Forest Service seeks comments on use of herbicide
The U.S. Forest Service is seeking comments on a proposal to add the herbicide aminopyralid to the list of available herbicides on the Deschutes and Ochoco national forests and the Crooked River National Grassland.
Forest Service officials say aminopyralid is more effective than the herbicides currently in use for many invasive plants found on the forest and grassland, including knapweeds and thistles.
While aminopyralid poses a lower risk to people, fish and wildlife than some of the currently authorized herbicides , site-specific analysis of the use would still be completed in a project-by-project basis prior to use of aminopyralid on the forest or grassland, officials said Wednesdasy.
The public has 30 days to comment on the addition of aminopyralid as an approved herbicide to be used on national forest-managed lands.
For the Deschutes National Forest, comments may be submitted online through the Forest Service online comment system available at comments-pacificnorthwest-deschutes@fs.fed.us or mailed or delivered to Susan Skakel, Aminopyralid Amendment, 63096 Deschutes Market Road, Bend, OR 97701.
For the Ochoco National Forest, comments may be submitted online through the Forest Service online comment system available at https://cara.ecosystem-management.org/Public/CommentInput?project=52661 or mailed or delivered to Marcy Anderson, Aminopyralid Amendment, 3160 NE 3 rd Street, Prineville, OR 97754. Business hours for both Forest Service offices are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. through 4:30 p.m. excluding holidays.
If you have specific comments regarding the project itself, contact Sarah Callaghan, Invasive Plant Program Manager by phone at 541-416-6588 or by email at sacallaghan@fs.fed.us .
In 2005, the Land and Resource Management Plans (Forest Plans) for the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests and Crooked River National Grassland were updated to include the approval for the use of ten herbicide active ingredients. This proposed amendment to the Forest Plans would add herbicide aminopyralid to the list of available herbicides on the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests and Crooked River National Grassland.
