I. Priorities and Descriptions
Priority 1 (Citizens against Weeds)
This priority is a combination of three projects with the same underlying concept and therefore grouped together, listed below are projects a,b and c. The goal of these projects are to encourage private landowners to become involved with noxious weed management, to help them get a handle on weed problems so that they can manage them and to provide assistance in any area that they may need.
a) Cost Share Program
The cost share program is run by reimbursing private landowners 50% of herbicide costs up to $100 of the total purchase. All herbicide applications are required to be used on Idaho State noxious weed species and a completed record prior to reimbursement. All applications will be made on private land within the Lemhi CWMA during the growing season of 2010. This program is crucial in helping private landowners control any listed noxious weed thus reducing the spread and impact resulting in an estimate of 1000 chemical acres and 5000 inventoried acres. All cost share applications must be turned in to our office by the end of September, at which time any remaining funds would be utilized to purchase herbicide.
b) Spray day Program
This is another project developed to help private landowners combat noxious weeds located on their land. During a spray day event, members from the Lemhi CWMA will stage in a specific location and disburse herbicide to private landowners free of charge. In addition to the landowners treating their own weeds, professional applicators are available to help landowners that are unable to treat their property or need guidance on correct application procedures. This project is very valuable not only from a control standpoint but also from an educational prospective as well, in addition to an estimated 500 chemical acres treated and an additional 2000 acres inventoried.
c) Equipment Loaner Program
This program is designed to give private landowners the tools needed for herbicide application or habitat improvement. People can borrow ATV sprayers, back pack sprayers and seeders at no charge.
Measurable Outcomes
· Number of acres to be inventoried: 7000
· Total estimated acres to be treated: 1500
· Total number of public contacts: 1000
Tools/Resources required for this priority: This priority is very large and therefore requires a large amount of tools and resources to include the following; Trucks, ATV’s, back pack sprayers, seeders, gps units, herbicide, personal protective equipment, computer, printer and a digital camera.
Tools/Resources to be purchased with grant funds for this priority: Herbicide ($5,000) and cost share reimbursement ($5,000).
Estimated Expenditures:
Project Cost: $50,000 Estimated Match: $40,000 ISDA Requested: $10,000
Priority 2 (Species of Concern Project)
This project compliments the spray day events by allowing members from the Lemhi CWMA to treat noxious weeds of concern such as houndstongue that were not treated during the actual spray day event. By completing this project we are able to treat the entire infestation and preventing seed set to re-infest previously treated locations. Typically our crews will begin treatment on private land and follow the infestation onto the BLM and then to the Forest Service in a combined group effort. Primary weeds that will be target are Rush Skeletonweed, houndstongue, puncturevine, Whitetop and Scotch thistle. In addition to these species which are on our new invader list we would be constantly looking for additional weed species that could be moving into the county. We would also like to purchase additional equipment to make the time in the field more productive. One piece of equipment would be an intelli-spray system with 300 feet of hose. This would help crews in areas where there is a steep cut or fill bank to get herbicide where the back pack crews are working. In addition we would like to purchase two new Trimble Nomad units at $2,000 each. These units allow the crews to utilize GIS technology in the field reducing the amount of time spent in the office entering data.
Measurable Outcomes
· Number of acres to be inventoried: 2000
· Total estimated acres to be treated: 200
· Total number of public contacts: 1000
Tools/Resources required for this priority: This priority is very large and therefore requires a large amount of tools and resources to include the following; Trucks, ATV’s, back pack sprayers, seeders, gps units, herbicide, personal protective equipment, computer, printer and a digital camera.
Tools/Resources to be purchased with grant funds for this priority: Herbicide (10,000) and Seasonal technician labor (10,000) intelli-spray system (5,000) gps units (4,000).
Estimated Expenditures:
Project Cost: $50,000 Estimated Match: $21,000 ISDA Requested: $29,000
Priority 3 Goat Grazing
2009 was the 9th year for utilizing goat grazing as a weed management tool in controlling the spread of leafy spurge within an approximately 8,407-acre project area. This project is part of an integrated management strategy to control an estimated 600 acres of spurge on public and private lands within the Carmen Creek drainage of Lemhi County. The impacts from grazing have resulted in a major reduction of biomass and seed production. Additionally, the cumulative effects of grazing have resulted in an increase of bio-control agents (flea beetles) where canopy cover of old, woody stems has been replaced with fresh growth.
Due to the success of this program the Lemhi CWMA formulated a maintenance strategy for Leafy Spurge within the Special Management Area. This included dividing the entire SMA into pastures and utilizing goats on a rotational basis to prevent the reestablishment of Leafy spurge. During 2010 we plan to graze primarily on private land for the first time of the project totaling 1,500 acres. Permanent monitoring transects have been placed in order to track the progress achieved. Currently our goal is to graze each pasture every five years, however this figure can and probably will be changed until the best management practice is determined.
Measurable Outcomes
· Number of acres to be inventoried: 6000
· Total estimated acres to be treated: 300
· Total number of public contacts: 50
Tools/Resources required for this priority: Goats, trucks, horses, night pens, water troughs, gps units, computer, printer, digital camera and monitoring equipment.
Tools/Resources to be purchased with grant funds for this priority: rental of goats.
Estimated Expenditures:
Project Cost: $25,000 Estimated Match: $15,000 ISDA Requested: $10,000
Priority 4 (Re-vegetation)
The intended goal for our noxious weed treatments is to return the environmental conditions to the native or desirable ecosystem. Our goal when utilizing herbicide as a tool is to not impact the native vegetation; however there are situations where we are required to use a native seed mix. We currently have three locations that are going to require us to re-seed with the first being a test plot on private property. The land owner has a field that can be irrigated once a year after which it is a dry field. We want to find a seed mix that can be utilized in areas like this in order to start recommending reseeding areas along corner pivots. The second area is a 70 acre abandoned homestead site that was heavily infested with cheatgrass this year we chemically treated the site and are anticipating that 90% of the land will be bare ground in 2010 requiring reseeding. The purpose of reseeding is to establish a desirable plant community preventing reestablishment of noxious weeds. The third area is an agricultural producer that has a heavy infestation of Scotch thistle in a new seeding of alfalfa. The landowner is currently working with us and is prepared to kill the field and plant oats on a yearly basis allowing for control of the thistle. We would like to assist in the purchasing of the seed for this project.
Measurable Outcomes
· Number of acres to be inventoried: 300
· Total estimated acres to be treated: 100
· Total number of public contacts: 10
Tools/Resources required for this priority: Grass seed, ATV, hand and ATV seeders, truck, harrow
Tools/Resources to be purchased with grant funds for this priority: Grass seed
Estimated Expenditures:
Project Cost: $30,000 Estimated Match: $20,000 ISDA Requested: $10,000
Priority 5 Bio-Control
The Lemhi CWMA is once again striving to diversify the way that noxious weeds are controlled in Lemhi County. Currently we have large amounts of Urophora species well-distributed throughout the county, moderate numbers of Larinus minutus (which are spreading well on their own) and the occasional Metzneria paucipunctella working with us against spotted knapweed. In 2009, 14,000 Cyphocleonus Achates were released in Lemhi County. We would like to continue this effort during the 2010 field season by collecting at local insectaries.
In addition to using this bio-control agent against spotted knapweed, we are going to use this as an educational tool. Through our education department we are planning on involving area students and private landowners to help with the release and monitoring of the Cyphocleonus. This will entail identification, how the differing agents work, using GPS/GIS for release locations and to track movement. Releases of bio-control agents will be coordinated with experts from the University of Idaho, Forest Service, BLM, and ISDA to insure successful establishment. The long term goal is to establish viable insectaries for further disbursement and provide educational opportunities. Funds from the Lemhi CWMA will be used to pay children under the age of 16 to collect for the Lemhi CWMA at a rate of .25 cents per agent collected. We are also in the process of introducing bio-control into the school curriculum with the ultimate goal of creating a structured insectary where school kids can learn and collect Cyphocleonus.
Measurable Outcomes
· Number of acres to be inventoried: 200
· Total estimated acres to be treated: 100
· Total number of public contacts: 300
Tools/Resources required for this priority: Trucks, ATV’s, collection containers, computer, gps, digital camera, sweep nets, building materials for the insectary.
Tools/Resources to be purchased with grant funds for this priority: None
Estimated Expenditures:
Project Cost: $10,000 Estimated Match: $10,000 ISDA Requested: $0
Total Cost of all priorities:…………………………. $185,000.00
Estimated Match (IX):……………………………… $126,000.00
ISDA Request (IV):…………………………………. $59,000.00
Administrative Fee (VII):…………………………... $2,950.00
Total (ISDA) Request (VIII):……………………….. $61,950.00
Priority 1 Education
Lemhi CWMA recognizes that noxious weed education is key to effective control. People need to be able to recognize the weeds, understand the various control measures and be able to apply the chosen control method effectively. The Lemhi CWMA realizes that it takes a variety of venues to reach the public with education. We are implementing an integrated education approach for 2010. We will be using workshops, “tail-gate” education, news releases, radio interviews, and booths to spread the knowledge.
Workshops will include a session at the Lemhi County Cattlemen’s Winter School, “Spring into Noxious Weed Control” in May with Celestine Duncan, applicator license training, weed calibration workshop, and Fall Showcase meeting. “Tail-gate” education will be in conjunction with each of the spray days where one-on-one consultation will take place. Each member of the CWMA steering committee will assist with writing news releases, doing radio interviews and coordinating the booths at the Mule Sale and Lemhi County Fair.
The Lemhi CWMA has developed materials and booth layouts for the various events. This year we would like to add a digitized, life size prints of the 57 noxious weeds listed in Idaho. These would be utilized at the workshops, “tail-gate” education and booths.
Measurable Outcomes
· Number of acres to be inventoried: 0
· Total estimated acres to be treated: 0
· Total number of public contacts: 2000
Tools/Resources required for this priority: Trucks, All of our chemical application equipment, computers, gps units, bio-control information, live weed specimens, plant mounts, posters and displays.
Tools/Resources to be purchased with grant funds for this priority: Celestine Duncan’s plant ID course and noxious weed mounts.
Estimated Expenditures:
Project Cost: $4,145 Estimated Match: $2,760 ISDA Requested: $1,358
Admin Fee: $67.90
Total Requested: $1425.90
Lemhi CWMA Exhibit 5 – Annual Operating Plan
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