Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan - U.S. Fish and Wildlife ...

Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge
Comprehensive Conservation Plan
Biological control agents are subject to 7 RM 8 (Exotic Species Introduction and Management).
In addition, the refuge staff would follow the International Code of Best Practice for Classical
Biological Control of Weeds (http://sric.ucdavis.edu/exotic /exotic.htm) as ratified by delegates
to the X International Symposium on Biological Control of Weeds, Bozeman, MT, July 9, 1999.
This code identifies the following:
o Release only approved biological control agents;
o Use the most effective agents;
o Document releases; and
o Monitor for impact to the target pest, and nontarget species and the environment.
Biological control agents formulated as pesticide products and registered by the EPA (e.g., Bti)
are also subject to PUP review and approval (see below).
A record of all releases would be maintained with date(s), location(s), and environmental
conditions of the release site(s); the identity, quantity, and condition of the biological control
agents released; and other relevant data and comments such as weather conditions. Systematic
monitoring to determine the establishment and effectiveness of the release is also recommended.
The NEPA documents regarding biological and other environmental effects of biological control
agents prepared by another federal agency, where the scope is relevant to evaluation of releases
on refuge lands, would be reviewed. Possible source agencies for such NEPA documents include
the Bureau of Land Management, USFS, National Park Service, USDA-APHIS, and the military
services. It might be appropriate to incorporate by reference parts or all of existing document(s)
from the review. Incorporating by reference (43 CFR 46.135) is a technique used to avoid
redundancies in analysis. It also can reduce the bulk of a Service NEPA document, which only
must identify the documents that are incorporated by reference. In addition, relevant portions
must be summarized in the Service NEPA document to the extent necessary to provide the
decision maker and public with an understanding of relevance of the referenced material to the
current analysis.
• Pesticides. The selective use of pesticides would be based upon pest ecology (including mode of
reproduction), the size and distribution of its populations, site-specific conditions (e.g., soils,
topography), known efficacy under similar site conditions, and the capability to utilize best
management practices (BMPs) to reduce/eliminate potential effects to non-target species,
sensitive habitats, and potential to contaminate surface and groundwater. All pesticide usage
(pesticide, target species, application rate, and method of application) would comply with the
applicable federal (FIFRA) and state regulations pertaining to pesticide use, safety, storage,
disposal, and reporting. Before pesticides can be used to eradicate, control, or contain pests on
refuge lands and waters, pesticide use proposals (PUPs) would be prepared and approved in
accordance with 569 FW 1. The PUP records would provide a detailed, time-, site-, and targetspecific
description of the proposed use of pesticides on the refuge. All PUPs would be created,
approved or disapproved, and stored in the Pesticide Use Proposal System (PUPS), which is a
centralized database only accessible on the Service’s intranet (https://systems.fws.gov/pups).
Only Service employees would be authorized to access PUP records for a refuge in this database.
Application equipment would be selected to provide site-specific delivery to target pests while
minimizing/eliminating direct or indirect (e.g., drift) exposure to non-target areas and
degradation of surface and groundwater quality. Where possible, target-specific equipment (e.g.,
G-8 Appendix G. Integrated Pest Management