Invasive plant treatments underway on the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest
Release Date: Jul 9, 2019
Contact(s): Travis Mason-Bushman
BAKER CITY, Ore.—July 9, 2019—The Wallowa-Whitman National Forest has begun an integrated approach of manual, mechanical and herbicide treatments, along with biological controls, to reduce the risk of invasive species expanding on the forest. This work is being implemented under the 2010 and 2016 Records of Decision for the Invasive Species Treatment Project.
Treatment on the forest is expected to continue through October. “The majority of herbicide treatments will be spot application to individual invasive plants using truck sprayers, backpack sprayers and UTVs,” said Maura Laverty, Forest Range and Invasives Programs Manager. Some broadcast application is also planned along a small subset of roadsides.
“Manual and mechanical treatments are planned for a number of small infestations, some of which have been treated for over a decade and are subsequently greatly reduced in size,” noted Laverty. Herbicide treatments will be carried out following the project design features of the Record of Decision for the Invasive Plants Treatment Project.
Invasive plants targeted for treatment include leafy spurge, meadow hawkweed, orange hawkweed, sulfur cinquefoil, whitetop, knapweeds, rush skeleton weed, Scotch thistle, Canada thistle, whitetop, yellowstar thistle, yellow toadflax, Japanese knotweed, puncturevine, rose campion, hound’s tongue, and bugloss. Treatment sites are located across the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest and will be posted at the time of treatment. Herbicide treatments will be carried out following the project design features of the 2016 Record of Decision for the Invasive Plants Treatment Project.
Treatment sites are located across the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest and herbicide treatments will be signed on the ground at the time of treatment. Maps of the proposed treatment sites are also posted on the forest’s website at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/wallowa-whitman/landmanagement/resourcemanagement/?cid=stelprdb5246581.
For more specific information on timing and location of herbicide treatments, please contact the local Ranger District Office coordinators:
- La Grande and Whitman Ranger Districts, Scott Schaefer - (541) 962-8550
- Hells Canyon NRA, Eagle Cap and Wallowa Valley Ranger Districts, Beckjo Wall - (541) 426-5535
For more information about the Forest’s invasive species program, contact Maura Laverty, Range and Invasives Programs Manager, at (541) 523-1286.