Roseburg District

1. Roseburg District Vegetation Treatments Using Herbicides on BLM Lands in OregonEnvironmental Impact Statement

2. Noxious Weeds • There are 33 noxious weeds documented on District • Total acres infested unknown • Worst offenders: Scotch broom and Himalayan blackberry • Priority weeds: Portuguese broom, French broom, gorse, woolly distaff thistle, yellow starthistle, knotweeds, spotted and diffuse knapweeds, and shining geranium • Priority weed infestations total approx. 566 acres.

3. Yellow starthistle Woolly distaff thistle Spotted knapweed

4. Widespread Noxious Weeds Scotch broom along BLM road Himalayan blackberry in riparian area

5. Integrative Weed Mgmt Priorities • Prevent spread and establishment of noxious/invasive weeds in all areas • Detect and eradicate new invaders • Control and contain established infestations • Cooperate with adjacent landowners, agencies, state and local governments to accomplish the above

6. Priority Treatment Areas • Must prioritize noxious weed treatment because staff and funding are limited. • High priority areas include: • Special Status Species sites • Areas of Critical Environmental Concern • Recreation sites • Sand and Gravel sources • Access roads for planned timber sale units • Opportunities for partnerships

7. Partnerships • Partnerships allow us to effectively treat noxious weeds across land ownerships • Partners include: • Douglas County Soil and Water Conservation District • Douglas County Forestry Crew • Douglas County Weed Board • Oregon Department of Agriculture • Youth Conservation Corps • Private timber companies.

8. Partnership Example:Cox Creek Cooperative Weed Management Area • Includes all Portuguese broom infestations in Douglas Co. • Control in coop. w/ state, county, and private • Work primarily funded by Title II and accomplished by Douglas Co. Soil & Water • Total gross treated in FY07 = 1,892 ac. (BLM gross = 85 ac.)

9. Portuguese Broomin Douglas County

10. Priority Treatment AreaPits & Piles Title II Project • Total of 380 sand and gravel sites in District • Source of weed seed that could be spread throughout County • Since 2005 have treated all sites and many miles of access roads to the pits and piles • Funding 100% Title II of the Secure Rural Schools Act • Approx. 50 work weeks w/ Douglas Co. Forestry Crew each year

11. Diffuse knapweed English hawthorn English ivy French broom Gorse Himalayan blackberry Japanese knotweed Medusahead Portuguese broom Purple loosestrife Rush skeletonweed Scotch broom Spanish broom Spotted knapweed Yellow starthistle Woolly distaff thistle Thistles (bull, Italian, milk, Canada) Noxious Weeds Treated

12. Control Methods • Prevention • Manual/Mechanical • Biological Control • Fire • Chemical Control

13. Prevention • Education • Wash vehicles • Minimize soil disturbance • Reseed/Mulch disturbed areas

14. Manual & Mechanical Treatments • Approx. 146 acres of noxious weeds treated annually using manual/mechanical methods • Much of this acreage accomplished through cooperation Youth Conservation Corps and Douglas Co. Forestry Crew • Weeds pulled include yellow starthistle, Scotch broom, Himalayan blackberry, and diffuse knapweed

15. Mechanical Treatment Within timber stand Riparian area at North Bank HMA Millpond Recreation site Sand and Gravel pit

16. bull thistle Canada thistle gorse Italian thistle meadow knapweed milk thistle poison hemlock purple loosestrife rush skeletonweed Scotch broom slender-flowered thistle St. John’s wort tansy ragwort yellow starthistle Biological Control Biological control agents established on 14 noxious weed species throughout the Roseburg District: The extent and level of control achieved by biological agents on these weeds are not quantified.

17. Fire from this... Medusahead

18. Fire to Control Medusahead ...to this

19. Herbicide Treatments before after • Between 900 and 1200 acres treated annually using herbicides • Scotch broom (2,4-D) and Himalayan blackberry (glyphosate) along roads (approx. 760 acres). Foliar spray using backpack sprayers or truck mounted sprayer. Work done by cooperators, BLM staff or contractors.

20. Herbicide Treatments • Portuguese broom in the Cox Creek WMA (approx. 272 acres). Foliar application of 2,4-D using backpack sprayers. Cooperators. • English hawthorn cut-stump application of glyphosate (approx. 10 acres). BLM • French broom (approx. 190 acres) foliar spray using 2,4-D in backpack sprayers. Cooperators • Other priority species (i.e. gorse, spotted knapweed, yellow starthistle) foliar spray of picloram using backpack sprayers (< 5 acres). Cooperators

21. Current Herbicide Limitations • Currently can use only 4 herbicides to control listed noxious weeds • Glyphosate is a non-selective herbicide, and 2,4-D, dicamba, and picloram are systemic broad-leaved herbicides • These 4 herbicides are not always the most effective or environmentally safe -- picloram (Tordon) cannot be used in areas with permeable soil or a high water table • Currently on cooperative projects, the cooperator must switch chemicals when moving from private land to BLM land • Crossbow (a triclopyr/2,4-D formulation) is typically used on non-BLM lands to control broom species, but cannot be used on BLM • Few options for safely and effectively treating aquatic weeds

22. How Vegetation Treatment EIS Would Help • More options for effectively treating aquatic noxious weeds • Weeds such as purple loosestrife and Japanese knotweed are increasing on the District • Mechanical methods only prevent seed set and do not kill the plants • Stem injection of aquatic formulations of glyphosate (currently available) to control knotweed can easily exceed the maximum use rates allowed per acre

23. How Vegetation Treatment EIS Would Help • Options to treat medusahead • Fire must be timed for when immature seed still on the plants • Weather and fuel conditions not always conducive for burning in late June/early July • Air quality concerns from burning • Potential wildlife impacts from burning – nesting birds, loss of forage until re-growth in the fall

24. How Vegetation Treatment EIS Would Help • Options to more effectively treat noxious or invasive weed species • Some of the additional herbicides proposed for use are more selective and their use would reduce potential damage to non-targeted vegetation • Need to use the most effective treatment available since future funding is likely to be reduced • Availability of additional herbicides would reduce potential for the noxious weeds to develop herbicide resistance. • Yellow starthistle has developed resistance to picloram in Washington

25. District Level Analysis • Once the statewide Vegetation Treatment EIS is finalized, additional National Environmental Policy Act analysis would be required at the District level.