Forest Service Releases Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Noxious Weeds

Release Date: Mar 5, 2004

Contact(s): Coconino Supervisor's Office - 928-527-3600

 

Williams, AZ—The Forest Service has just released the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for Noxious and Invasive Weeds; the document is available for public review. Interested parties have 45 days to provide their comments and suggestions to the Forest Service on the Proposed Action and three other Alternatives examined in the DEIS.

The Forest Service proposes to implement treatments to eradicate or contain known noxious and invasive weeds and prevent new weeds from becoming established within the Coconino, Kaibab, and Prescott National Forests. The DEIS proposes a multi-method approach and examines four Alternatives including a Preferred Alternative to manage the growing threat these invasive and harmless-looking plants pose to native plant communities. The treatment methods that were analyzed include, manual (hand-grubbing and pulling); mechanical (clipping, mowing, tilling and burning); cultural (grazing by livestock, tilling, and seeding of competitive plants); biological (use of approved insects and pathogens); and herbicidal (spot treatments, backpack, and broadcast applications). The Preferred Alternative proposes to implement a combination of these treatments over the next 10-15 years on approximately 119, 000 acres scattered across the three National Forests.

Several years ago, the Forest Service began a serious look at the problem of noxious weeds invading the Coconino, Kaibab, and Prescott National Forests. The invasion of these non-native plants poses a grave threat to the diversity and health of native plant ecosystems. They do so by invading and crowding out native plant communities that have adapted over time to the native environment. Wildlife feed on and browse many of the native plants and grasses that are wiped out by the invasive weeds. Since 1985, noxious weed populations have expanded on the three national forests from less than 5,000 acres to over 187,000 acres today.

“We have a window of opportunity to take action to manage this growing problem,” said Dave Brewer, EIS Project Leader. “There are areas in Colorado and Montana where this problem is past the point of no return of the native plants. This can gravely affect the wildlife populations dependent on the native vegetation.”

The Forest Service expects the Notice of Intent to be published in the Federal Register on March 5, which officially starts the comment period for Draft EIS. Individuals can view the document electronically by visiting the Kaibab National Forest web site at www.fs.fed.us/r3/kai. To obtain a cd or printed version of the EIS documents contact the Chip Ernst, Kaibab National Forest at (928) 635-8317.

People may submit comments in the following ways:

· Visit the Kaibab Forest web site at www.fs.fed.us/r3/kai, click on the Noxious Weeds EIS link and then click on the comments link.

comments-southwestern-Kaibab@fs.fed.us

• Send comments electronically to the following e-mail address:
• In writing, to Noxious Weed EIS, Kaibab National Forest, 800 S. Sixth Street, Williams, AZ 86046.

The 45 day comment period ends April 19; all comments must be received by that date.

 

The Draft EIS is available on the web: (click here)