dod tactical herbicide sites - United States Department of Defense

DOD TACTICAL HERBICIDE SITESSite 28Location: Reforestation Tests in Western OregonDate → 15 May 1973 – 1 June 1974Activity Description: One method selected for the potential disposal of thesurplus 2.3 million gallons of Herbicide Orange remaining after the Vietnam War was theoption using it in reforestation programs in the Western United States. Forest surveystaken in 1972 indicated that there were some 4.7 million acres of commercial forest landsin Western Oregon and Washington that were either non-stocked or poorly stocked withconifers (e.g., Douglas fir). Virtually all such lands were occupied by vegetation whosepresence precluded reestablishment of conifers. Concepts of selective brush control hadbeen developed for reforestation with the aid of commercial formulations of 2,4-D and2,4,5-T. In 1972, more than 100,000 acres were being treated each year with variousformulations of these materials, all as low-volatile esters. Success had been good,especially in “release” operations where the newly planted conifer species would have theopportunity of out-growing the brush species that had been treated with the herbicides.There were three general approaches to the use of phenoxy brushkillers in reforestation,with the differences tied to season of application. Dormant sprays were applied in spring,between the onset of plant growth activity in early spring and conifer bud busting.Summer and fall foliage sprays were used when brush species were typically resistant todormant treatment. Summer treatments were the least selective in a Douglas fircommunity, but tended to have the greatest systemic activity on sensitive species.In May 1972, a Professor of Forestry with the Oregon State School of Forestry, Corvallis,Oregon submitted a proposal to the Air Force Logistics Command (AFLC) titled: “FieldTests of Herbicide Orange for Brushfield Rehabilitation and Conifer Release.” Theobjectives of this proposed research were: (1) to evaluate the impact of high-volatilebrushkiller on brush-dominated forest ecosystems, (2) to determine whether HerbicideOrange could be used effectively in the re-establishment of conifers in Western Oregonbrushfields, (3) to evaluate the difficulties of using a technical grade ester withoutadjuvants for field use, and, (4) to obtain a crude estimate of whether drift problems fromthe high-volatile butyl esters were manageable. On 20 October 1972, after reviewing theproposal with other Federal agencies, AFLC authorized the shipping of 5 drums ofHerbicide Orange from the inventory at the Naval Construction Battalion Center,Gulfport, Mississippi to the School of Forestry, Oregon State University, Corvallis,Oregon.65