Exhibit 5a CT_CNG_Herbicide_Requirements.pdf

Pages 12 thru 16 of the August 2021 Record of Decision for Caribou-Targhee National Forest and Curlew National Grassland Integrated Weed Management Analysis

Exhibit 1.

Herbicide–Ground Based, Aerial, and Aquatic Applications

Herbicides will be applied according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) product label requirements and in accordance with directions specified in Forest Service policy and guidelines (FSH 2109 and FSM 2150). All herbicide applications will be performed by, or directly supervised by, a licensed professional herbicide applicator (FEIS Section 2.2.1.1.24).

Herbicide application methods approved for use include:

• Spot spraying involves targeting individual plants and the immediate area around plants using a backpack sprayer, hose from a truck mounted or off highway vehicle tank, or tanks mounted on pack animals.

• Hand selective includes wicking, wiping, basal bark, hack and squirt, and stem injection methods to apply herbicide directly to individual plants.

• Broadcast spraying is used to cover an area of ground rather than individual plants in areas where invasive or noxious plants occupy a large percentage of plant cover on the site, making spot spraying impractical.

• Aerial application may be used in areas outside designated wilderness where physical features, such as topography, restricted access, size and/or rate of spread, personnel safety, or other factors (such as prohibited cost of ground applications) occur.

• Aquatic applications will be used in response to EDRR associated with aquatic invasive plants. This method may employ spot or broadcast spray over the surface of or into water from shore using backpack sprayers, truck or off highway vehicle tanks, or from boats.

Herbicide formulations and mixtures may contain one or more of the active ingredients displayed in Table 1. The range of application rates for each chemical is derived from the herbicide label and from the Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessments as described in Chapter 3 of FEIS.

Additional herbicides may be added in the future, at either the Forest Plan or project level, through appropriate risk analysis, NEPA documentation, and ESA consultation (as described in the process for using new treatment methods section below).

Table 1: Herbicides and application settings proposed for use, Caribou-Targhee National Forest and Curlew National Grassland

HERBICIDE

(ACTIVE

INGREDIENT)

MAXIMUM LABEL

APPLICATION RATE

(a.i. a OR a.e. b/ACRE)

TYPICAL FOREST

APPLICATION RATE

(LBS a.i.a OR a.e.b/ACRE)

APPLICATION

SETTING

UP

LA

N D

RI

PA

AN

AE

AL

AQ

U

AT

IC

2,4-D amine 2.0 lbs a.e./acre/app 2 apps per year 0.5–2.0 lbs/acre X X

Aminopyralid 0.11 lbs a.e./acre/year 0.06–0.11 lb/acre X X X

Chlorsulfuron 2.6 oz. product/acre/year (0.12 lb a.i./acre/year)

0.5–2.0 oz/acre (0.02–0.09 lb/acre) X X X

Clopyralid 0.5 lb a.e./acre/year 0.28–0.5 lb/acre X X X

Dicamba 1.0 lb a.e./acre/app 2 apps per year 0.75–2.0 lbs/acre X

Glyphosate 1.7 lbs a.e./acre/app ≤8.0 lbs a.e./acre/year 0.35–5.0 lbs/acre X X

X

Imazamox 0.5 lb a.e./acre/year 0.25–0.5 lb/acre X X

Imazapic 0.19 lb a.i./acre/year 0.1–0.19 lb/acre X X X

Imazapyr 1.5 lbs a.e./acre/year 0.5–1.0 lb/acre X X X

Indaziflam Added in 2022 Added in 2022 X X

Metsulfuron methyl 4.0 oz. product/acre/year (0.15 lb a.i./acre/year)

1.0–3.0 oz./acre (0.04–0.11 lb/acre) X X X

Picloram 1.0 lb a.i./acre/year 0.5–0.75 lb/acre X X

Rimsulfuron

0.0469 lbs a.i.

4 oz/year

0.0469 lbs a.i.

3 oz X

Sulfometuron methyl 8.0 oz product/acre/year (0.37 lbs a.i./acre/year)

2.0–6.0 oz/acre (0.09–0.28 lb/acre) X X X

Triclopyr: triethylamine salt (TEA) 9.0 lbs a.e./acre/year 4.5–6.0 lbs/acre X X

Verbenone Proposed 2023 Proposed 2023 X

Herbicide Design Criteria

General Herbicide Application

• Herbicide application shall comply with applicable laws (Idaho Statute Title 22, Chapter 34 and Idaho Administrative Code Rule 02.03.03, Wyoming Weed and Pest Control Act of 1973 (W.S. 11-5-101-11-5-119)), USDA Forest Service policy and guidelines (FSH 2109 and FSM 2150), ESA Section 7 consultation requirements, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit requirements, and with product label directions for the herbicide being used to assure worker safety and to manage potential impacts of herbicide application.

• Always read and follow label directions, including instructions for herbicide use, application rates, equipment and techniques, personal protective equipment for applicators and mixers, and container disposal.

• Prior to implementation, program managers will ensure proper permitting is in place.

• Make sure Safety Data Sheets, safety plans, spill prevention plans and cleanup kits are available to applicators and mixers, per the requirements of FSH 2109.14 (Pesticide Use Management and Coordination).

• Keep accurate and detailed application records, per appropriate state Department of Agriculture Rules Governing Pesticide and Chemigation Use and Application and EPA requirements identified in the NPDES.

• Perform herbicide applications by or under the supervision of licensed professional herbicide applicators for forest and contract crews, per appropriate state Department of Agriculture Rules Governing Pesticide and Chemigation Use and Application.

• Monitor wind speed and direction and equipment and spray parameters throughout an herbicide application.

• Conduct equipment and personnel inspections, equipment maintenance and equipment calibration as needed to ensure proper herbicide application and to meet regulatory requirements. Regularly check equipment and components for wear. Attend to repairs and parts replacement promptly.

• Vehicles used to transport, or spray herbicides are administratively allowed to travel off designated motorized routes as authorized by the line officer.

• Follow the procedures in the Spill Plan in the event of a spill. Keep the Spill Plan compliant with NPDES.

• Equip water-drafting equipment with back-siphoning-prevention devices.

• Grazing permittees will be made aware of annual treatment actions at the permittee annual operating instruction meetings and/or if requested, notified in advance of spray dates.

• To the extent practicable, apply herbicides to infestations containing biocontrol agents at times when the effects of herbicides to the host plants would not interfere with the biocontrol agent’s life cycle.

• Ensure that contracts and agreements include all design criteria as appropriate for the activity contracted or authorized.

• No treatments in occupied breeding or nesting sage grouse habitat until after June 15.

The design criteria for herbicide applications for this project in areas with sensitive plant species present are as follows:

• Evaluate sites considered for herbicide treatment for sensitive plant habitat suitability. Survey suitable habitat as necessary prior to treatment. The need for field surveys in suitable habitat is based on factors such as plant phenology at the time of treatment and species’ susceptibility to the herbicide(s) being used.

• Mechanical treatment, individual plant treatment (e.g. wiping), or spot herbicide application are preferred methods when treating invasive plant infestations associated with sensitive plant populations.

• For identified sensitive plant populations, the default no-spray-zone will be 300 feet for all herbicides applied by broadcast-type spray equipment with the potential of site-specific changes depending on the species or environmental conditions.

• Glyphosate will not be applied closer than 50-foot buffer to sensitive plants. Other herbicides may be applied following label instructions.

The design criteria for the use of aerial herbicide application in this project are as follows:

• Provide a minimum buffer of 300 feet for aerial herbicide application around developed campgrounds and private land (unless otherwise authorized by adjacent private landowners).

• Aerial herbicide applications will not occur in Research Natural Areas (RNAs) or wilderness areas.

• Herbicide control using aerial application methods in designated municipal watersheds, and State designated source water protection areas will be reviewed by the Forest Hydrologist and/or the Forest Fisheries Biologist and coordinated with State DEQ and other federal agencies.

• Within known or potential sage-grouse nesting/early brood-rearing habitat, aerial herbicide application will occur after June 30.

• Avoid recurring aerial flight lines within the grizzly bear PCA to avoid adverse impacts to secure habitat. Use of aerial application within the grizzly bear PCA is allowed but should be short in duration and fixed wing application is preferred.

• If recommended by the Forest Wildlife Biologist, no aerial application will occur during the breeding season within specific known active/occupied raptor territories.

• Herbicide applicators will obtain a weather forecast for the area prior to initiating a spraying project to ensure no extreme precipitation or wind events were predicted to occur during or immediately after spraying that could allow runoff or drift into water bodies.

• Considerations for choosing sites for aerial application will include the extent of the invasive plant infestation, the cumulative size of the infestation (many small sites in close relative proximity of each other), and the density of the invasive species.

• Aerial treatment areas could be treated recurrently on a 2- or 3-year rotation to ensure effective control. Post-treatment implementation and effectiveness monitoring would identify areas to be re-treated or if treatment areas can be reduced based on effectiveness of previous treatment.

• Public notification will be conducted through press releases in local newspapers and the use of social media and websites that identify the potential windows of treatment for specific areas. Signing and on-site layout would be performed 1–2 weeks prior to actual aerial treatment.

• No aerial application staging, storage, refueling, or mixing will take place within 300 feet of perennial streams.

• Temporary area, trail, and road closures will be used to ensure public safety during aerial spray operations.

• Aerial spray units will be identified using a GPS system for each treatment unit mapped before the flight to ensure that only areas marked for treatment are treated and areas to be avoided are not treated. If needed, drift monitoring cards would be placed at avoidance areas to make sure drift does not reach these areas.

The design criteria for the use of aquatic herbicide application in this project are as follows:

• Allow herbicide applications by or under the direct supervision of licensed professional herbicide applicators with Aquatic Pest Control certifications.

• Use only aquatic-approved adjuvant when the product label recommends its use.

• Evaluate the infested site to determine the best control method, including (a) location, number and extent of infestations, (b) depth, flow, substrate, water quality and configuration of the waterbody involved, (c) density and diversity of native flora, and (d) direct and indirect effects to native flora and fauna and to people (e.g. domestic water use).

• Follow the applicable sections of Idaho’s Aquatic Nuisance Species Plan (ID ISCTC 2007) in the event of a detection of an aquatic nuisance plant species.

• Follow steps as outlined in the Aquatic Invasive Plan Control Framework Strategy (Appendix D).

The design criteria for herbicide application for this project in designated Wilderness areas are as follows:

• Follow the requirement outlined in the MRA for treatment methods within Wilderness.

• No aerial herbicide applications will be used in designated Wilderness areas.