B08_Attachment_1_PWS_Hale_Coulee_Brome_Chem_Treatment.pdf

Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Montana

Lewiston District Office (LDO) Hale Coulee Brome Chem Treatment – Statement of Work

1.0 Background and Project Objective

It was determined that areas of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) managed public land in Hale Coulee in north central Montana were not meeting Standards for Rangeland Health as required by federal grazing regulations and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA). The causal factor was determined to be a dominance of annual brome plant species within a native plant community, and current conditions are expected to persist if left untreated.

The objective of this project will be to minimize negative impacts on native plant communities, wildlife habitats, and livestock grazing areas by applying herbicide on up to 167 acres of BLM managed public land. Reduction and/or removal of invasive annual bromes from plant communities reduces competition for available resources and increases the resilience of native plant species. The goal is to restore mid and short grass prairie ecosystems within treated areas by increasing biodiversity and enhancing resiliency on BLM managed public lands over time.

2.0 Scope

2.1 Description of Work: The contractor shall apply herbicides and adjuvants identified in Appendix 1 – Herbicide at specific rates specified by the government within treatment area boundaries identified in Appendix 2 – Hale Coulee Treatment Area Map. Herbicides and adjuvants will be provided by the contractor. Chemicals shall be applied to achieve maximum control of target species with minimal damage to non-target vegetation. Target vegetation is defined as invasive annual brome species located in native range plant communities. Target vegetation species are Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass) and Bromus japonicus (Japanese brome).

2.2 Period of Performance: Application of herbicides within all treatment boundaries will be made between August 15, 2027, through October 1, 2027. The contractor agrees to work diligently to complete the application of herbicide once initiated. Government preference is starting and completing the project as soon as possible. However, due to weather conditions, soil moisture, soil temperature, and snow cover, issuance of the Notice to Proceed may be delayed until favorable conditions exist.

2.3 Site Description: The Hale Coulee Annual Brome Treatment project will treat up to 167 acres of BLM managed public land. The project area consists of relatively flat upland/range lands in Petroleum County of north central Montana. Elevation changes within treatment boundaries are minimal, elevation is 3054’ and average slope is 5%. Treatment areas are also immediately adjacent to agricultural farm fields which may or may not contain actively growing, non-target plant species. Final maps and shapefiles will be provided to the awardee. There is no source of clean, sediment free water in the project area. Suitable water sources may be long distances away from treatment or loading sites. Contractor is responsible for a clean water source.

2.4 Access to Project Area: The Hale Coulee Annual Brome Treatment project is located approximately 10 miles NE from Winnett, Montana and approximately 60 nautical miles from the Lewistown Airport, also located in Lewistown. All treatment areas are accessible by vehicle, including large commercial vehicles, via a combination of paved highway, improved graveled road (Jitney Rd), and two-track range road. There is no source of clean, sediment free water in the project area. Contractor is responsible for clean water supply.

2.4.1 Directions: From Winnett, Montana travel east on US HWY 200 for 11 miles to Jitney

Road. Turn north onto Jitney Road (improved gravel road). Travel on Jitney Road for 4 miles. Turn west on Old Cat Creek Road. In 3 miles, turn north on a two-track road. This two-track leads to the project treatment area.

3.0 Technical Requirements

3.1 Herbicide Application

3.1.1 The contractor shall apply herbicide in designated treatment areas at the specified rate of application.

3.1.1.1 Herbicide Mix Application Rates:

-August 15th to September 15th: 7 oz/acre of Rejuvra, 3 oz/acre Plateau, minimum GPA is 5 gal/acre.

-September 15th to October 1st or prior to 1 leaf emergence of cheat grass: 7 oz/acre of Rejuvra, 5 oz/acre Plateau, minimum GPA is 5 gal/acre.

For aerial application, use a minimum spray volume of 5 gallons per acre. Higher water volume rates up to 10 gallons per acre may be required to achieve an acceptable level of weed control.

3.1.1.2 The contractor shall read and carefully observe the cautionary statements and all other information appearing on the herbicide and adjuvant label as well as following the prevention measures and standards in Appendix 2 (Appendix A of the EIS). Controlling drift is the responsibility of the contractor and the contractor shall assume liability for off-target and out of boundary damage or injury due to drift.

3.1.2 The contractor shall be responsible for applying herbicides in accordance with all applicable herbicide labels.

3.1.3 The applicator shall use industry standard application techniques, minimizing over-spray and under-spray within designated treatment boundaries following applicable herbicide labels.

3.1.4 The contractor shall use industry standard equipment to apply herbicide with a medium droplet size as defined by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) S572.1 Droplet Size Classification standard.

3.1.5 The contractor shall have the ability to uniformly deliver the appropriate gallons per acre with a boom/nozzle configuration (including controlled pressure and nozzle orientation) that will provide a controlled droplet application and follows herbicide label information. For aerial application spray at the lowest height that safely permits uniform coverage of the soil and minimizes droplet evaporation.

3.1.6 The applicator shall control the spray pattern and manage spray drift to safely and evenly apply herbicide over the treatment area at a consistent height and speed following applicable herbicide labels. For aerial applications, equipment shall be configured in a manner to mitigate wing tip vortices or rotor wash affecting the spray pattern. To avoid off-target drift movement from aerial applications to agricultural field crops the distance of the outermost nozzles on the boom must not exceed 3/4 the length of the wingspan or rotor.

3.1.7 Wind velocities for herbicide applications must be 10 miles per hour or less in all instances.

Precipitation in the form of snow will halt herbicide application.

3.1.8 The entire surface within the designated boundaries of the treatment area shall receive uniform coverage with the specified herbicide mixture.

3.2 Field Quality Control

3.2.1 The BLM COR or PI will monitor to determine uniformity of herbicide application.

Randomly placed drift cards may be used for quality control testing. If coverage is deemed unsatisfactory (less than 90% of drift cards show herbicide coverage), the contractor will be required to retreat those areas at no additional cost to the government.

3.3 Global Positioning System (GPS)

3.3.1 Accuracy in application is of the utmost importance. Applicators shall perform applications with precision in accordance with the coordinates and mapping information provided by the Government. The BLM will provide treatment area boundaries to the awarded contractor in the form of shapefiles created in ESRI ArcGIS.

3.3.2 Application equipment will be capable of physically marking or electronically mapping application routes to ensure herbicide is applied evenly and completely at specified rates. Data logging equipment must be capable of showing and differentiating between spray-on and spray-off when viewed on a computer monitor or printer.

3.3.3 The contractor shall provide all guidance equipment, materials, computers, printers, personnel, and services required for the system to be used. The system shall be sufficiently sensitive to prevent overlap and/or skips in treated area and to provide immediate deviation indications in real time. Corrective action shall be taken immediately by the contractor to ensure evenly spaced and complete coverage of areas within specified treatment boundaries.

3.3.4 The contractor must be capable of utilizing ESRI ArcPro shapefiles created by the government for initial treatment area information and provide treatment application data back to the government in this format.

3.4 Communication Requirements

3.4.1 The contractor must provide a communication system so that contractor personnel engaged in the project at different locations can communicate with each other at all times, and so that the government COR or PI may communicate with the contractor at any time to discuss performance matters.

3.5 Mixing/Loading Facilities

3.5.1 The contractor shall provide such mixing/loading facilities as may be required to successfully perform the requirements in this Statement of Work. Use of any loading area shall be arranged by and at the discretion and risk of the contractor. The Government shall not be held responsible for any loss, mishap, or accident due to conditions of any loading facility used. Any applicable fee for loading facilities will be the responsibility of the contractor. If the contractor wishes to use BLM managed land, this must be approved in advance by the COR or PI

3.5.2 The contractor shall be responsible for obtaining reliable water sources to provide clean, sediment free water as a carrier for herbicide application.

4.0 Notification Requirements

4.1.1 The contractor shall provide the Government with at least 48 hours’ notice before equipment mobilization and application of herbicide.

4.1.2 A COR or PI may be present to direct and inspect the work.

4.1.3 The contractor shall immediately notify the COR or PI of any spills, leaks, incidents, or accidents as quickly as possible, no later than within 24 hours of occurrence.

5.0 Contractor Qualifications

5.1 The contractor must comply with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations and appropriate land use permitting procedures applicable to their operations.

5.2 The contractor is required to demonstrate to the government that equipment can uniformly apply herbicide as specified in the technical requirements section of this statement of work within the period of performance.

5.3 The contractor shall provide experienced and qualified staff to perform all tasks and duties associated with herbicide application. The contractor is responsible for ensuring all staff understand and follow all information and instructions provided in applicable herbicide and adjuvant labels.

5.4 The contracting company shall hold and maintain a current Commercial Pesticide Applicator License for the State of Montana for the duration of the contract.

5.5 Each applicator shall be properly licensed with the State of Montana Department of Agriculture in the proper categories to allow for application of herbicide on rangeland.

5.6 If the status of any licenses or certifications needed to successfully perform the requirements in this Statement of Work changes at any time due to suspensions or expirations, the contractor shall contact the COR or PI immediately.

6.0 Security and Safety

6.1 The contractor is responsible for providing a safety plan that identifies a point of contact in the event of any accident. The plan should include emergency contact information for personnel and facilities to contact (including Flight for Life/Life Flight/Care Flight, etc. if applicable) in case an emergency warrants such actions. The plan should also include a description of on-site emergency procedures to follow in case of an accident. The plan should identify the insurance company providing coverage and the pertinent group coverage number.

6.2 The contractor shall be responsible for identifying and mitigating all hazards, including aerial hazards, if applicable, that would pose a danger to contractor personnel or operating equipment. This includes, but is not limited to: powerlines, anemometer towers, military operation areas (MOAs), and other restricted flight areas in or near the treatment area boundary and work sites. The contractor shall be responsible for making arrangements with the appropriate agencies to get permission to operate within a restricted flight area or MOA if applicable.

6.3 The contractor may leave its equipment at the worksite; however, the contractor shall be responsible for the equipment if it is lost, stolen, vandalized, or damaged.

6.4 The contractor shall follow all advice on protective clothing and equipment found in applicable herbicide and adjuvant labels and Safety Data Sheets (SDS).

6.5 Only approved contractor personnel and equipment required for performance of tasks described in this statement of work will be transported by contractor vehicles, trailers, or equipment.

7.0 Contractor Furnished Items

7.1 Contractor shall furnish all herbicides, adjuvants, and surfactants. All herbicides, adjuvants, and surfactants used must be listed as approved on the BLM Herbicide and Adjuvant spreadsheets (see attachment “BLM Adjuvants and Herbicide Formulations”). A minimum

GPA is 5 gal/acre for the unit. The contractor shall furnish all personnel, supervision, personal protective equipment (PPE), parts, labor, supplies, tools, transportation, and equipment to successfully perform the requirements in this Statement of Work. This includes the transportation of water to the project site for application.

8.0 Deliverables

8.1 Quality Control Plan showing how the contractor intends to meet government performance standards for each task and subtask associated with this contract within the period of performance.

8.2 Daily Pesticide Application Records.

8.3 GPS data documenting where herbicides have been applied.

8.3.1 The contractor shall be able to supply this data for review at any time during performance of the contract upon request by the COR or PI.

8.3.2 The contract will not be considered complete until GPS application data for the entire project is received, reviewed, and deemed complete with no skips in sprayed areas.

9.0 Pre-Work conference

9.1 There will be a pre-work conference prior to the start of the project at an agreed upon date between the COR and contractor. At the pre-work conference the contractor and COR will review the Quality Control Plan provided by the contractor.

10.0 Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) and/or Project Inspector (PI)

10.1 The COR and/or PI will be appointed by the Contracting Officer upon award of the contract.

Such individual(s) will be responsible for giving the contractor any special instructions or guidance necessary to complete delivery as required by the contract. The COR or PI does not have the authority to modify or in any way amend the terms of the contract.

11.0 Measurement and Payment

11.1 Application of specified liquid herbicide mixture will be measured and paid for by the number of acres treated to the nearest acre.

11.2 Measurement for payment for herbicide treatment will be the actual area, in acres, within the designated treatment boundaries satisfactorily treated in conformance with specifications.

11.3 Measurement for payment will be made from either physical surveys of the treatment areas or from herbicide application GPS data provided by the contractor at the option of the BLM.

Randomly placed drift cards may be utilized by the government to verify GPS application data provided by the contractor.

Appendix 1 – Approved Herbicides and Adjuvants

Specified Application Rate

Active Ingredient Rate Rejuvra 7 ounces per acre Plateau 3 oz/acre August 15th to September

15th (before 1 leaf emergence of germinated cheatgrass)

OR

5 oz/acre September 15th to October 1st or after 1 leaf emergence of cheatgrass

Rejuvra Maximum use rates for areas that are grazed by livestock and/or rotated for hay:

• Do not exceed 7 fl oz per acre of Rejuvra® (0.091 lb active ingredient per acre) in a single application.

• Do not exceed 7 fl oz per acre of Rejuvra® (0.0091 lb active ingredient per acre) per year.

Plateau

• DO NOT exceed 12 ounces of Plateau per acre in one year

Appendix 2: Appendix A from EIS Programmatic EIS Addressing Vegetation Treatments Using Herbicides

Appendix A. Prevention Measures and Standard Operating Procedures

The following appendix describes measures to prevent the introduction and spread of noxious and invasive weeds (Table A-1) and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for applying herbicides (Table A-2). The 2007 PEIS describes further the importance, priorities, and processes associated with prevention, early detection, and rapid response (BLM 2007b, p. 2-23 to 2-25).

As described in the 2007 PEIS (BLM 2007b, p. 2-22 to 2-23), SOPs would be followed by the BLM under all alternatives to ensure that risks to human health and the environment from herbicide treatment actions would be kept to a minimum. Standard operating procedures are the management controls and performance standards required for vegetation management treatments. These practices are intended to protect and enhance natural resources that could be affected by future vegetation treatments. For instance, following specifications on an herbicide’s label may require spray at a certain droplet size that is intended to prevent offsite spread. Drift prevention may also be accomplished by the use of adjuvants or tank mixes.

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A. Prevention Measures and Standard Operating Procedures

Table A-1 Prevention Measures

• BLM

Activity • Prevention Measure

Project Planning • Incorporate prevention measures into project layout and design, alternative evaluation, and project decisions to prevent the introduction or spread of weeds.

• Determine prevention and maintenance needs, including the use of herbicides, at the onset of project planning.

• Use modeling tools (e.g., EPA’s Pesticide Use Limitation Areas), as appropriate and available, during project planning to avoid impacts on resources.

• Before ground-disturbing activities begin, inventory weed infestations and prioritize areas for treatment in project operating areas and along access routes.

• Remove sources of weed seed and propagules to prevent the spread of existing weeds and new weed infestations.

• Pre-treat high-risk sites for weed establishment and spread before implementing projects.

• Post weed awareness messages and prevention practices at strategic locations such as trailheads, roads, boat launches, and public land kiosks.

• Inform the public about weed free hay, straw, and gravel requirements in applicable states.

• Coordinate project activities with nearby herbicide applications to maximize the cost-effectiveness of weed treatments.

• Consider adjustments in the existing grazing permit, needed to maintain desirable vegetation on the treatment site.

• Identify and implement any temporary domestic livestock grazing and/or supplemental feeding restrictions needed to enhance desirable vegetation recovery following treatment.

• Provide educational materials at trailheads and other wilderness entry points to educate the public on the need to prevent the spread of weeds.

• Encourage backcountry pack and saddle stock users to feed their livestock only certified weed-free feed for several days before entering a wilderness area.

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Project Development

• Minimize soil disturbance to the extent practical, consistent with project objectives.

• To prevent weed germination and establishment, retain native vegetation in and around project activity areas and keep soil disturbance to a minimum, consistent with project objectives.

• Locate and use weed-free project staging areas. Avoid or minimize all types of travel through weed-infested areas, or restrict travel to periods when the spread of seeds or propagules is least likely.

• Prevent the introduction and spread of weeds caused by moving weed-infested sand, gravel, borrow, and fill material.

• Inspect material sources on site, and ensure that they are weed-free before use and transport. Treat weed-infested sources to eradicate weed seed and plant parts, and strip and stockpile contaminated material before any use of pit material.

• Survey the area where material from treated weed-infested sources is used for at least 3 years after project completion to ensure that any weeds transported to the site are promptly detected and controlled.

• Prevent weed establishment by not driving through weed-infested areas.

• Inspect and document weed establishment at access roads, cleaning sites, and all disturbed areas; control infestations to prevent spread within the project area.

• For operations in waterbodies, when moving equipment or personnel through waterbodies on the way to the project site or before transporting watercraft and aquatic gear (i.e., hip boots, waders, and bait containers) to the authorized use area, permittee shall:

• Remove any aquatic plants, animals, and mud attached to watercraft and equipment,

• Drain water from boat, motor, bilge, live wells, and bait containers, and

• Spray all watercraft and equipment with high pressure water or dry for at least 5 days Project Development (cont.)

• Avoid acquiring water for dust abatement where access to the water is through weed-infested sites.

• Identify sites where equipment can be cleaned. Clean equipment before entering public lands.

• Clean all equipment before leaving the project site if operating in areas infested with weeds.

• Inspect and treat weeds that establish at equipment cleaning sites.

• Ensure that rental equipment is free of weed seed.

• Inspect, remove, and properly dispose of weed seed and plant parts found on workers’ clothing and equipment. Proper disposal entails bagging the seeds and plant parts and incinerating them.

• Use certified weed-free feed for horses and pack animals.

• Develop monitoring and evaluation plans to record and identify treatment effectiveness and non-target effects

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Revegetation • Include weed prevention measures, including project inspection and documentation, in operation and reclamation plans.

• Retain bonds until reclamation requirements, including weed treatments, are completed, based on inspection and documentation.

• To prevent conditions favoring weed establishment, re-establish vegetation on bare ground caused by project disturbance as soon as possible using either natural recovery or artificial techniques. Revegetate disturbed sites with native species if there is no reasonable expectation of natural regeneration.

• Maintain stockpiled, uninfested material in a weed-free condition.

• Revegetate disturbed soil (except travel ways on surfaced projects) in a manner that optimizes plant establishment for each specific project site. For each project, define what constitutes disturbed soil and objectives for plant cover revegetation. Revegetation may include topsoil replacement, planting, seeding, fertilization, liming, and weed-free mulching, as necessary.

• Where practical, stockpile weed-seed-free topsoil and replace it on disturbed areas (e.g., roadembankments or landings).

• Inspect seed and straw mulch to be used for site rehabilitation (for wattles, straw bales, dams,etc.) and certify that they are free of weed seed and propagules.

• Inspect and document all limited term ground-disturbing operations in noxious weed infested areas for at least 3 growing seasons following completion of the project.

• Use native material where appropriate and feasible. Use certified weed-free or weed-seed-free hay or straw where certified materials are required and/or are reasonably available.

• Provide briefings that identify operational practices to reduce weed spread (for example, avoiding known weed infestation areas when locating fire lines).

• Evaluate options, including closure, to regulate the flow of traffic on sites where desired vegetation needs to be established. Sites could include road and trail ROW, and other areas of disturbed soils.

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Table A-2 Standard Operating Procedures for Applying Herbicides

• Resource Element • Standard Operating Procedure

Guidance Documents • BLM Handbook H-9011-1 (Chemical Pest Control); and manuals 1112 (Safety), 9011 (Chemical

• Pest Control), 9012 (Expenditure of Rangeland Insect Pest Control Funds), 9015 (Integrated Weed Management), 9220 (Integrated Pest Management), and 1740-2 (Integrated Vegetation Management)

General • General standard operating procedures would be used for all projects; standard operating procedures for other resource elements would be used as appropriate.

• Follow product label for use and storage.

• Storage, Contingency, and Record Keeping

• Prepare spill contingency plan in advance of treatment.

• Keep copy of Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) at work sites. SDSs are available for review at http://www.cdms.net/.

• Keep records of each application, including the active ingredient, formulation, application rate, date, time, and location.

• Conduct mixing and loading operations in an area where an accidental spill would not contaminate an aquatic body.

• Herbicide Treatment Planning

• Use only BLM-approved herbicides. Some state or local restrictions may apply.

• Use only licensed herbicide applicators.

• Pesticide use proposals are required for all herbicide treatments on BLM public lands.

• Review, understand, and conform to all aspects of the herbicide label for each specific herbicide used.

• Consult the herbicide label when planning revegetation to ensure that subsequent vegetation would not be injured following application of the herbicide.

• Select herbicides and adjuvants that are least damaging to environment while providing the desired results.

• Where habitat is present, conduct pre-treatment surveys for sensitive habitat and special status species within or adjacent to proposed treatment areas.

• Consider site characteristics, environmental conditions, application equipment, and herbicide characteristics in order to minimize damage to resources, such as non-target vegetation or water resources.

• Minimize the size of application areas, when feasible.

• Consider surrounding land use (including visual resources and socioeconomic conditions) before assigning aerial spraying as a treatment method and avoid aerial spraying near agricultural or densely populated areas.

• Notify adjacent landowners prior to treatment.

• Post treated areas and specify reentry or rest times, if appropriate.

• Observe restricted entry intervals specified by the herbicide label.

• Apply the least amount of herbicide needed to achieve the desired result.

• Avoid accidental direct spray and spill conditions to minimize risks to resources.

• Avoid aerial spraying during periods of adverse weather conditions (snow or rain imminent, fog, or air turbulence).

• Consider the effects of wind, humidity, temperature inversions, and heavy rainfall on herbicide effectiveness and risks.

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General (cont.) • Minimizing Herbicide Drift

• Only apply herbicides when winds are <10 mph (<6 mph for aerial applications) or if no serious rainfall event is imminent. Some state/local or label restrictions may apply.

• Use drift control agents, drift reduction agents, and low volatile formulations to reduce drift hazards.

• Use appropriate application equipment/method near water bodies if the potential for off-site drift exists.

• Establish herbicide-free buffer zones to ensure that drift will not affect crops or nearby residents/landowners.

• Keep records of each application, including the active ingredient, formulation, application rate, date, time, and location.

• Avoid accidental direct spray and spill conditions to minimize risks to resources.

• Consider surrounding land uses before aerial spraying.

• Avoid aerial spraying during periods of adverse weather conditions (snow or rain imminent, fog, or air turbulence).

• Make helicopter applications at a target airspeed of 40 to 50 miles per hour

(mph), and at about 30 to 45 feet above ground.

• Turn off applied treatments at the completion of spray runs and during turns to start another spray run.

Air Quality

See Manual 7000 (Soil, Water,and Air Management)

• Select proper application equipment (e.g., spray equipment that produces 200-to 800-micron diameter droplets [spray droplets of 100 microns and less are most prone to drift]).

• Select proper application methods (e.g., set maximum spray heights, use appropriate buffer distances between spray sites and non-target resources).

Soil

See Manual 7000 (Soil, Water,and Air Management)

• Minimize treatments in areas where herbicide runoff is likely, such as steep slopes when heavy rainfall is expected.

• Minimize use of herbicides that have high soil mobility, particularly in areas where soil properties increase the potential for mobility.

• Do not apply granular herbicides on slopes of more than 15%, or as specified in the label, where there is the possibility of runoff carrying the granules into non-target areas.

Water Resources

See Manual 7000 (Soil, Water,and Air Management)

• Select herbicide products to minimize impacts to water. This is especially important for application scenarios that involve risk from active ingredients in a particular herbicide, as predicted by risk assessments.

• Use local historical weather data to choose the month of treatment. Considering the phenology of the target species, schedule treatments based on the condition of the water body and existing water quality conditions.

• Plan to treat between weather fronts (calms) and at appropriate time of day to avoid high winds that increase water movements, and to avoid potential stormwater runoff and water turbidity.

• Review hydrogeologic maps of proposed treatment areas .Note depths to groundwater and areas of shallow groundwater and areas of surface water and groundwater interaction. Minimize treating areas with high risk for groundwater contamination..

• Do not rinse spray tanks in or near water bodies. Do not broadcast pellets where there is danger of contaminating water supplies.

• Maintain buffers between treatment areas and water bodies. Buffer widths should be developed based on herbicide- and site-specific criteria to minimize impacts to water bodies.

• Apply measures to prevent sedimentation into surface water from treatment areas.

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Wetlands and Riparian Areas

• Use a selective herbicide and a wick or backpack sprayer.

• Use appropriate herbicide-free buffer zones for herbicides not labeled for aquatic use based on risk assessment guidance, with minimum widths of 100 feet for aerial, 25 feet for vehicle, and 10 feet for hand spray applications.

Vegetation

See Handbook H-4410-1 (National Range Handbook), and manuals 5000 (Forest Management) and 9015 (Integrated Weed Management)

• Identify if the vegetation has acquired resistance to any active ingredient and select herbicides to reduce potential for resistance.

Pollinators • Time vegetation treatments to take place when foraging pollinators are least active both seasonally and daily.

• Design vegetation treatment projects so that nectar and pollen sources for important pollinators and resources are treated in patches rather than in one single treatment.

• Maintain herbicide free buffer zones around patches of important pollinator nectar and pollen sources.

• Maintain herbicide free buffer zones around patches of important pollinator nesting habitat and hibernacula.

• Make special note of pollinators that have single host plant species, and minimize herbicide spraying on those plants (if invasive species) and in their habitats.

• Use the least hazardous formulation to pollinators available

• Dust, wettable powders, and microencapsulated formulations are most hazardous to bees because they are similar in size to pollen and can stick to hairs on a bee’s body.

• Granulated formulations are generally the least hazardous to bees.

Fish and Other Aquatic Organisms

See manuals 6500 (Wildlife and Fisheries Management) and 6780 (Habitat Management Plans)

• Use appropriate buffer zones based on label and risk assessment guidance.

• Minimize treatments near fish-bearing water bodies during periods when fish are in life stages most sensitive to the herbicide(s) used, and use spot rather than broadcast or aerial treatments.

• For treatment of aquatic vegetation, 1) treat only that portion of the aquatic system necessary to achieve acceptable vegetation management; 2) use the appropriate application method to minimize the potential for injury to desirable vegetation and aquatic organisms; and 3) follow water use restrictions presented on the herbicide label.

• Reference the EPA Aquatic Life Benchmarksto ensure herbicide concentrations for planned vegetation treatments are below thresholds that would cause acute or chronic harm to aquatic species.

Wildlife

See manuals 6500 (Wildlife and Fisheries Management) and 6780 (Habitat Management Plans)

• Use herbicides of low toxicity to wildlife, where feasible.

• Use spot applications or low-boom broadcast operations where possible to limit the probabilityof contaminating non-target food and water sources, especially non-target vegetation over areas larger than the treatment area.

• Use timing restrictions (e.g., do not treat during critical wildlife breeding or staging periods) to minimize impacts to wildlife.

Threatened, Endangered, andSensitive Species

See Manual 6840 (Special Status Species)

• Use a selective herbicide and a wick or backpack sprayer to minimize risks to special status plants.

• Avoid treating vegetation during time-sensitive periods (e.g., nesting and migration, sensitive life stages) for special status species in area to be treated.

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Livestock

See Handbook H-4120-1 (Grazing Management)

• Whenever possible and whenever needed, schedule treatments when livestock are not presentin the treatment area. Design treatments to take advantage of normal livestock grazing rest periods, when possible.

• As directed by the herbicide label, remove livestock from treatment sites prior to herbicide application, where applicable.

• Use herbicides of low toxicity to livestock, where feasible.

• Notify permittees of the project to improve coordination and avoid potential conflicts andsafety concerns during implementation of the treatment.

• Notify permittees of livestock grazing, feeding, or slaughter restrictions, if necessary.

• Provide alternative forage sites for livestock, if possible.

Wild Horses and Burros • Apply SOPs as listed above for wildlife.

Cultural Resources and Paleontological Resources

See handbooks H-8120-1 (Guidelines for Conducting Tribal Consultation) and H- 8270-1 (General Procedural Guidance for Paleontological Resource Management), and manuals 8100 (The Foundations for Managing Cultural Resources), 8270 (Paleontological Resource Management), and 1780 (Tribal Relations)

See also: Programmatic Agreement among the Bureau of Land Management, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers Regarding the Manner in Which BLM Will Meet Its Responsibilities Under the National Historic Preservation Act.

• Follow standard procedures for compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act as implemented through the Programmatic Agreement among the Bureau ofLand Management, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers Regarding the Manner in Which BLM Will Meet Its Responsibilities Under the National Historic Preservation Act and state protocols or36 CFR Part 800, including necessary consultations with State Historic Preservation Officers and interested tribes.

• Follow BLM Handbook H-8270-1 (General Procedural Guidance for Paleontological Resource Management) to determine known Condition I and Condition 2 paleontological areas, or collect information through inventory to establish Condition 1 and Condition 2 areas, determine resource types at risk from the proposed treatment, and develop appropriate measures to minimize or mitigate adverse impacts.

• Consult with tribes to locate any areas of vegetation that are of significance to the tribe and that might be affected by herbicide treatments.

• Work with tribes to minimize impacts to these resources.

• Follow guidance under Human Health and Safety in areas that may be visited by

Native peoples after treatments.

• Consult with Native American tribes and Alaska Native groups to locate any areas of vegetation that are of significance to the tribe and that might be affected by herbicide treatments.

Visual Resources

See handbooks H-8410-1 (Visual Resource Inventory) and H-8431-1 (Visual Resource Contrast Rating), and manual 8400 (Visual Resource Management)

• If the area is a Class I or II visual resource, ensure that the change to the characteristic landscape is low and does not attract attention (Class I), or if seen, does not attract the attention of the casual viewer (Class II).

• Lessen visual impacts by: 1) designing projects to blend in with topographic forms; 2) leaving some low-growing trees or planting some low-growing tree seedlings adjacent to the treatment area to screen short-term effects; and 3) revegetating the site following treatment.

• When restoring treated areas, design activities to repeat the form, line, color, and texture of the natural landscape character conditions to meet established Visual Resource Management (VRM) objectives.

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Element

• Standard Operating Procedure

Wilderness and Other SpecialAreas

See handbooks H-8550-1 (Management of Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs)), and H-8560-1 (Management of Designated Wilderness Study Areas), and Manual 8351 (Wild and Scenic Rivers)

• Use the “minimum tool” to treat noxious and invasive vegetation, relying primarily on use of ground-based tools, including backpack pumps, hand sprayers, and pumps mounted on packand saddle stock.

• Use chemicals only when they are the minimum method necessary to control weeds that arespreading within the wilderness or threaten lands outside the wilderness.

• Give preference to herbicides that have the least impact on non-target species and the wilderness environment.

• Implement herbicide treatments during periods of low human use, where feasible.

Recreation

See Handbook H-1601-1 (Land Use Planning Handbook, Appendix C)

• Schedule treatments to avoid peak recreational use times, while taking into account the optimum management period for the targeted species.

• Use herbicides during periods of low human use, where feasible.

Rights-of-way • Coordinate vegetation management activities where joint or multiple use of a ROW exists.

• Notify other public land users within or adjacent to the ROW proposed for treatment.

Human Health and Safety

See Manual M-1703 (Hazard Management and Resource Restoration).

• Establish a buffer between treatment areas and human residences based on guidance given in the HHRA, with a minimum buffer of ¼ mile for aerial applications and 100 feet for ground applications, unless a written waiver is granted.

• Use protective equipment as directed by the herbicide label.

• Provide public notification in newspapers or other media where the potential exists for public exposure.

• Notify local emergency personnel of proposed treatments.

• Notify local emergency response agencies of herbicides stored on-site.

• Contain and clean up spills and request help as needed.

• Secure containers during transport.

• Dispose of unwanted herbicides, contaminated materials, and pesticide containers promptly and correctly

• Clean vehicles and equipment to prevent further contamination by chemicals.

• Consult with Native American tribes and Alaska Native groups to locate any areas of vegetation that are of significance to the tribe or areas that are important for natural materials and food gathering and that might be affected by herbicide treatments.

Appendix 3 – Hale Coulee Treatment Area Map

Appendix 4: Hale Coulee Treatment Vicinity Map