P4.2: Control and Manage Invasive Plants

(Required)

INTENT

Limit damage to local ecosystem services by developing and implementing an active management plan for the control and subsequent management of known invasive plants found on site, and by ensuring that no invasive species are brought to the site.

REQUIREMENTS

• Ensure the section of the site assessment (see Pre-Design P2.2: Conduct a pre-design site assessment) is complete and evaluates and documents whether invasive species are present on the project site.
• During the project, use only plant species that are not currently listed as invasive on any federal or qualifying regional lists (or local equivalent for projects outside the United States), as described below
  • State or local lists (when listing occurs through a vetted, transparent process and has been accepted by regional stakeholders)
  • The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database
  • Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States website
  • State Noxious Weed laws
  • Federal Noxious Weed laws
• Begin removal of invasive species before or during the construction phase of the project. Note that invasive species present within any Vegetation and Soil Protection Zones (VSPZs) on site must be treated using equipment that can either be carried in and out of the zone on foot or will not detrimentally affect soil compaction.
• Ensure the section of the site maintenance plan (see O+M P8.1: Plan for sustainable site maintenance) is complete and includes a plan for active, multi-year invasive species control and management of any plant species currently listed as invasive on the above lists
  • The following components for invasive species management must be included in the site maintenance plan:
    • Integrated pest management (IPM) or plant health care (PHC) strategies
    • A procedure for identifying and monitoring for additional invasive species that may colonize the site and new species as they are recognized by local authorities
    • Initial treatment, follow-up treatments, long-term control including monitoring, and methods of invasive plant material disposal to prevent spread

RECOMMENDED STRATEGIES

• Contact local and state governmental agencies, consultants, and educational facilities to learn the most appropriate and effective management techniques for invasive species identified on site.
• When removing invasive plants within VSPZs prior to construction, communicate strategies that limit levels of disruptive activity within these protected areas to every extent possible.
• The U.S. National Invasive Species Council’s 2008-2012 National Invasive Species Management Plan recommends the following strategies to achieve long-term objectives:
  • Prevention is the first-line of defense. Prevention calls for preventing the introduction and establishment of invasive species to reduce their impact on the environment, the economy and health of the United States.
  • Early Detection, rapid assessment and Rapid Response (EDRR) may act as a critical second defense. EDRR calls for developing and enhancing the capacity to identify, report, and effectively respond to newly discovered and localized invasive species.
  • Through control and management, the spread of widely established invasive species can be slowed and their impacts reduced. Control and management calls for containing and reducing the spread of invasive populations to minimize their harmful impacts.
  • Invasive species can severely undermine the ability of plants and animal communities to recover. Restoration calls for the restoration of high-value ecosystems to meet natural resource conservation goals by conducting restoration efforts on multiple scales.
  • Invasive species cross project boundaries, making coordination and collaboration critical to success. Organizational collaboration calls for maximizing collaboration on invasive species issues among federal, state, local and tribal governments, private organizations, developers of neighboring sites, and individuals.

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