Hamilton, MT: In what manner would exotic weeds be managed? Are herbicides an option?
The Draft EISs contain an Integrated Weed Management (IWM) strategy for control of noxious weeds in Alternatives 3 through 6, and outside reserves in Alternative 7. The term “noxious” is a legal classification and not an ecological term. Of the approximately 860 species of exotic plants in the project area, there are 115 species that have been legally declared “noxious” by at least 1 of 5 states in the Pacific Northwest region (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming). A noxious weed is defined in the Draft EIS glossary as “a plant species designated by Federal or State law as generally possessing one or more of the following characteristics: aggressive and difficult to manage; parasitic; a carrier or host of serious insects or disease; or non-native, new, or not common to the United States. According to the Federal Noxious Weed Act (PL 93-639), a noxious weed is one that causes disease or has other adverse effects on man or his environment and therefore is detrimental to the a
