Record of Decision Vegetation Treatments Using Aminopyralid
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RECORD OF DECISION TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................................................1-1 Summary ....................................................................................................................................................................1-1 Background ................................................................................................................................................................1-1 DECISION .......................................................................................................................................................................2-1 Herbicide Active Ingredients Approved For Use .....................................................................................................2-1 Aminopyralid ......................................................................................................................................................2-1 Fluroxypyr ..........................................................................................................................................................2-1 Rimsulfuron ........................................................................................................................................................2-1 Treatment Acres.........................................................................................................................................................2-3 Herbicide Treatment Standard Operating Procedures ..............................................................................................2-3 Mitigation ...................................................................................................................................................................2-4 Monitoring .................................................................................................................................................................2-4 ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED ..............................................................................................................................3-1 Alternative A – Continue Present Herbicide Use (No Action Alternative) .............................................................3-1 Alternative B – Allow for Use of Three New Herbicides in 17 Western States (Preferred Alternative) ...............3-1 Alternative C – No Aerial Application of New Herbicides......................................................................................3-1 Alternative D – No Use of New Acetolactate Synthase-Inhibiting Active Ingredients (No Rimsulfuron) ............3-1 Environmentally Preferable Alternative ...................................................................................................................3-1 MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS .....................................................................................................................4-1 General Herbicide Treatment Considerations ...........................................................................................................4-1 Selection of the Three New Active Ingredients ........................................................................................................4-1 Issues Considered in the Decision Process and Summary of Environmental Consequences of Decision .............4-2 Adverse Effects to Resources Evaluated in PEIS ..............................................................................................4-2 Beneficial Effects to Resources Evaluated in PEIS ...........................................................................................4-3 Measures to Minimize or Avoid Harm .....................................................................................................................4-4 Standard Operating Procedures and Mitigation .................................................................................................4-4 Comparison of the Alternatives and Development of the Decision .........................................................................4-4 Alternative A – Continue Present Herbicide Use (No Action Alternative) ......................................................4-5 Alternative B – Allow for Use of Three New Herbicides in 17 Western States (Preferred Alternative) ........4-5 Alternative C – No Aerial Application of New Herbicides ..............................................................................4-5 Alternative D – No Use of New Acetolactate Synthase-Inhibiting Active Ingredients (No Rimsulfuron) .....4-6 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT ...........................................................................................................................................5-1 Development of the Draft Programmatic EIS ...........................................................................................................5-1 Scoping Meetings ...............................................................................................................................................5-1 Public Review and Comment on the Draft Programmatic EIS .........................................................................5-1 Development of the Final Programmatic EIS and Preferred Alternative ................................................................5-1 Public Review of the Final Programmatic EIS ..................................................................................................5-2 Signature Page ...........................................................................................................................................................5-3 REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................................................................6-1 BLM Vegetation Treatments Three New Herbicides i August 2016 Final Programmatic EIS Record of Decision TABLE OF CONTENTS Appendices A Herbicide Treatment Standard Operating Procedures and Mitigation Measures ........................................... A-1 B Endangered Species Act Section 7 Consultation with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service ...................................................................................................................................B-1 C Monitoring .........................................................................................................................................................C-1 List of Tables 1 Herbicide Active Ingredients Approved for Use on Public Lands under this Record of Decision ................. 2-2 2 Mitigation Measures .......................................................................................................................................... 2-5 BLM Vegetation Treatments Three New Herbicides ii August 2016 Final Programmatic EIS Record of Decision INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION The BLM has identified aminopyralid, fluroxypyr, and Summary rimsulfuron as three new herbicide active ingredients This Record of Decision (ROD) approves the U.S. that it would like to add to its list of approved active Department of the Interior (USDOI) Bureau of Land ingredients for use on public lands. These active Management’s (BLM’s) proposed use of the herbicide ingredients were identified based on input from BLM active ingredients aminopyralid, fluroxypyr, and field offices and a preliminary assessment of their rimsulfuron to treat vegetation on BLM-administered effectiveness and suitability for the BLM’s vegetation lands in the western U.S. These three herbicides are treatment needs. The three new herbicides have been being added to the BLM’s list of active ingredients registered for use by the U.S. Environmental Protection available for use on public lands under previously Agency (USEPA), are deemed effective in controlling approved vegetation management programs. vegetation, and have minimal effects on the environment and human health if used according to herbicide label instructions. The BLM determined that Background use of the new herbicides on public lands under established vegetation management programs required The BLM administers vegetation on nearly 247 million further assessment under the National Environmental acres in 17 states in the western U.S. (Alaska, Arizona, Policy Act (NEPA). California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, A Final Programmatic Environmental Impact South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Statement for Vegetation Treatments Using Wyoming). Management of vegetation on public lands, Aminopyralid, Fluroxypyr, and Rimsulfuron on Bureau including habitat enhancement and management to of Land Management Lands in 17 Western States was reduce the risk of wildfires, is an important function of released to the public on April 8, 2016 (USDOI BLM this agency. Vegetation treatments using herbicides are 2016). In accordance with NEPA, this PEIS identifies one method employed by the BLM to manage invasive impacts on the natural and human environment plants that jeopardize the health of public lands and the associated with the use of aminopyralid, fluroxypyr, and activities that occur on them. rimsulfuron to treat vegetation on BLM-administered lands. The current PEIS incorporates information from In 2007, the BLM published a Vegetation Treatments the 2007 PEIS by reference, but also provides updated Using Herbicides