Herbicide treatment planned for C.O. public lands

The Deschutes and Ochoco National Forest and Crooked River National Grassland will implement the first herbicide treatments under the 2012 Invasive Plant Treatment project starting next Monday, officials said Thursday.

Ten sites across both the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests and Crooked River National Grassland have been identified for herbicide and manual treatments to begin this fall.

“The sites chosen for treatment this fall are all high priority sites, including roadsides and active rock quarries, where there is a likelihood of spread of invasive plants by vectors such as vehicles,” said Deb Mafera, invasive plant coordinator for the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests and Crooked River National Grassland.

The majority of the herbicide treatments will be spot application, using backpack sprayers and OHVs. Some broadcast spraying will be applied in areas where the dominant plant community is invasive species. Manual treatments such as hand pulling will also be included.

Herbicide treatments will be implemented following the design features in the Record of Decision for the 2012 Invasive Plant Treatment project. Treatment sites will be signed at the time of the treatment.

Invasive species are damaging the ecological integrity of both the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests and Crooked River National Grassland.

The 2012 Invasive Plant Treatment project allows the use of 10 herbicides to treat the spreading invasive species on the Forests and Grassland.

Prior to the 2012 Invasive Plant Treatment project, some herbicide treatments were done, but the majority of the invasive species sites were treated manually — that was not effective or efficient, officials say.

For maps and a list of sites, visit the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forest and Crooked River National Grassland website at: www.fs.usda.gov/main/centraloregon/home and search for invasive plant treatment. For more information on the treatments, contact Deb Mafera, Invasive Plant Coordinator for the Deschutes National Forest and Ochoco National Forest and Crooked River National Grassland at (541) 416-6588.