Tansy Ragwort Control Project, Tally Lake Ranger District, Flathead National Forest, Flathead and Lincoln Counties, State of Montana

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Tansy Ragwort Control Project, Tally Lake Ranger District,

Flathead National Forest, Flathead and Lincoln Counties, State of

Montana

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement

(EIS).

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an environmental analysis to

disclose the environmental effects of a variety of actions to control

tansy ragwort, a non-native noxious weed, by preventing existing

populations from producing seed in 1997 and beyond. These actions

include aerial application and hand-spraying of herbicides, hand-

pulling of individual plants, restriction of motorized travel on some

sections of Forest Service roads, introduction of biological control

agents, and intensive monitoring to determine the effectiveness of

these actions and to provide up-to-date information on the status of

the infestation.

An EIS is planned because aerial application of chemicals is

classified as an action requiring the preparation of an EIS by Forest

Service Handbook 1909.15 Chapter 20.6 (Classes of Actions Requiring

Environmental Impact Statements). Considering the emergency situation

of the current tansy ragwort infestation and the need to take action by

early summer of 1997, the Flathead National Forest is exploring

alternatives to what is outlined in the Forest Service Handbook, such

as classifying aerial spraying as an emergency under 40 CFR 1506.11. We

anticipate that tansy ragwort will spread and cause significant

environmental effects if not action is taken beginning in early summer

of 1997.

The project area is located in and near the Little Wolf Fire area

approximately 21 air miles southwest of Whitefish, Montana.

The need for this proposal stems from a large infestation

(approximately 1,500 acres) of tansy ragwort that was identified on the

Tally Lake Ranger

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District in the summer of 1996. If action is not taken in 1997, tansy

ragwort is likely to spread to adjacent national forest and private

lands and would have severe implications for livestock, agricultural

activities, and native vegetation in northwestern Montana and possibly

beyond. Tansy ragwort is poisonous to livestock and outcompetes native

vegetation, which would adversely affect wildlife habitat. Tansy

ragwort also has the potential to delay the establishment and/or reduce

the growth of conifer seedlings within harvest units.

The purpose of this project is to control tansy ragwort by

preventing tansy ragwort plants on the Tally Lake Ranger District from

producing seed in 1997 and for as many years beyond 1997 as high number

of tansy ragwort plants are detected on the district. These efforts

will help prevent the spread of tansy ragwort to currently uninfested

national forest and private lands and may eventually lead to long-term

eradication of tansy ragwort on the Tally Lake Ranger District.

The Proposed Action consists of the following: aerial application

of herbicide from a helicopter, application of herbicides with ground-

based equipment, hand-pulling of tansy ragwort plants, introduction of

biological control agents, restriction of motorized vehicles on some

Forest Service roads, and continuation of intensive monitoring of tansy

ragwort populations.

This Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS initiates the public

scoping process. The Forest Service is seeking information and comments

from federal, state, and local agencies and other individuals or

organizations who may now be interested in or affected by the Proposed

Action. These comments will be used in preparing the Draft EIS.

DATES: At this time, it is anticipated that a Draft EIS will be

available by March, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments and suggestions or a request to be

placed on the project mailing list to Jane Kollmeyer, District Ranger,

Tally Lake Ranger District, 1335 Highway 93 West Whitefish, MT 59937.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jane Kollmeyer, Tally Lake District Ranger, (406) 862-2508.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: .

Summary of the Current Infestation

The need for this proposal results from an infestation of tansy

ragwort within and near the Little Wolf Fire area on the Tally Lake

Ranger District of the Flathead National Forest, Flathead County,

Montana. Tansy ragwort is an aggressive non-native plant new to Montana

that Flathead County will soon list as a noxious weed. The only other

tansy ragwort infestation in Montana is less than 20 acres on private

land in Mineral County near St. Regis. Small numbers of tansy ragwort

plants were discovered on the Tally Lake Ranger District in 1993, and

some of these plants were removed by hand pulling. However, tansy

ragwort seeds remain viable in the soil for 15-30 years, so that

species was not eradicated from the area.

The Little Wolf Fire of 1994 (approximately 15,000 acres) created

ideal seedbed conditions for tansy ragwort, and human activity in the

area may have contributed to its spread. Intensive field surveys for

tansy ragwort began in the summer of 1996 and indicate that tansy

ragwort currently occurs on approximately 1,500 acres in and near the

Little Wolf Fire area on the Tally Lake Ranger District and in small

``spot infestation sites'' as far as seven miles from the fire

perimeter. Tansy ragwort has not yet been found on nearby private

agricultural lands in Star Meadows or the Flathead Valley.

Action is needed to prevent tansy ragwort from producing seed in

1997 and beyond. This would reduce the possibility that tansy ragwort

will spread to private agricultural lands and would contribute towards

the long-term goal of complete eradication of tansy ragwort from the

Tally Lake Ranger District.

Potential Effects if the Infestation Spreads

Unless action is taken in 1997, noxious weed experts for both the

Flathead National Forest, Flathead County, and the State of Montana

expect that the acres infested by tansy ragwort will increase

dramatically. Each tansy ragwort plant produces up to 150,000 seeds

that may remain viable in the soil for 15-30 years. The plant would

likely spread to adjacent national forest and private lands and would

have severe implications for livestock, agricultural activities, and

native vegetation in northwestern Montana--and possibly beyond.

If tansy ragwort spreads to private lands, it would likely infest

pastureland for cattle, horses, and pigs, which are susceptible to

tansy ragwort poisoning. These animals can die of liver failure after

cumulatively ingesting tansy ragwort in amounts between 3-7 percent of

their body weight. If tansy ragwort spreads to nearby private

agricultural lands such as the Flathead Valley, it could contaminate

hay fields, which could lead to restrictions on hay exports. Also, this

extremely aggressive plant could displace native vegetation important

for wildlife forage as well as reduce the diversity of native

vegetation. Tansy ragwort also has the potential to delay the

establishment and/or reduce the growth of conifer seedlings within

harvest units.

Proposed Actions for the Tansy Ragwort Control Project

The Proposed Action involves a variety of management activities

designed to control tansy ragwort on the Tally Lake Ranger District by

preventing existing populations from producing seed in 1997 and for as

many years as high numbers of this plant are detected on the district.

After initial evaluation of their effectiveness, the Interdisciplinary

Planning Team considers these actions to be most likely to prevent

tansy ragwort within currently infested areas from producing seed in

1997 and beyond. If seed production is prevented, tansy ragwort is not

likely to spread to uninfested areas. The components of the Proposed

Action have been designed to comply with applicable laws and

regulations.

Aerial Spraying of 2,4-D (amine formulation) or Clopyralid Herbicide on

Areas with Large, Continuous Populations

The Proposed Action involves applications of the herbicide 2,4-D

(amine formulation) or clopyralid from a helicopter by a pilot licensed

to apply herbicides. Approximately 1,450 acres would be sprayed with

2,4-D or clopyralid within the Little Wolf Fire area perimeter that are

heavily infested with continuous populations of tansy ragwort. Either

herbicide would be applied in 1997 and 1998 in both the early summer

(between June 1 and July 15) and the fall (after mid-August). If

monitoring in 1998 reveals that an unacceptably high number of tansy

ragwort plants remain, aerial spraying may be used in 1999 and possibly

in the year 2000. However, expectations are that aerial spraying in

1997 and 1998 would dramatically decrease the numbers of tansy ragwort,

and aerial spraying beyond 1998 would not likely be needed.

The herbicides 2,4-D and clopyralid were chosen for aerial

application because they meet EPA guidelines for application on the

specific lands infested, considering such factors as soil types and

location of streams and wetlands. Research on 2,4-D and clopyralid

outlines acceptable application rates and expected environmental

effects. The application

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rate and specific lands proposed for treatment with 2,4-D or clopyralid

are within guidelines outlined by the EPA.

Hand-Spraying of Herbicides Within Spot Infestation Sites

Many ``spot infestation sites'' exist outside large continuous

areas of tansy ragwort within the fire perimeter. These spots total

approximately 50 acres. Field crews licensed to apply herbicides would

spray individual tansy ragwort plants within these spot areas with the

appropriate herbicide for the site, meeting EPA label restrictions for

applying these herbicides. Backpack spray units and pumps mounted on

all-terrain vehicles would be used within these spot infestation sites.

The generic names of the four herbicides that would be considered

for use in the spot infestation sites are (1) clopyralid, (2) picloram,

(3) 2,4-D (amine formulation), and (4) a mixture of dicamba and 2,4-D

(amine formulation). One of these four herbicides would be chosen based

on an evaluation of site factors such as soil type, depth of water

table, proximity to streams, and amount of organic matter.

Hand-Pulling of Tansy Ragwort Plants

If tansy ragwort occurs on sites where aerial or hand-spraying of

herbicides would violate EPA restrictions for those herbicides and

cause unacceptable environmental risk, tansy ragwort plants would be

hand-pulled to prevent them from producing seed.

Introduction of Biological Control Agents

The Proposed Action involves introduction on the Tally Lake Ranger

District of three insect species that have been previously used in

Oregon to reduce tansy ragwort infestations. These species do not occur

naturally in northwestern Montana, but they have been approved for use

in northwestern Montana as possible biological control agents of tansy

ragwort. They are the cinnabar moth [Tyria jacobaeae (L)], the tansy

ragwort flea beetle [Longitarsus jacobaeae (Waterhouse)], and the

ragwort seed fly [Botanophila seneciella (Meade)].

The currently available ecotypes of these three insect species

performed well in the coastal climate of western Oregon where they were

used in the 1980s to control large tansy ragwort infestations in the

Wilamette Valley. The available ecotypes are not expected to perform as

well in the colder continental climate of northwestern Montana.

However, introduction of these three species is proposed because they

are approved for use as biological control agents, are readily

available, and are relatively low-cost.

Road Management Actions

Motorized vehicular travel would be restricted on some Forest

Service roads to prevent the spread of tansy ragwort seeds to currently

uninfested areas.

Intensive Monitoring

Field crews would be deployed in the snow-free seasons of 1997

through approximately 2005 to determine the status of the tansy ragwort

infestation and the success of control measures taken.

Decision to be Made

The decision to be made is what, if anything, should be done in the

vicinity of the Little Wolf Fire area to prevent tansy ragwort plants

from producing seed in 1997 and for as many years as high numbers of

tansy ragwort plants are identified on the Tally Lake Ranger District.

Preliminary Issues as Identified by Internal Scoping

This Notice to Prepare an EIS is the first step in the public

scoping process; to date, virtually all scoping has occurred only

within the Forest Services. Based on internal scoping, the following

preliminary issues have been identified:

(1) Effects of herbicides on aquatic organisms.

(2) Effects of herbicides on non-target plants such as conifers,

deciduous trees and shrubs, broadleaf forbs, and rare plants.

(3) Effects of restrictions on motorized use of Forest Service

roads by both the public and Forest Service personnel.

(4) Monitoring in early 1997 may reveal a dramatic increase in the

acres infested with tansy ragwort, and our site-specific proposal may

not encompass enough of these infested acres to be an effective control

action.

No alternatives responding to these preliminary issues have been

developed at this time.

The EIS and Its Comment Period

The EIS will document the direct, indirect, and cumulative

environmental effects of the alternatives. Past, present, and

reasonably foreseeable actions on both private and national forest

lands will be considered. The EIS will disclose the site-specific

features that reduce or eliminate potential environmental impacts.

The draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental

Protection Agency and be available for public review in March, 1997. At

that time, the EPA will publish a notice of availability of the Draft

EIS in the Federal Register. The public comment period on the Draft EIS

will be 45 days from the date the EPA's notice of availability appears

in the Federal Register.

The Forest Service believes it is important to give reviewers

notice at this early stage because of several court rulings related to

public participation in the environmental review process. First,

reviewers of draft environmental impact statements must structure their

participation in the environmental review of the proposal so that it is

meaningful and alerts an agency to the reviewer's position and

contentions, Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDA, 435 U.S. 519,

553 (1978). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the

draft environmental impact stage but that are not raised until after

completion of the final environmental impact statement may be waived or

dismissed by the courts. Wisconsin Heritage, Inc. v. Harris, 490 F.

Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). Because of these court rulings, it

is very important that those interested in this proposed action

participate by the close of the 45-day comment period so that

substantive comments and objections are made available to the Forest

Service at a time when the agency can meaningfully consider them and

respond to them in the final environmental impact statement.

To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues

and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the draft

environmental impact statement should be as specific as possible. It is

also helpful if comments refer to specific pages or chapters of the

draft statement. Comments may also address the adequacy of the draft

environmental impact statement or the merits of the alternatives

formulated and discussed in the statement. (Reviewers may wish to refer

to the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing

the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at

40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.)

Following this comment period, the comments received will be

analyzed, considered, and responded to by the Forest Service in the

final environmental impact statements (FEIS). The FEIS is scheduled to

be completed by June, 1997. Jane Kollmeyer, Tally Lake District Ranger,

1335 Highway 93 West, Whitefish, MT 59937 is the responsible official

for the preparation of the EIS and will make a decision regarding this

proposal considering the comments and responses, environmental

consequences

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discussed in the FEIS, and applicable laws, regulations, and policies.

The decision and rationale for the decision will be documented in a

Record of Decision. That decision will be subject to appeal under

applicable Forest Service regulations. Notice is hereby given that we

are requesting from the Chief of the Forest Service that the proposed

1997 aerial application of herbicides be considered a response to an

emergency situation and this component of the Proposed Action should

not be subject to a stay as described in 36 CFR 215.10(d).

Dated: December 17, 1996.

Jane Kollmeyer,

District Ranger, Tally Lake Ranger District, Flathead National Forest.

[FR Doc. 96-32480 Filed 12-20-96; 8:45 am]

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