletin No. ID-2018-014
To: District and Field Offices
From: June E. Shoemaker, Deputy State Director, Resources
Subject: Idaho Grasshopper and Mormon Cricket Suppression Program: Overview and Information Packet
Purpose: Summarize the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Idaho grasshopper and Mormon cricket suppression program for the Idaho Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Field Offices (FO) and District Offices (DO), and provide treatment area maps and avoidance areas for Greater Sage-Grouse (GRSG) seasonal habitats.
Program Authority: APHIS has authority under The Plant Protection Act of 2000 (7 USC §7701 et seq.) to conduct a grasshopper /Mormon cricket suppression program on Federal, state, and private lands. Subject to availability of funds and upon the request of the land managers and/or the Idaho State Department of Agriculture, APHIS is charged with providing a rapid and effective response to outbreaks.
Suppression Objective on BLM Land: On BLM land in southern Idaho, the APHIS suppression program is designed to suppress outbreak populations of grasshopper and Mormon crickets to reduce impacts to surrounding agricultural land, communities and rangelands. The APHIS conducts surveys to determine the density and species composition of grasshopper and Mormon cricket populations on BLM and other rangelands.
Pesticide Treatment Options: APHIS is authorized to conduct insecticide treatments with Carbaryl bait, Diflubenzuron spray, or Malathion spray to suppress grasshopper/Mormon cricket outbreaks. The application rates under this alternative are as follows:
- 16.0 fluid ounces (0.50 lbs. active ingredient (a.i.)) of Carbaryl spray per acre*;
- 10.0 pounds (0.50 lbs. a.i.) of 5 percent Carbaryl bait per acre;
- 1.0 fluid ounce (0.016 lbs. a.i.) of Diflubenzuron per acre; or
- 8.0 fluid ounces (0.62 lbs. a.i.) of Malathion per acre.
*not typically included in annual Pesticide Use Proposal
In accordance with EPA regulations, these insecticides may be applied at lower rates than those listed above.
BLM – APHIS Cooperation: In 2016, APHIS and BLM signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) detailing cooperative efforts between the two agencies regarding suppression on BLM lands (BLM-MOU-WO_220-2016-01). This MOU clarifies that APHIS will prepare and issue environmental documents that evaluate potential impacts associated with proposed measures to suppress economically damaging grasshopper and Mormon cricket populations. In Idaho, APHIS prepares an Environmental Assessment (EA) annually analyzing the environmental consequences suppression actions (see ID-2018-EA-GHMC). This EA is reviewed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as part of ongoing informal consultation. The BLM Offices are also provided an opportunity to review and comment on the draft EA.
BLM Management Responsibility: In Idaho, BLM FO or DO managers must make a request to APHIS prior to any suppression activities. Typically, APHIS identifies areas that may require treatment, which is based on surveys and landowner requests; APHIS provides this information to the BLM. The BLM must also approve a Pesticide Use Proposal (PUP) for APHIS to treat infestations.
Idaho APHIS Treatments: In recent years, APHIS treatments for Mormon crickets and grasshoppers in Idaho totaled:
Total Idaho Acres Treated
Year Mormon crickets Grasshoppers
2017 360 0
2016 4,930 2,085
2015 0 75
2014 85 0
2013 0 0
2012 0 0
2011 50 0
2010 9,790 37,593
2009 17,235 6,945
2008 1,700 3,570
2007 7,405 0
2006 34,720 0
2005 68,520 2,394
2004 18,945 2,520
2003 13,585 11,705
Treatment Buffers and Restrictions: Several BLM-managed lands with sensitive resources (e.g., special status plant, fish or wildlife populations) are excluded from suppression treatments (see ID-2018-EA-GHMC for a comprehensive discussion). Excluded areas include all wilderness areas, Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (with exceptions), and the Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area.
For aerial spray, avoidance buffer distances vary from 0.5 to 3 miles for the following special status species (SSS): bull trout, Columbia spotted frog, yellow-billed cuckoo, northern Idaho ground squirrel, Bruneau Hot springsnail, Banbury Springs lanx, Bliss Rapids snail, Snake River Physa snail, Idaho Dunes tiger beetle, raptor shrimp, point headed grasshopper, Goose Creek milkvetch, slickspot peppergrass, and Ute ladies tresses. For Carbaryl bait, a 500 foot avoidance buffer is applied for many of these same species.
Greater Sage-Grouse Habitat Avoidance: APHIS abides by guidance from the BLM grasshopper and Mormon cricket Instruction Memorandum (IM) -2016-115. The IM directs managers to avoid treating (spray or bait) within nesting/early brood habitat or summer/late brood habitat areas during the respective seasonal use.
The IM 2016-115 guidance applies within Priority Habitat Management Areas (PHMA), Important Habitat Management Areas (IHMA) and occupied habitat, but does not apply to General Habitat Management Areas. Occupied habitat is not defined in the IM, so for the purpose of APHIS treatments in Idaho, occupied habitat will be considered to be synonymous with identified nesting/early brood habitat or summer/late brood habitat that occurs within PHMA and IHMA. Exceptions to treatment avoidance in PHMA and IHMA can occur if 1) an emergency case exists as determined locally by both BLM and APHIS, 2) habitat is not likely to be occupied by GRSG at the time of treatments, or 3) a minimum amount of area is needed to ensure grasshopper and Mormon cricket control objectives as agreed to by BLM and APHIS locally.
In Idaho, avoidance areas within occupied PHMA and IHMA are shown in Map 1. Avoidance in nesting/early brood habitat applies from March 1 – June 30, while avoidance in summer/late brood habitat is applicable from July 1 – October 1 (see GRSG Approved Resource Management Plan Amendment Table 2-2). Seasonal dates can be adjusted by local unit according to geographic regions.
Grasshopper Treatment: Grasshopper treatments on BLM lands are limited to within one mile of agricultural cropland. Map 2 shows potential APHIS grasshopper pesticide treatments with GRSG seasonal habitat avoidance areas. A zipped file with maps and shapefiles are at the Spatial Data location specified below.
Spatial Data: Preliminary data is available by contacting the BLM-Idaho State Office.
Contacts: Ethan Ellsworth, Idaho BLM APHIS Coordinator, (208) 373-4045 or Bonnie Claridge, Idaho BLM Geospatial Ecologist, (208) 373-3867.
Signed by
June E. Shoemaker
Deputy State Director, Resources
Authenticated by
Sylvia V. Graves
Administrative Specialist
Attachment: