Request for Bids- Herbicide Treatment on the Finger Lakes National Forest

FLNF non-native invasive plant herbicide treatments along trails

Contact the Finger Lakes PRISM for full contract package at FLPRISM@GMAIL.com

Application deadline is May 18, 2018 at 12pm Eastern.

Contract specifications:

A contractor is sought to treat non-native invasive plants (NNIP) along four miles of trail on the Finger Lakes National Forest (FLNF) this summer, plus seven infestations elsewhere that are all of species considered “Early Detection Rapid Response” on the FLNF.  Treatment should be completed by 9/30/18.

The specific trail is the Backbone Trail, starting just north of Picnic Area Road, extending two miles north, and including three eastern spurs and an interconnected section of the Interloken Trail, as shown on the accompanying map.  Treatment would be expected on NNIP within 15’ of either side of the trail, wherever there are infestations, and with the exception of a small section of private land on one side of the trail.  The total estimated acres along these sections of trail is 14.5.  See the accompanying map.

In addition, there are seven infestations of oriental bittersweet, purple loosestrife, and pale swallowwort, known from very few places (trail/road edges) on the FLNF that we would like treated to prevent them from becoming more widespread on the Forest.  These total 0.8 acres, but are scattered across the FLNF.  See the accompanying map.

The method of treatment would be foliar spot spraying by hand (no broadcast spraying is allowed), and the herbicides to be used would be either Accord, Accord Concentrate, or Rodeo.  Species to be treated are:  Japanese barberry, knapweed (brown and spotted), Canada and bull thistles, pale swallowwort, autumn olive, privet, Morrow honeysuckle, purple loosestrife, common reed (Phragmites), common buckthorn, and multiflora rose.  Rodeo lists all species to be treated either on the herbicide specimen label or on a 2ee permit in New York; Accord (or Accord Concentrate) would be acceptable only if the contractor knows of or can obtain suitable 2ee permits.  All species should be treated during full leaf-out, at whatever time would provide most effective control.  A clopyralid product may be substituted for glyphosate to treat knapweeds and thistles if ground conditions indicate a dry site (in keeping with label directions).  All treatments should be reported to the FLNF in the attached spreadsheet, in addition to being reported to the state of New York, as required by law.

A spreadsheet indicating all infestations to be treated are included in the bid package.  Most infestations overlap, and while the individual infestations sum to 60.2 acres (59.4 Backbone area and 0.8 elsewhere), the total infested area is 14.5 and 0.8 =15.3 acres.  Shape files of the infestations will be provided at the start of contract work, but are also available upon request in preparing for a bid.

Required Mitigation measures:

1. To prevent harm to herbicide applicators, the public, and the environment:
   1. All applicators will be appropriately licensed through the NYS DEC.
   2. All herbicide use will be in keeping with directions on the specimen label, and State and federal laws.
   3. Notices of herbicide use and safe entry times will be posted at all sites of herbicide use; sign content will be in keeping with label directions.
   4. Weather forecasts and current conditions, including wind speed, will be obtained prior to treatment, and used to determine whether or not to proceed, based on specimen label precautions.
   5. Applicators will wear personal protective equipment as listed on each herbicide specimen label.
   6. Storage, disposal, and cleaning of equipment will be in compliance with specimen label directions.
   7. Temporary closures of trails and recreation sites may be used to further reduce public hazards associated with herbicide treatments. Temporary closures shall be posted at sites and along trails at least one week prior to treatment activities.  The duration of closures shall be in keeping with the product’s specimen label directions. Contractor will provide adequate notification to the FLNF, once a task order is awarded.
2. To avoid private property:
   1. Where Backbone Trail is adjacent to private land to the east (see map), treat only the west side of the trail
   2. Do not treat the small patch of purple loosestrife on the south side of Townsend Road adjacent to private property. (There are three patches on this road that are collectively mapped as one infestation; only the two on the north side of the road are on the FLNF.)
3. To ensure the correct plant species are treated, field personnel involved in invasive plant control shall be trained to distinguish target vegetation.
4. To prevent the spread of NNIP, equipment used to implement invasive plant control should be inspected for NNIP seeds or other plant propagules and cleaned to the extent feasible prior to coming onto NFS land and after completing treatment.
5. To protect soils/wetlands/water/aquatic resources:
6. If treatment is likely to result in bare soils, contractor will notify FLNF staff that revegetation is needed, but is not responsible for revegetation.
7. Fueling or oiling of mechanical equipment and pouring of herbicides from one container to another would be done outside the Protective Strip (see table below).
8. The use of wheeled or tracked vehicles would be located and timed so that the soils are sufficiently dry to minimize soil compaction.
9. When choosing a surfactant to use with an herbicide, do NOT use R-11 (Wilbur-Ellis Co.), which has been found to be relatively toxic.
10. Use of a surfactant with glyphosate should be restricted to those surfactants understood to be the least toxic, based on the experience and best judgment of the applicator.
11. Use only the less toxic formulations of glyphosate (e.g., Rodeo®, Accord®). Less toxic formulations are those that require the addition of surfactants.
12. Limit the use of glyphosate in wetland settings to 1.25 pounds acid equivalent per acre.
13. Chemical treatments would be restricted to registered aquatic formulations of herbicides to protect water quality and aquatic organisms in the following locations:
    1. On soils with poor drainage, or while a perched water table is present
    2. Within the Protective Strips of streams, seasonal pools, ponds, and wetlands (see table below)

• Adjacent to road ditch lines that are hydrologically connected to aquatic resources via surface flow.

6. Public notices shall be posted along trails and recreation sites treated with herbicides to inform the public about potential contact with herbicides. The length of time that notices remain posted shall be in keeping with directions on the product’s specimen label.
7. To avoid conflict with recreational use of trails, treatment is strongly preferred on weekdays. In extenuating circumstances, permission to treat on weekends may be possible, but only if approved by the FLNF district ranger.
8. To limit improper use of wheeled or tracked motorized vehicles on trails, they shall be used for NNIP control only where they can be most effective, will be coordinated with recreation staff to ensure trail infrastructure and recreation resources will not be irreparably harmed, and shall require carrying a written authorization permitting use from the District Ranger.
9. To avoid conflict with Special Use Permit activities, do not treat infestations at the following locations on the dates indicated: BACKBONE & connected sections of the Interloken Trail.