[MPWG] BLM plan to increase herbicide applications

[Cafesombra at aol.com]

COMMENTS NEEDED BY JANUARY 9  (apologies for short  notice) 
_http://www.blm.gov/nhp/spotlight/VegEIS/_ 
(http://www.blm.gov/nhp/spotlight/VegEIS/)  
Comments must be postmarked by  January 9, 2006. Talking points for comments 
are below. Send your comments  to: 
Mr. Brian Amme 
PEIS Program  Manager 
Nevada  State  Office 
PO Box  12000 
Reno, Nevada 80520-0006 
Fax: 775.861-0006 
Email: _vegeis at nv.blm.gov_ (mailto:vegeis at nv.blm.gov)   
Some would argue that  increased herbicide application addresses symptoms 
without addressing causes of  invasive species problems on public lands. 
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has recently  published a huge, 
two-volume draft environmental impact statement, “Vegetation  Treatments Using 
Herbicides on Bureau of Land Management Lands in 17 Western  States Programmatic 
Environmental Impact Statement” (DEIS), to authorize use of  18 different 
herbicides to control weeds and other undesirable vegetation on BLM  lands in 17 
western states. Almost one million acres (932,000 acres) are  proposed to be sprayed 
annually, up from the current 325,000 acres per year.   
A third volume, “Vegetation Treatments on Bureau of Land  Management Lands in 
17 Western States Programmatic Environmental Report,” (PER)  describes other 
biological, mechanical, and “cultural” methods, as well as the  use of fire, 
for vegetation management on BLM lands. These other treatments  would increase 
from 500,000 acres annually to 6 million acres annually on BLM  lands under 
the PER. 
The DEIS and PER covers all 262 million acres of BLM  lands, and a wide range 
of habitat types: from forests to grasslands and  deserts, marine 
environments, and tundra and sub-artic landscapes in Alaska. However, 70  percent of 
herbicide applications and most non-chemical treatments are intended  for the 
Sagebrush Sea in the Intermountain West. Publicly  owned sagebrush lands have been 
fragmented and degraded by livestock grazing,  off-road vehicle use, energy 
development, and road construction for the past 150  years. Under the BLM’s 
draft policies, sagebrush habitats are targeted for  burning, brush beating, 
chaining, and herbicide spraying, purportedly to improve  habitat for sage grouse 
and other wildlife. Unfortunately, these treatments have  not been proven to 
work, or work well, without also eliminating the  aforementioned causes of weed 
invasion and undesirable conditions on BLM  lands.
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