Description
One of the BLM's highest priorities is to promote ecosystem health and one of the greatest obstacles to achieving this goal is the rapid expansion of weeds across public lands. These invasive plants can dominate and often cause permanent damage to natural plant communities. If not eradicated or controlled, noxious weeds will continue to jeopardize the health of the public lands and to constrain the myriad activities that occur on public lands. BLM Invasive and Noxious Plant Management Programs work to prevent, detect, inventory, control and monitor weed populations on public lands. 1. Invasive species cost the public millions of dollars in control and management each year and many invasive plants and noxious weeds are highly competitive and have the ability to permanently degrade our public lands. 2. Noxious weeds and invasive species expansion are recognized as the single greatest threat to our native plant communities and the values they provide us. 3. These native plant communities are essential for supporting wildlife habitat, watershed function, recreation opportunities, rural economies and working landscapes. 4. Invasive plants and noxious weeds affect plant and animal communities on farms and ranches, and in parks, waters, forests, natural areas, and backyards in negative ways. 5. Human activity such as trade, travel, and tourism have all increased substantially, escalating the speed and volume of species movement to unprecedented levels. 6. Increased site vulnerability from wildfires that are more frequent and other disturbances is an ongoing challenge to maintaining the integrity of our native plant communities. 7. Noxious weeds are particularly aggressive plants legally designated by States as being injurious to public health, the environment or the economy. 8. Invasive species and noxious weeds adversely affect overall recreational opportunities on public land i.e., hunting, fishing, camping, and hiking, watershed health and ecosystem function which result in economic losses in rural and urban communities. 9. Affect adjacent private lands, both rural and urban, causing widespread economic losses to the agricultural industry as well as to other resources. BLM has an opportunity to work with partner organizations to collaboratively manage and coordinate treatments, inventories, monitoring, education and outreach, and prevention activities to control new infestations and treatment to remove existing infestations of noxious weeds and invasive species in order to gain efficiencies across multiple jurisdictions. Individual projects support Secretarial Order 3347 Conservation Stewardship and Outdoor Recreation, through improving habitat and habitat improvement, and Secretarial Order 3372 Reducing Wildfire Risks on Department of the Interior Land through Active Management through reduction of fuel loads. Program Strategic Goals: A successful noxious weed control program is essential to maintaining the health of our native landscapes and consists of the following goals: 1. Inventorying and documenting locations of noxious weeds and other invasive species; 2. Using an Integrated Pest Management Plan (IPM) approach to determine the most effective method of weed control (herbicides, grazing, mechanical removal); 3. Selecting the most effective and targeted herbicide for treatment; 4. Stabilization and rehabilitation of disturbed areas. 5. Implementation and monitoring of weed control and site rehabilitation measures. 6. Conducting post application monitoring to determine herbicide effectiveness. 7. Prioritization and treatment of target undesirable plant species or groups of species to be controlled or contained within a specific geographic area. 8. Monitoring and evaluation of treatments, site rehabilitation, outreach activities and integrated weed management strategies to determine rate of success and to inform future efforts. 9. Development and dissemination of public education and outreach activities and materials. 10. Promoting public engagement, learning opportunities, through resources education and outreach programs, events, and products. 11. Adaptive management for controlling new weed species and use of new and approved treatments. All proposed projects submitted under this funding opportunity must state a benefit to the public: The following program legislation authority, BLM Manuals, etc. are applicable to this program: 1. National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) ¿ BLM Handbook 1790-1 2. Integrated Weed Management Manual IWM-9015 3. Integrated Vegetative Management Handbook BH-1740