BLM to Analyze Effects of Herbicide Use on Public Lands in Oregon
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Noxious weeds, invasive plants, and other weeds infest millions of acres in Oregon. It is estimated that weeds infest approximately 6.4 million acres of BLM lands across Oregon and Washington, increasing at 10 to 15 percent per year.
To address this issue, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is initiating scoping for a planning process to analyze the effects of herbicide use on Oregon BLM lands as one of many tools to control noxious weeds, invasive plants, and other weeds and achieve landscape health objectives. The plan, titled Vegetation Treatment Using Herbicides on BLM Lands in Oregon Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), will focus on the effects of updating the list of available herbicides for use in Oregon. The EIS will not evaluate the use of herbicides for commercial timber enhancement or livestock forage production.
Currently, Oregon BLM uses only four of the 18 herbicides approved for use on BLM lands nationally. The BLM's overall objective is to provide access to a broader array of herbicides that are more target-specific and more effective at controlling noxious weeds, invasive plants, and other weeds than the four herbicides currently being utilized. Used in combination with other management practices, herbicide treatments can slow the spread of noxious weeds and invasive plants, which in turn helps restore ecosystem health and watershed functions.
The BLM manages over 15 million acres of public lands in Oregon and currently treats approximately 22,000 acres of designated noxious weeds each year. Of those 22,000 acres, approximately 12,000 acres are treated with herbicides and the remaining 10,000 acres are treated mechanically, manually, with biocontrols, and with other non-herbicide methods.
The BLM will be seeking public comments on this planning effort throughout the scoping period that begins on June 27, 2008 and runs through July 28, 2008. Comments can be submitted by mail to: Bureau of Land Management, Vegetation Treatments EIS, P.O. Box 2965, Portland, OR 97208; email to orvegtreatments @ blm.gov; on-line on the project website at blm.gov/or/plans/vegtreatmentseis; or, in person at one of the following public meetings:
July 07 5:00-7:00 pm Baker BLM Office July 15 6:30-8:30 pm Medford BLM Office July 08 6:30-8:00 pm Vale BLM Office July 16 6:30-8:00 pm Roseburg Umpqua National Forest Supervisor's Office July 09 5:30-7:00 pm Harney Co. Senior Center July 17 6:30-8:30 pm Eugene Lane Co. Building July 10 8:00-10:00 am Lakeview BLM Office July 18 6:30-8:30 pm Portland Downtown Hilton July 10 1:30-3:30 pm Klamath Falls BLM Office July 21 6:30-8:00 pm Salem BLM Office July 14 6:30-8:00 pm North Bend Public Library July 22 6:30-8:00 pm Prineville Saint Joseph’s Parish Hall
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.