03.1282CS18R0001_SJNF_InvasiveSpeciesUserGuide_04.05.2018.doc

NOXIOUS WEEDS USER GUIDE

San Juan Public Lands March 27, 2018

INTRODUCTION

The San Juan National Forest has been performing invasive plants inventories, and treating invasive plants (Noxious Weeds) infestations for more than 30 years. Much of that data has been loaded into the San Juan National forest nox_weeds ArcGIS geodatabase. Annually the data has been updated and is formatted and loaded into TESP-IS (Threatened, Endangered and Sensitive plants – Invasive species), the Forest Service’s National database. TESP-IS allows tracking noxious weed infestations and treatment across Forest lands in a logical manner across the nation. The San Juan National Forest have independently developed a Noxious Weed Form and Geodatabase to collect all of the necessary data for National Applications and also be beneficial for local use. When current and future collectors of noxious weed data head for the field, they need to be mindful of the preceding history of data, and the time and effort devoted to the data. Collection of Noxious Weed data should be done in a careful manner to insure continuity of existing data. It must be collected using the best spatial techniques available, and all mandatory items on the paper field forms or digital format provided by the Forest Service must be completed. The agency is required to report this data to a national database, but the primary use is to track, treat and monitor invasive plants within the San Juan National Forest. Recently there has been development in the area of Forest Service approved Apps and other mobile technology that may provide a more streamlined approach to accomplishment reporting. This document serves as a guideline for TESP species inventory and treatment within the San Juan National forest. Updates and new applications are frequent. Communication is critical to establishing protocol relevant to contractors and personnel within local units.

Current National Record Keeping Data Standards National Forest System Invasive Species Management Record Keeping Business Rules and National Standards (v01.10.2014)

National invasive species program record keeping and reporting requirements apply to all activities directed to combat aquatic and terrestrial invasive species on National Forests and Grasslands, and on adjacent areas when accomplished under the Wyden Amendment. These required business rules, protocols, and standards direct how Forest Service administrative units will enter and manage site-specific infestation and treatment records with the objective of controlling or eradicating invasive species. All records for these activities (regardless of project funding source or objective) must be collected and maintained within NFS applications that are managed within the national Natural Resource Manager (NRM) database structure.

The Invasive Species Integrated User Interface is the NFS Invasive Species Management Program’s required data entry/editing portal and is designed to simplify data entry for all invasive species management records, increase spatial and tabular data quality, and meet the Forest Service’s national spatial data information requirements for all invasive species management activities conducted on National Forests and Grasslands.

There are six objectives for Invasive Species record keeping standards, requirements, and protocols:

1. Meet requirements set forth in the NFS Invasive Species Management Policy (FSM 2900).

2. Provide consistent program oversight between levels of the organization; from the Washington Office to Regional Offices, from Regional Offices to National Forests;

3. Clarify the allowable accomplishments and concepts to users and program managers;

4. Maintain transparency for accomplishments across regions and forests;

5. Document protocols for accounting and oversight by other groups;

6. Provide a process to accurately record the occurrence and spread of invasive species on NFS lands, and the management activities applied to NFS landscapes.

Definitions:

Invasive Species: Any species of exotic plant, vertebrate, invertebrate or pathogen meeting the Executive Order 13112 definition of “invasive species”, including plant species defined by State or Federal statute as “noxious weeds”. Native pests are not considered ‘invasive”, even though they may cause harm and if under state statute the native plant is classified as a noxious weed the species is not considered an invasive species by the Federal Government.

NRM: Natural Resource Manager, a national Forest Service organization that is responsible for coordinating software development activities for four Forest Service Natural Resource Application modules whose data are accessible through a Web platform or the Enterprise Data Center.

FACTS: Forest Service Activity Tracking System, a module of Natural Resource Manager (NRM) designed to store records on management activities that have actually occurred on the landscape.

TESP-IS: Threaten, Endangered, Sensitive Plants & Invasive Species, a module of Natural Resource Manager (NRM) designed to store records for Invasive Species Survey, Inventory and infestation trend or spread.

Invasive Species Survey: The process of systematically searching a geographic area for a particular (target) invasive species or a group of species. Documenting where and when surveys have occurred, even if the object of the survey (target species) was not located may be important.

Invasive Species Inventory: A collection of information related to the occurrence, population or infestation of a detected invasive species across a landscape or a more narrowly-defined area or site.

Infested Area: An area of land or water, in acres, containing a single invasive species delineated by the actual perimeter of the infestation as defined by the outer edge of the canopy cover of plants or the visible population, home range or stream reach of other taxa, excluding adjacent areas not infested and outside the perimeter of the population.

Treatment Area: A specific piece of land or water on which invasive species treatment activities occur; Synonymous with Activity Subunit with a focus on invasive species management.

Treatment Areas may overlap, but cannot be divided.

Treatment Activity: A management entry across a treatment area to meet specific resource objectives. Pesticide application or mowing is considered to be an activity. With respect to invasive species management, the term “treatment” refers to any activity or action taken to directly eradicate, control or otherwise manage the spread of an invasive species infestation.

TESP-IS Integrated User Interface: The NFS Invasive Species Management Program’s required data entry/editing portal that meets all national record keeping and reporting standards, protocols, and requirements including the spatial data information requirements for activities conducted on national forests and grasslands.

National Business Rules, Protocols, and Standards:

1. National Forests and Grasslands are required to maintain detailed records of all Infestations and Site-Specific Treatment Activities for all taxa of aquatic and terrestrial invasive species (plants, pathogens, vertebrates, algae, and invertebrates).

2. The USFS National Forest System requires that all invasive species survey and inventory information be collected and recorded in the national database of record (NRM TESP-IS). When the invasive species infestation is treated, it must be linked to the respective Treatment Activity.

3. A polygon is required to accurately represent the spatial extent of each detected invasive species infestation/population; and to accurately represent the specific spatial extent of each Treatment Area. The relationship between the area of the treatment polygon and the tabular acres accomplished should not exceed a 3:1 ratio. In other words the treatment feature area should not exceed three times the area of the acres accomplished.

4. Infested Area: An area of land or water, in acres, containing a single invasive species delineated by the actual perimeter of the infestation as defined by the outer edge of the canopy cover of plants or the visible population - home range or stream reach for vertebrates - of other taxa, excluding adjacent areas not infested and outside the perimeter of the population.

Discussion: For invasive plant infestations canopy cover is used only to delineate the perimeter of the infestation. The estimate of “% Infested” is influenced by the perimeter of the infestation/population, the distribution of individuals within the perimeter, species growth characteristics, site characteristics and the degree to which the created feature represents the actual infestation/population.

Plant Examples: If an infestation of yellow star thistle, for example, has 1-5% canopy cover with plants and patches evenly distributed across a grassland site and the 2–acre created polygon captures the spatial extent of the infestation, the “% Infested” is 100% or equal to the area of the created polygon. If, however, Canada thistle is found growing in a series of stringer draws or narrow swales with 35% canopy cover but due to the complexity of the site and the distribution of Canada thistle clonal patches along the draws a single large polygon is created that does not follow the perimeter of stringer draws. Even though the polygon is 20 acres the “% Infested” would typically be a much lower value such as 10%, or in other words, 2 acres of Canada thistle within a 20 acre mapping area.

A value of '0' for percent infested is allowed only for a re-measured record, indicating that treatment has eradicated an infestation or under natural conditions an infestation has been eliminated.

5. Infested Area Treated: The treated portion, measured in acres, of an area infested by a single invasive species. The “Infested Area Treated” represents the portion of a single invasive species infestation/population that was prioritized and treated.

Following through with the example discussed in #4 above, if the Infested Areas of yellow Star thistle and Canada thistle were treated the “Infested Area Treated” would be 2 acres for each infestation, even though it may be necessary to walk across the entire 20 acre mapped area of Canada thistle. “Infested Area Treated” is not a measure of ‘net’ acres covered by the weeds based on canopy cover nor the un-infested area a crew walks to reach segments of the infestation.

6. Treatment Area (Activity Subunit): A specific area where treatment activity occurred and may encompass an entire infestation, a portion of an infestation or multiple infestations that are adjacent or overlapping. A new location requires a new Treatment Area. Copying an existing polygon created for another purpose – i.e. a timber harvest unit– for the Treatment Area is acceptable only if the treatment activity covers the entire spatial extent.

7. Invasive Species Treatment Activity Codes: Invasive Species Management has five (5) Activity codes that generally correspond to Treatment Types.

2520 – Treatment Activity Monitoring is only available for developing SAI Plans and the planned use of K-V Funds.

8. Multiple Treatment Activity records may be associated with a single Treatment Area if the activity covers the entire spatial extent of the Treatment Area. Otherwise, a new treatment area must be created.

9. Re-treatment is a new activity and acres accomplished are credited towards a unit’s yearly performance. If the spatial extent of the actual re-treatment is the same a new activity record is added to an existing treatment area. If the spatial extent of the actual re-treatment is significantly different (i.e. more than 30%) a new treatment area is required.

· IS-Mobile (PDR) requires a new polygon for re-treatment regardless of spatial extent.

10. Output #1: Number of priority acres treated against invasive species. Includes all taxa of aquatic and terrestrial invasive species. Priority sites and target species are determined locally. Acres Accomplished are summarized when the Accomplished Date is within the current FY for both Force-Account, and awarded Contracts/Agreements where funds have been obligated.

11. Output #2: Number of priority acres monitored for treatment efficacy. Monitored acres will count in the Fiscal Year (FY) in which monitoring was conducted regardless of the FY in which the treatment was completed. The Threshold level for Treatment Monitoring is 50% of the acres treated. Acres are summarized when monitoring activities occur between Oct 1 & Sept 30 of the FY being reported and the Evaluation Date is later than the Completed Date for each treated species monitored.

12. Outcome: Number of priority acres successfully restored against targeted invasive species. Restoration defined as where the targeted invasive species was prevented, controlled, or eradicated from the priority area. For restored acres to be summarized, the 50% threshold for output #2 must be met. If output #2 is met, the average control level calculated from the monitoring records is multiplied by the sum of #Units Accomplished where a Completed Date is within the FY.

13. All Performance Measure Summary Scripts/Reports enforce the requirement that the accomplished record is created or edited no later than Oct 31st of the reporting year. If a record is entered after Oct 31st it will not be included in performance accomplishment reporting.

14. For performance accomplishments and target attainment, activities do not cross fiscal years. All treatments must be recorded as accomplished on or before September 30 of the FY in which they were initiated. Treatment contract work that straddles the fiscal year break is attributed to the year in which the contract was awarded regardless of the actual date the work is completed.

15. Each Activity Record may have more than one budget line item (BLI). If multiple BLI’s (including contributed or volunteers) are used to finance a treatment the Funding Grid must include the additional BLIs with an estimated percent funded.

16. If work is implemented through contracting, including grants and agreements, enter the record when the contract or task order has been awarded and funds have been obligated.

17. Work implemented through force account should be entered through the TESP-IS Application within 30 days of the completion of the activity.

18. Treatment Activity records are required for treatment on private lands financed with NFS funds as well as treatments conducted on NFS lands by a third party such as state or county crews. Accomplishments on private lands funded by NFS funds should be entered in the TESP.

Application as a treatment area with ownership coded as private, and will be included as part of performance accomplishment and target attainment as long as a valid NFS Fund Code is selected.

19. Cost per Acre (and Planned Direct Costs): The invasive species program business rules do not require a cost value entered in this field, however due to the structure of the application, the field cannot be null (blank) in FACTS. Therefore, the invasive species treatment form allows an acceptable value ranging from 0 to 999999, with a form default value of 0.00. User may accept the default or change the default to another value. If the value is changed from the default, Cost per acre or Planned Direct Costs associated with the activity record is the direct cost incurred the day(s) the treatment activity was implemented. Costs include contract costs and/or costs associated with force account treatments such as labor, vehicles, equipment, fuel, supplies, etc. Cost per acre does not represent an overall program cost nor does it include general overhead costs and NEPA costs.

20. Acres Accomplished is the number of acres that were actually treated for all treatment activities and is used to summarize treatment accomplishments within the Treatment Area. The Acres Accomplished will supply the data for reporting project/program performance output #1 across all treatment types. For pesticide, biological control, and Livestock applications this field will approximate the Application Area.

21. Application Area: Application Area is the actual extent in acres of the pesticide application or bio-control agent release for the specified Application Date. It is the non-overlapping area, in acres, where pesticides are applied on a particular date. The sum of the Application Area should approximate the spatial extent of the Treatment Area feature (polygon) and equal the “Acres Accomplished” for the Activity Subunit. This field is summarized for the Pesticide Use Report.

22. There is a direct relationship between Acres Accomplished, Infested Acres Treated and Application Area. Typically, where treatment is accomplished across a single infestation on a single day, Acres Accomplished, Infested Acres Treated and Application Area would be equal. It would be uncommon to document treatment acres (Acres Accomplished and Application Area) significantly greater than the infested acres treated since that would imply that treatment is occurring across areas that are not infested with an invasive species.

Since the inventory protocol tracks individual species infestations/occurrences, it is allowable to associate more than one infestation with a single treatment activity as long as the infestations are adjacent or overlapping. Typically two distance infestations of the same species would not be included in a single treatment record since the two infestations are located on different sites. If two infestations overlap and each are treated the sum of “Infested Acres Treated” may be greater than the actual area of the treatment application. This is due to the overlapping nature of many invasive species populations.

Application Area, which is found in the chemical and bio-control daily log grids, is based on the activity for a given day on a single site regardless of the number of species or infestation overlap.

Inventory Grid with Infested Acres Treated and Daily Log Grid with Application Area allow the Forest Service to associate multiple infestations and multiple treatment days for a given treatment area as long as the record meets the previously discussed standards. This structure also allows the agency to track different aspects of invasive species management. As an example the question: How many acres of each weed species were treated, is a different question than how many acres were treated with specific herbicides? Each question is answered with different data-fields. The diagram below depicts two overlapping weed infestations:

23. Volume Applied: The total amount or volume of diluents, pesticide, herbicide and adjuvant that was applied on the site for each Application Date.

· The default unit of measure (UOM) in the database of record is gallons.

24. Calibrated Volume: The acre volume of diluent and pesticide to be applied based on pre- measured output of applicator, equipment, and application method. The Area volume (gallons per acre) is used to determine the mixing rate.

· The default UOM in the database of record is gallons per acre.

25. The daily log grid is available to record herbicide application across multiple concurrent days on large treatment sites. If herbicide application is separated by a number of days, it is necessary to segregate the application into additional activity records or new treatment area. If the number of days between the last application date within the daily log and the previous daily log date is greater than 14 days it is assumed to be a new treatment and therefore requires a new Treatment Area. If treating a large continuous infestation over multiple days the sum of the Application Area would equal the Acres Accomplished. Multiple Daily Logs could also track a product application with multiple types of equipment each with different calibration and mixing ratios.

26. Product Rate: The label rate in which the product is to be applied, typically expressed in ounces or pounds of product per acre. Calibrated volume is required when using product rate.

· Enter Product Rate and Calibrated volume when the pesticide application is area based.

· For all liquid formulations enter oz/ac (ounces per acre) from the LOV.

· For dry formulations such as dry flowable powders for Escort, Oust, or Ally enter oz/ac.

· For dry formulations where the product is applied dry in granular or pellet form enter lb/ac (pounds per acre). An example: Spike 20P (Tebuthiuron) is applied at a rate of 10 lb/ac.

Example: Spot application with backpacker sprayers. Calibration exercise resulted in 20 gallons/acre being applied. The treatment operation plans to apply a pint (16 liquid ounces) per acre of Transline to yellow Starthistle. So should add 3.2 oz to a 4 gallon backpack calibrated for 20 GPA. The applicators applied a total volume of 80 gallons. Data fields as follows:

Acid Equivalent (a.e.) calculation completed through reports:

· 3 lb a.e. clopyralid / gal of Transline from the Chemical Products Table.

· 0.5 gal product applied X 3lb a.e /gal of product = 1.5 lb clopyralid ae applied

27. %Solution: The amount of chemical in the final mix expressed as a percentage of the total solution mixed in the tank. This value is typically a volume/volume ratio. Example: 1.0% solution is 1gal of product in 100 gallons of diluent. Calibrated volume is not required with “%Solution”.

· Enter %Solution when the pesticide application is not area based, but rather is individual plant treatment such as stump applications.

Example: Cut stump treatment of salt cedar along a riparian area where a solution is sprayed or brushed onto the cambium area of a freshly cut stump surface. Following label instructions a 1% solution would be applied. The applicators applied a total volume of 5 gallons. Data fields as follows:

Acid Equivalent (ae) calculation completed through reports:

· 2 lb a.e. imazapyr / gal of Habitat

· 0.05 gal product applied X 2lb a.e /gal of product = 0.1 lb imazapyr ae applied

The Pesticide Product grid has two options for recording pesticide applications: %Solution or Product Rate. When using the Product Rate field, it is a requirement to enter Product Rate, Calibrated Volume and Volume Applied. When using Percent Solution, it is a requirement to enter %Solution and Volume Applied. It is not necessary to enter calibrated volume while using %Solution.

The Pesticide Product grid documents the application of pesticides for a specific day. It is structured so that the user can record a single product, two or more chemical products applied through a tank mix, or a single product from two different calibrations.

Examples of the three possible scenarios:

28. Product Mix. A pesticide formulation with two or more Active Ingredients. Curtail, with the two active ingredients 2,4-D and Clopyralid, is applied to a weed infestation. A daily log record is created with one chemical product.

29. Tank Mix. Two pesticide products are custom mixed in a single spray tank by the applicator. As an example Tordon 22k (AI = Picloram) and Weedar 64 (AI = 2,4-D) is mixed in a tank and applied to a weed infestation. A daily log record is created with two chemical products. If two or more pesticide products are recorded for a single daily log record, the two products are assumed to be a tank mix

30. A Single Product: When a chemical product is applied on different portions of the site with different equipment calibrations, two daily log records would be required with the same date and different times.

31. If within an existing treatment area a second chemical is used on another species a new treatment area (and polygon) is required since it is a new treatment action. By adding this situation to an existing activity record through a daily log entry, the application is unable to associate the second species treated with the individual daily log/pesticide product record under a single activity record.

32. Biological control agent releases: A onetime 5 acre credit is allowed for each agent release on a treatment area for a given day. Release sites must be a minimum ¼ mile apart. The number of agents in a release does not alter the 5 acre credit. An Activity Subunit is required for each Release Site that meets the definition (Different site = new subunit) and an Activity Record is necessary for all releases on a treatment area on a specified Date.

Additional releases or different species to the site would count as retreatment. Each release is a treatment record that is entered into FACTS and 5 acres of treatment is credited for each release.

All Performance Measure Summary Scripts currently enforce the requirement that a Bio- control Activity Record exist for each 5 acre credit.

If a release site is checked for insect establishment or spread from a previous release, it is considered monitoring not treatment.

33. Cross Business Area Requirements: There are number of additional data requirements when financing invasive species treatment with CWKV funds or fire restoration funds.

· For CWKV funded invasive activities, the planned work must be included in a Sale Area Improvement Plan and the activity authorized and funded prior to actually accomplishing the activity and the treatment activity record must have a Sale Number. See “Supplemental Guidance and Requirements for Planning and Accomplishing Invasive Species Treatments Funded with CWKV” for more complete direction.

· When using WFSU, NFN3, or WFW3 funds for invasive treatment, Program Area must be coded as Key Point 2 (KP2) - Post Wildfire Restoration Activities. Coding the invasive treatment as KP2, County, Congressional District, Work Agent Code and Planned Direct Cost/UOM become required.

· If WFSU, NFN3, or WFW3 funds are used for invasive species surveys within fire areas, survey area data shall be entered the TESP/IS Application

· If WFHF funding is provided to treat invasive species the Program Area must be coded as Key Point 3 (KP3) and a number of additional required fields must be entered. In addition to the requirements for KP2, WUI, Fire Regime, Biomass Utilized, CWPP, FRCC Data and NFPORS Management Objectives are required. Where WUI is equal to “Yes” then Community at Risk/of Interest is also required. Invasive Species program managers should coordinate with their fuels specialist when using WFHF funding for invasive species treatment.

· For KP6 - Integrated Fuels Accomplishments, all the requirements for KP3 apply except for the use of WFHF fund code (do not use WFHF fund code with KP6 records).

· When financing Invasive Species Treatment with CFLR funds an Implementation Project is required and the NFS invasive species program business rules, protocols, and requirements must be met.

· Treating invasive species integral to the Western Bark Beetle Strategy, an Implementation Project categorized as WBBS is required.

References:

Invasive Species Pesticide Use Management Reports: http://fsweb.ftcol.wo.fs.fed.us/frs/facts/outputs/Web_Reports/index.php Invasive Species Management Performance Reports: Login to I-Web: https://iweb.fs.usda.gov/login/welcome.html.

Expand the FACTS (New) node, click on Activities, select the Reports Tab within the window on the right and scroll down to the invasive reports.

Invasive Species Program webpage for national requirements, protocols and business rules: http://fsweb.wo.fs.fed.us/invasivespecies/data/index.shtml San Juan National Forest - Guidelines Noxious Weed Inventory and Treatment on the San Juan National Forest has occurred for decades. The San Juan has developed a simplified system made up of a single polygon feature class which contains data for both inventories and treatments. Points, lines and polygons are used to collect the data in the field and converted to polygons. All of the data is stored in an ArcGis geodatabase, (nox_weeds) as one simple polygon feature class with data attached. This simple “shape-file like design” allows easy data loading from GPS units with data dictionaries and many other GIS formats.

BASIC RULES

The following rules must be followed when collecting invasive plant (noxious weed) data:

1. There is always one GIS polygon for each treatment or inventory. Polygons are not collected without data and data is not collected without polygons (in the field a polygon may be represented by a point or line that is buffered later in the office)

2. Treatment information always includes inventory information (Both page 1 and 2 of the form, EXHIBIT 1)

3. Monitoring is a decision that requires comparing the information for one polygon with the information stored for the associated parent polygon. There is not a separate feature class for monitoring.

4. GIS identities (SITE ID’s) must be unique within the entire set of polygons.

5. Point and line data collected in the field must be converted to polygon data (buffered with the radius or width entered) prior to loading into the master database and all required data items must be completed.

6. Inventory polygons are queried using inventory date. Treatment polygons are queried using treatment date. Treatment polygons have both inventory and treatment information and are counted as both inventory and treatment for reporting purposes. The reason that treatments include the inventory record is for potential monitoring purposes – i.e. what was treated.

7. Forests may provide access to the Invasive Species Integrated User Interface so cooperators and contractors can enter data directly into the NRM application to streamline the data entry process for USFS offices. Training opportunities should be made available to contractors and cooperators whenever possible to ensure proper record-keeping and data entry is conducted during those respective operations.

DATA COLLECTION

Spatial data can be collected in many ways, but for this system GPS features must be collected with associated spatial data that are generated as shape-files ready to load into the GeoDataBase. A shape file stores both the features (points, lines or polygons) and the data associated with them. There is a one-to-one relationship between each feature and its data attributes. The preferred method of data entry is a Trimble GPS unit with associated data dictionary.

The paper field form shown in EXHIBIT 1 displays the information required that must be collected.

Here are the forms

For non-contract data only, the paper form may be used in association with GPS features. Using the paper form will require entering that data into the access data base found here after the GPS data has been collected.

http://fsweb.sanjuan.r2.fs.fed.us/Range/invasives_form_for_garmin.zip Instructions for Using the Invasives Form

MDR 5/12/2016

This form is intended for Users collecting Inventory Only Invasives data with a Garmin or similar third-party GPS. Treatment data entry must use the Trimble Data Dictionary, Geodatabase Template or TESP-IS application.

Additions to any lookup tables for this version without permission is not authorized. Customized Project-specific form available upon request containing default values.

Required: Microsoft Access 2013 or later

Installation

1. Download the zipfile invasives_form_for_garmin.zip from the Intranet.

2. Extract the file invasives_form_for_garmin_v301.accdb to the PC.

Data Entry

1. Using Windows Explorer, browse to the location of the database file and double-click on it to open the file. When the file is open, the user should see Forms highlighted and InvasivesForm visible in the window.

NOTE: If you see a security warning, click Enable Content.

2. To open the form for data entry, the user can either right-click to select Open (if InvasivesForm is selected) or double-click on InvasivesForm to open the form.

3. Once the form is open, the user can begin to enter the required and any additional data. To fill in a field like Plant Code, simply click the drop-down arrow and scroll to select the appropriate value. NOTE: Site ID must match the corresponding ID for the corresponding Spatial record in the GIS shapefile submitted.

4. When finished entering data, simply click on the ‘X’ in the upper right-hand corner to close the form.

5. For information, Data entered via the form is stored in the NoxiousWeeds_fielddata table, found by selecting Tables object. Three other tables are also visible in the list (these are look-up tables). DO NOT edit, rename or delete these tables as they are required for the form.

Loading into GIS

1. In ArcMap, join the NoxiousWeeds_fielddata table to a spatial layer containing the associated points with the matching site ID’s. Check the attribute table to make sure the expected number of records are visible.

2. If working with point data, Buffer the points based on the radius width to create a polygon layer. Again, check the layer to make sure all data is accounted for. Close ArcMap.

3. In ArcCatalog, use the dataloader to load the polygon layer into the empty

NoxiousWeedsTemplate.mdb. Right-click on the layer NoxiousWeeds and select Load Load Data.

4. Browse for the polygon layer to load. All appropriate source fields will already be set to match their respective target fields. The user will just need to accept the defaults.

Revisions for version 3.0.1

· NoxiousWeeds Database version v2.2.2

· Most fields limited to lookup table values.

· Radius minimum value set.

· Cover Percent range set.

· Form and Table Requirements enforced.

All of the data on the first page of the form is required for inventories with the exception that the sub-activity called monitoring, which is only required when specified. All of the data on both page 1 and page 2 of the form are required for treatments, with the exception that the sub-activity called monitoring is only mandatory when specified.

Refer to EXHIBIT 2 for the shapefile or GeoDataBase feature class specifications required for electronic submission. Data dictionaries or ArcPad used for data collection must contain the fields corresponding to the paper form with these specifications for field size and type.

Refer to EXHIBIT 3 for legal codes to be used when completing the Noxious Weed data form. These are the GeoDataBase “domains”. When using the GeoDataBase directly the user selects from these lists when entering data. The GPS data dictionaries or ArcPad setup must also use these same codes. Proper completion of the field electronic or paper form requires thorough knowledge and understanding of this user guide.

REQUIREMENTS FOR NOXIOUS WEED INVENTORY

The following items are required in order to perform noxious weed inventories:

1. Map of any polygons to be specifically monitored with associated SITE IDs. Monitoring of these specified polygons requires completion of the monitoring sub-activity information; monitoring flag = Y(es), parent type is to be completed.

2. One hundred foot tape for radius determination.

3. Weber’s plant guide (COLORADO FLORA: WESTERN SLOPE) and Noxious Weed Plant guides.

4. Hand lens for keying plants.

5. Trimble GPS unit with data dictionary for data entry or alternative method as specified such as ArcPad or paper form.

6. Computer with hardware capacity to run GIS software and to convert GPS data into shapefiles.

7. ArcView or ArcGis software (ESRI) for aggregating exported GPS files into shape files.

8. Complete knowledge and understanding of the requirements of this user guide.

9. Ability to identify noxious weeds, determine dominant species, analyze trends and to organize and enter electronic data. Knowledge of GPS and accuracy standards.

INVENTORIES AND TREATMENTS

The system will allow an inventory record without a treatment. However treatments also provide inventory information. Every inventory must have an associated inventory date. Every treatment must have an associated treatment date. The total number of inventory records/polygons is the result of a query where inventory date exists. The total number of treatment records/polygons is the result of a query where treatment date exists.

USE OF THE MONITORING SUBSYSTEM

This system has the capability to monitor invasive plant polygons to determine the increase or decrease in size of the infestation area, and the changing cover percents as well as the effectiveness of treatment. First a decision to monitor must be made. When a polygon is intended for monitoring, the sub-activity for monitoring must be coded as YES. In addition, the parent polygon SITE_ID must be coded in the parent polygon field. This way differences can be compared by examining the parent and follow-up polygons as well as the differences in data collected. If a polygon is to be monitored the spatial accuracy of its location becomes important. For example, roughly drawn polygons are usually inadequate for the purpose of monitoring. The Forest Service or BLM will designate polygons to be monitored in the supplemental specifications. When monitoring an existing polygon, a new inventory or treatment is conducted and all of the required fields are completed. A new polygon is created in association with the inventory or inventory/treatment record. When monitoring is required, a shape file with the polygons and data to be monitored will be used as a background file on the GPS unit.

LOADING GPS DATA INTO THE MASTER GEODATABASE

Field Crew and Contractor Requirements. This GeoDataBase system is designed so that data may easily be loaded from shape files that are generated from a Trimble GPS unit with data dictionary or a GPS unit with ArcPad. The field person needs to be concerned with the GPS unit used to collect the data and that the proper data dictionaries are in place (obtained from the GIS team). They must fully read and understand this user guide and complete all required data items and spatial features. Both inventory and treatment shapefiles will be submitted to your local GIS team member for loading into the master GeoDataBase.

When the paper form is used (non-contract data collection), a shape file is also required for the GIS features. For this method of data collection the tabular data must be entered using the access database referenced under the DATA COLLECTION heading. This would apply to Garmin GPS users. When the spatial data and tabular data are separate it is critical that the SITE ID field be completed and is 1:1 between the spatial and tabular data.

Garmin GPS Unit. An ArcPad setup for use with Garmin or other GPS units is available. This is the recommended alternative. However, the separate spatial and tabular access database method may also be used. In either, Garmin users will deliver a merged shapefile with corresponding tabular data in electronic format to a GIS team member for inclusion in the master Geodatabase.

GIS Team Requirements. Points and lines shape-file data will first be buffered by the entered radius or width prior to loading into the GeoDataBase. All new data is first loaded into an empty GeoDB schema. Once it is verified to be clean it is re-loaded into the master using the ArcCatalog simple data loader. This loader will add all of the new polygons with their attached data.

For those polygons without a field SITE ID, one will be generated using ArcMap, but only after the data has been loaded into the master. It is critical that existing SITE ID’s are not changed since they could be “parent polygons”.

Various checks will be made on the integrity of the data including checking for unique id, correct legal codes, and existing parent polygons. The GIS team member will contact the data collector if the data is not clean to see if the problems can be corrected. If the data is unacceptable it will be rejected and returned.

The GIS team member updates the master GeoDataBase which resides in Oracle ArcSde. After the data for a fiscal year is finalized it is added to the Master Geodatabase using the Arccatalog simple data loader. A backup copy of the ArcSde master in the form of an Access Database (MDB) is stored on the server. See Exhibit 5 for some notes related to maintaining the master GeoDataBase.

EXHIBIT 1

SAN JUAN NOXIOUS WEED FORM

(Page 1 – Complete for both surveys and treatments)

NOXIOUS WEED INVENTORY SITE_ID __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

DISTRICT YEAR/

SURVEYOR' GIS NUMBER / Opt Char

Code

INITIALS/

PROJECT NAME_______________________________________________

LOCATION: District: _______ (Dolores, Mancos, Pagosa) Agency: _____(BLM, CAN, USF)

GIS Polygon Type -Check one: Survey______ Treatment ______

(There is one and only one polygon; treatment or survey created corresponding to this form)

SURVEYOR or APPLICATOR 1______________________________________

SURVEYOR or APPLICATOR 2______________________________________

INVENTORY DATE____________ (Ex. 04/21/2005)

SubActivity -Check one: Monitoring __ (Yes) __ (No)

For Monitoring = Yes: Parent Polygon SITE ID __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

Select One:

POINT____POLYGON_____LINE _____

RADIUS/WIDTH in Feet for Point or Line__________ (For lines, enter the width inventoried/treated on ONLY ONE SIDE of a line or road, even though both sides are inventoried/treated. Points and Lines will be converted to polygons for the final database, and the RADIUS/WIDTH field will be used to buffer the points and lines).

CROWN COVER PERCENT:_____ (Enter the crown cover percent between 0 and 100 for invasive plants).

PLANT CODE: __________ (Enter the Species code for the primary target invasive species)

ASSOCIATED SPECIES 1 ____________

ASSOCIATED SPECIES 2 ___________

TREND:

Decreasing ______ Stable _______ Increasing _____

SOURCE SCALE (Ex. 24000): _____________ MAPSOURCE: Aerial Photos___Topo map_____Travel Maps___GPS___Other_______

INFESTATION CAUSES: 1 for primary, 2 for secondary – only include 2 causes./ ___Timber Sale

___Timber Plantation

___Road/Trail

___Dispersed Rec Site

___Reservoir

___Stock Trail

___Developed Rec Site

___Corral

___Range Improvement

___Wildlife

___Utility Corridor

___Livestock ___ Fire

___Wind Other__________________

COMMENTS (Additional information specific to the particular survey or treatment) _____________________________________________________________________________

Page 1 of 2, Version 7.1 11/8/2007

EXHIBIT 1 CONTINUED

SAN JUAN NOXIOUS WEED FORM

(Page 2 – Complete this page in addition to page 1 for treatments only)

TREATMENT [Check One]

HERBICIDE

BIO CONTROLS

MECHANICAL

TREATMENT DATE____________ (Ex. 04/21/2005)

TREATMENT CATEGORY (Check One)

___Weed Crew

___Weed Crew TriState ___Montezuma County

___Contractor BioHabitat ___Weed Crew Fuels ___Weed Crew WAPA ___Mont Cty WAPA

___Contract Horse ___Weed Crew Horse ___Dolores County

___San Miguel County

___Contractor

___Weed Crew KV

___ DTAG

___Fluid Minerals

___Solid Minerals

___ Other_____________________________________________________

Complete the Information for herbicide, biological or chemical treatment below depending on which box was checked above

CHEMICAL TREATMENT

PER ACRE

CHECK ONE

Herbicide 1 (prod1appl)

Rate

Pints Ounces Pounds

Herbicide 2 (prod2appl)

Herbicide 3 (prod3appl)

Wind speed ____

Application Rate _________________

Total Application Amount Applied for the Feature_______ (Use .1 minimum)

Units for Application Rate and Amount (Gallons or Pounds) – circle one

BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT

Insect Release 1

Total Released Insect Release 2 Total Released

MECHANICAL TREATMENT (Check on)

___Pres. Burning

___Grubbing

___Shading

___Seed Head Removal

___Mowing

___Fertilization ___Seeding

___Tilling

___Mulching

___Clipping

___Hand Pullng ___ Other_____________________________________________________

Page 2 of 2, Version 7.1 11/8/2007

EXHIBIT 2 – GEODATABASE FEATURE CLASS ITEMS

EXHIBIT 3

LEGAL CODES FOR FIELDS

The following lists legal codes for each of the noxious weed data fields. These are the only acceptable values for the specified columns. These codes are enforced using “domains” in ArcGis. Only these codes may be entered. Any change in coding must be cleared by the primary developer of this geodatabase. Note that the listed here may not be up-to-date. Check against the GeoDataBase domain for possible added persons, chemicals, or plants.

Page 1 (Inventories and Treatments)

Page 1 of the San Juan Noxious weed form is always completed for both inventories and treatments.

SITE_ID (REQUIRED)

The only absolute requirement for SITE IDs is that they be unique within the treatment records and also unique within the survey records. For electronic data, the SITE ID will be generated after loading the GeoDataBase. When using the paper form, it may be desirable enter a SITE ID and if so, the following naming scheme is used:

Digit 1: M = Mancos/Dolores; P = Pagosa; C = Columbine

Digits 2-3: Last 2 digits of Fiscal Year that initial feature is established.

Digits 4-5: Surveyor’s initials for original GIS feature.

Digits 6-9: A sequential number for each surveyor starting with the number 1 for a new fiscal year. Forest Service Fiscal Years start October 1. When switching from polygons to points or lines, or visa versa, this sequence number must be incremented.

Digit 10: An optional character which may be used such as A, B, C or D. In the past this was used to track related polygons, but that is now done using the parent polygon field.

PROJECT_NAME (REQUIRED)

Enter the name of the project for a particular survey such as “Missionary Fire”. This must be entered consistently in order to query out the data for a particular project.

When Using project KV funds enter the following in the Project Name field:

“KV Timber Sale name”. For example “KV Lucy Timber Sale”, not “KV Lucy Timber Sale Unit #1” When using the forest-wide KV funds enter the following in the Project Name field:

“KV Forest Wide”

SURVEYOR AND/OR APPLICATOR 1 and 2 (At least one name is required)

For inventory only records a minimum of one person and a maximum of two who are responsible for the data collection must be entered. For an inventory/treatment record up two two people who are responsible for the inventory and treatment. If one did the inventory and the other the treatment record the person who did the inventory first.

LOCATION (REQUIRED) This is used for the FACTS ID / SUID and ownership Code

Description

COLBLM

Columbine BLM

COLUFS

Columbine Forests Service

DOLBLM

Dolores BLM

DOLCAN

Dolores Canyons of the Ancients

DOLUFS

Dolores Forest Service

PAGBLM

Pagosa BLM

PAGUFS

Pagosa Forest Service

INVENTORY DATE (REQUIRED)

Enter the inventory date. Enter the date using the sample format of 07/02/2003.

SUB-ACTIVITY MONITORING (REQUIRED WHEN SPECIFIED)

PARENT POLYGON (REQUIRED FOR MONITORING ACTIVITIES)

If this survey or treatment has been designated for monitoring (monitoring = Y), then the parent polygon type must be completed, and the exact SITE_ID of the parent polygon must be entered in this field.

POINT, POLYGON, OR LINE (RADIUS / WIDTH IS REQUIRED FOR NON-POLYGONS)

If the survey or treatment is based on a point or line field SITE feature, the radius or width (in feet) must be entered in order to buffer the feature to a polygon in the office prior to loading in the master GeoDataBase. The feature type must be checked on the form. The different feature types would be different data dictionaries when using a GPS unit capable of supporting a data dictionary.

RADIUS/WIDTH (REQUIRED IF NOT A POLYGON)

If point is checked, enter the radius of the weed patch in feet. If the radius is 100 feet or greater, a polygon should be used for the feature and not a point. For a line feature, the field describes one side of the centerline of an inventoried or treated line, in feet. If the feature is a road, the road width is not included, and the field describes the width of one side of the inventoried or treated road. Leave this field blank for polygons. This information will be left in the master database after buffering to polygons as a metadata item. This field must be entered for all GPS points and lines in order to create a polygon in GIS. This value is must be converted to meters for the buffer operation.

Example Line Feature: If you inventoried or treated 10 feet on each side of a road, the width entered would be 10 feet (include only one side of the road, and do not include the width of the road).

CC_ PERCENT (REQUIRED) Enter the crown cover percent of all noxious weeds as a number between 0 and 100.

INVASIVE SPECIES (REQUIRED – Enter the most dominant species in the plant code field. Enter the next 2 species in order of dominance if they exist in the associated species fields)