Between May and September, about 400 acres of noxious weeds will be treated with herbicide on lands cared for by the Tonasket Ranger District, according to a district announcement.
     Plans for managing weed control this year also include biological control and hand pulling. Employees will continue to inventory, survey and map other noxious weed locations, according to the district.
     Emphasis this year will be placed on sites disturbed by the 2006 Tripod Complex Fire since soil disturbance from the wildfire and suppression actions created conditions favorable for noxious weed establishment, according to the announcement.
     "It can take two to three years for weeds to turn up on disturbed sites so it's critical that we continue to monitor and control weeds on roads and disturbed sites within the 2006 Tripod fire area," said Carol Ogilvie, noxious weed program manager for Tonasket Ranger District.
     "This year, we will also do our part to control weeds in cooperation with control projects that were designed and are being implemented by the Okanogan County Coordinated Weed Management Area Steering Committee," according to Ogilvie.
     The projects were developed for areas with substantial weed problems where spread is imminent and where multiple landowners could participate in control activities, according to the announcement.
     Tonasket Ranger District's annual noxious weed control program began in 1994 and has proven successful on numerous sites, the announcement continued.
     "While we still cover the same ground year after year, we've reduced the amount of herbicide actually applied," said Ogilvie. "Our integrated program also includes control measures such as releasing biological control agents, hand pulling and seeding with competitive grasses to reduce the risk of re-infestation and minimize erosion potential for treated sites."
     Public education programs also are implemented throughout the year, she said.
     Noxious weeds to be treated with herbicide include orange and meadow hawkweed, sulfur cinquefoil, St. Johnswort, dalmatian toadflax, Canada thistle, oxeye daisy, white top, musk and plumeless thistle, scotch broom, common houndstongue, hoary allysum, common tansy and tansy ragwort, and diffuse, meadow, spotted and Russian knapweed.
     Herbicides will be applied using hand spraying or low-volume boom spraying by a state-licensed, contracted, commercial applicator or a licensed Forest Service applicator, according to the announcement.
     Herbicides will be mixed with a blue or yellow dye so areas treated can be readily identified. Signs will be placed on roads when applications occur.
     More information is available from Ogilvie, 486-5119, or from the Tonasket Ranger District office.