Environmental Assessment

AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT & ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES CHAPTER 3
Vegetation treatments proposed in lodgepole pine stands in the southern portion of the planning area in
both alternatives would temporary reduce the rate of encroachment of lodgepole pine into existing grape
fern habitat by removing some of the adjacent lodgepole pine seed source. The impact would be limited
to areas immediately adjacent to treatment areas and would likely not exceed 10 years.
Noxious Weeds and Other Invasive Plants
Existing Condition: Aggressive non-native plants, or noxious weeds, can invade and displace native
plant communities causing long-lasting management problems. They can displace native vegetation,
increase fire hazards, reduce the quality of recreational experiences, poison livestock, and replace wildlife
forage. By simplifying complex plant communities, they reduce biological diversity and threaten rare
habitats. Potential and known weeds for the Deschutes National Forest are listed in Appendix A of the
Noxious Weed Assessment (pages 13-14).
Noxious weeds are designated by the State of Oregon.
There is a group of non-native plants that are also aggressive though are not officially termed "noxious".
These species are included in this analysis.
President Clinton signed Executive Order 13112 on February 3, 1999 which requires federal agencies to
utilize relevant programs and authorities to prevent the introduction of invasive species and not authorize
or carry out actions that are likely to cause the introduction or spread of those species unless the agency
has determined, and made public, documentation that shows that the benefits of such actions clearly
outweigh the potential harm. It also requires that all feasible and prudent measures be taken in
conjunction with those actions to minimize the risk of harm. The implementation of this Executive Order
is supported by the USDA Forest Service Guide to Noxious Weed Prevention Practices (July 2001).
The Guide lists a number of goals and guidelines relevant to proposed timber harvest and fuel reduction
activities. A complete list of the relevant goals and guidelines pertinent to this proposal as well as current
and on-going activities that support implementation of Executive Order 13112 are listed in the Weed
Assessment on pages 9-11. These are also represented in the mitigation measures and management
requirements proposed for this project.
Manual direction requires that Noxious Weed Risk Assessments be prepared for all projects involving
ground-disturbing activities. For projects that have a moderate to high risk of introducing or spreading
noxious weeds, current Forest Service policy requires that decision documents must identify noxious
weed control measures that will be undertaken during project implementation (Noxious Weed Assessment
page 2).
Region 6 of the Forest Service (Oregon and Washington) prepared an invasive species environmental
impact statement with the final EIS released in June 2005. The Record of Decision for Preventing and
Managing Invasive Plants (ROD) was signed in October 2005. It amends the LRMP by incorporating
additional standards and guidelines to address the management of invasive plants. Two specifically
address prevention of weed introductions into projects. Standard 1 states “Prevention of invasive plant
introduction, establishment and spread will be addressed in watershed analysis; roads analysis; fire and
fuels management plans, Burned Area Emergency Recorvery Plans; emergency wildland fire situation
analysis; wildland fire implementation plans; grazing allotment management plans, recreation
management plans, vegetation management plans, and other land management assessments.” Standard 2
states “Actions conducted or authorized by written permit by the Forest Service that will operate outside
the limits of the road prism (including public works and service contracts), require the cleaning of all
heavy equipment (bulldozers, skidders, graders, backhoes, dump trucks, etc.) prior to entering National
3-64