NON-NATIVE INVASIVE SPECIES IN WILDERNESS

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NON-NATIVE INVASIVE PLANTS IN WILDERNESS

Non-native invasive species have the potential to damage the biological diversity and ecosystem integrity of many wilderness areas. Although all invasives species can have a major impact on naturally functioning ecosystems, this toolbox will focus specifically on invasive plants (NNIP).

These species create a host of adverse environmental effects, including the displacement of native plants; reduction in habitat and forage for wildlife; loss of threatened, endangered, and sensitive species; increased soil erosion and reduced water quality; and changes in the intensity and frequency of fires. Each year the United States loses 1.7 million acres to the spread of these invasives. Invasive plants continue to increase and invade previously uninfested areas. Section 4c of The Wilderness Act of 1964 requires that wilderness be “…protected and managed so as to preserve its natural conditions…�. An effective non-native invasive species management plan will help preserve wilderness character and natural conditions.

Forest Service managers should note that national databases are the suggested tool for capturing inventory and treatment data. The NRIS database contains the TERRA module, which serves as a repository for inventory data. It also contains the national protocol for monitoring tasks.
FACTS is another module in NRIS that documents all invasive plant species treatment efforts.

By nature, invasive plants spread rapidly and can quickly cross administrative boundaries. Successful management of non-native

invasive species in wilderness

can only be accomplished through cooperative efforts between local, state, and federal agencies. Although control is only one part of a successful program, it is the only option for areas that already have infestations.

Three main treatment categories exist for removing non-native invasive plant species (herbicide, bio-control, and hand-pulling); of which hand pulling is the only method that should be attempted without NEPA in place. Units are strongly urged to complete the NEPA process before proceeding with any kind of treatment program. In many cases this can be accomplished at the Forest or even at the Regional level. Even then, site specific NEPA may be required on a case-by-case basis. In all cases, a Minimum Requirements Decision Guide




analysis


(www.wilderness.net/toolboxes/)


should be completed prior to treatment. The following paper adds to the discussion and provides some suggested guidance for addressing management of NNIP in wilderness in a NEPA analysis. Regional Wilderness and NNIP Specialists can provide information on region-specific guidelines and requirements.

Invasive Plant Issues and the Wilderness Resource

By Susan Sater with help from Peter Landres

Adapted for the wilderness.net toolbox by Tom Carlson

2005

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  The 1964 Wilderness Act presents managers with direction that creates a dilemma regarding what to do about invasive plants:
  
  




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  Section 2 (a) provides direction to preserve natural conditions in wilderness; natural conditions are interpreted to mean what would have existed in the absence of at least historic, European human activities
  
  


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  Section 2 (c) defines wilderness as an area where earth and its community of life are “untrammeled�; untrammeled is interpreted to mean uncontrolled, unconfined, not restrained by people—protected from modern human control or at least intentional
  manipulation
  
  




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  The dilemma that this direction creates regarding what to do about invasive plants is that managers must choose either:
  
  




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  to preserve natural conditions by actively manipulating wilderness to reduce or eliminate invasive plants, or
  
  


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  to keep wilderness free from intentional modern human manipulation, but loose natural conditions due to the changes caused by invasive plants
  
  




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  A regional, forest or wilderness invasive plant EIS should explicitly decide:
  




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  if treatment of invasive plants (manipulation of wilderness) is appropriate in order to reduce or eliminate unnatural conditions, and
  
  


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  if treatment of invasive plants is appropriate in wilderness, is it appropriate everywhere or just under certain circumstances:
  
  




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  Does the appropriateness of invasive plant treatment vary with spatial scale, intensity, or periodicity of the treatment (if so which spatial scales, intensities, and periodicities are appropriate?)
  
  


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  Should invasive plant treatment be considered more appropriate in some wildernesses than in others (if so, what criteria distinguish wildernesses where treatments are or are not appropriate?
  
  






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  Wherever invasive plant treatment in wilderness is considered, the regional, forest or wilderness invasive plant EIS must specifically address these issues:
  
  




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  Quantity and quality of information on reference conditions
  
  


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  Quantity and quality of information on the consequences of both no treatment and treatment
  
  


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  Monitoring—for both pre and post treatment by any method
  
  


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  Vectors—what is being done to prevent the spread of invasive weeds into wilderness
  
  


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  Rehabilitation—what type of work needs to be done after treatment to mitigate treatment effects
  
  


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  Restoration—what is being done to restore natural plant communities
  
  


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  Under what conditions or treatment prescriptions is use of motorized equipment or mechanized transport appropriate