ANF Accepting Public Comment on Invasive Plant and Interfering Vegetation Treatment

August 1, 2022

WARREN, Pa.The USDA Forest Service is accepting public comments on a proposal to treat invasive plants and interfering vegetation on the Allegheny National Forest in northwestern Pennsylvania. 

Invasive species are among the most significant environmental and economic threats facing our nation’s forest, grassland, and aquatic systems. More than 70 non-native invasive plant species have been documented on the Allegheny National Forest, and an additional 33 species are on our early detection list. Without an active treatment program, the aggressive expansion of invasive plants will limit many land uses and values now and in the future.

To regenerate forested stands, it is often necessary to control interfering vegetation such as grass, fern, mountain laurel, and other species, using a combination of manual, mechanical, and chemical treatment methods. Herbicide treatments to date have exclusively used products containing glyphosate and sulfometuron methyl. Herbicides containing other active ingredients, however, may be more effective or more selective in certain applications.

They are proposing to:

  • Treat invasive plants using a variety of manual and mechanical methods, complemented by the use of selective and broad-spectrum herbicides.
  • Treat interfering vegetation using products containing imazapyr or triclopyr, in accordance with silvicultural prescriptions.
  • Amend the 2007 Allegheny National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan to allow for improved conservation of native plants and wildlife habitat in riparian areas, update anticipated activity levels, add direction for aerial pesticide application, and make several minor modifications or clarifications.

A scoping document has been prepared to discuss our proposal in detail. The scoping document, instructions for how to comment, and related documents may be found on the project website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=62459

         

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