United States 

Department of

Agriculture

Forest 

Service

Southwestern

Region

Cibola 

National 

Forest and 

National 

Grasslands

May 2011

Noxious/Invasive Species 

Specialist Report

Kiowa, Rita Blanca, Black Kettle 

and McClellan Creek National 

Grasslands Plan Revision

Environmental Impact Statement 

Analysis

Submitted by: __/s/

Rick Newmon, Range Management Specialist

_________________________

Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands
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Noxious/Invasive Species

Specialist Report

Noxious/Invasive species disrupt natural ecosystem functions and negatively effect both ecological and 

socio-economic conditions. Noxious/Invasive species can displace desirable native species, reduce the 

quality of wildlife habitat, damage riparian and watershed areas, increase wildfire risk and increase 

erosion.

Executive Summary

Common to all alternatives, the desired condition regarding noxious/invasive species, both native and 

non-native is for plants to be low to non-existent in abundance and distribution. The feral hog and hybred 

Eurasian boar/feral hog population would be diminishing or non-existent.

An Integrated Pest Management program is being implemented on the grasslands. Noxious/Invasive plant 

populations are distributed across the grasslands in scattered patches. Densities are low, but without 

treatment are expected to increase

The outcome for all alternatives is similar. Invasive and noxious plants and animals would be identified 

and removed on a timely basis, limiting their potential spread.

Alternative A would maintain and sustain shelterbelts, thus supplying a source for undesirable native and 

nonnative invasive tree seed from species such as black locust, eastern redcedar, and Siberian elm. 

Alternatives B and C would reduce the areal extent of undesirable trees and would provide clear 

management direction for effective noxious/invasive plant species control which would provide more 

benefit to wildlife habitat. Although alternative A would allow removal of nonnative invasive plants, there 

would be no focus on removing undesirable native invasive trees.

Alternatives B and C would more clearly address controlling invasive animals, such as feral hogs, than 

would alternative A, but alternative A and other established Forest Service direction allow for similar 

control activities..

The Black Kettle/McClellan Creek Grasslands have a Integrated Pest Program that allows for 

treating noxious/invasive species such as scotch thistle, black locust and eastern red cedar. The 

Kiowa/Rita Blanca Grassland will be implementing an Integrated Pest Management program 

similar to the Black Kettle/Mcclellan Creek. Salt cedar along the Canadian River has been 

treated by aerial spraying and mechanical methods combined with herbicide stump treatments. 

Overview of Affected Environment
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Noxious/invasive plant populations are primarily scattered plants across the landscape. Salt cedar 

is the exception in that it is isolated and dense at stock water ponds.

Common to All Alternatives. An integrated pest management program would be implemented on the 

grasslands to control invasive plant populations. Invasive species control would generally improve 

grasslands aquatic and terrestrial wildlife habitat; however, in the potential wilderness area under 

alternative C, treatment options may be restricted, require waivers, or require the approval of the regional 

forester.

Summary of Environmental Consequences

Implementation of saltcedar eradication would reduce evapotranspiration of the instream flow and 

enhance riparian habitat on the Canadian River within the potential wilderness area.

Alternative A. Where the current plan is silent, law, regulation, and policy and BMPs are used for 

guidance.

Shelterbelts would be maintained and sustained, thus supplying a source for undesirable native and 

nonnative invasive tree seed from species such as black locust, eastern redcedar, and Siberian elm.

Alternatives B and C. Implementation would provide clear management direction for effective 

noxious/invasive plant species control which would provide more benefit to soil condition, water quality, 

and wildlife habitat. Feral hog populations would be reduced grasslands-wide.

This report discloses and evaluates the potential environmental consequences that could occur from 

implementing the desired condition for noxious/invasive species.

Introduction

• New Mexico Noxious Weed Act

Relevant Laws , Regulations and Policy That Apply

• New Mexico Executive Order 00-22, Governor of New Mexico

• Texas AG. Code Ann. 78,003; Noxious Weed

• Oklahoma Weed Act

• Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, Rotencide Act

• FSM. 2080.2Noxious Weed Management

• FSM 2150, Pesticide-Use Management and coordination

• Environmental Assessment for Integrated Pest Management of Noxious/Invasive Plants: Cibola 

National Forest and Kiowa and Rita Blanca National Grasslands – Catron, Cibola, Colfax, 

Harding, Lincoln, McKinley, Mora, Sandoval, Sierra, Socorro, Torrance, Union and Valencia 

Counties in New Mexico; Cimarron Countyn Oklahoma; Dallam County in Texas. June 2010. 

USDA Forest Service Southwestern Region. MB-R3-03-10. Albuquerque, NM

• Final Environmental Impact Statement for Canadian River Tamarisk Control: Cibola National 

Forest Harding and Mora Counties, New Mexico. May 2007. USDA Forest Service Southwestern 

Region. MB-R3-03-3.
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• Environmental Assessment for Invasive Plant Management: Cibola National Forest Black Kettle 

Ranger District, Cheyenne, Okla. August 2007. USDA Forest Service Cibola National Forest, 

Cheyenne, Oklahoma.

A noxious/invasive species inventory was conducted on the grasslands as part of a forest wide inventory 

in 2006. The Black Kettle District was found to have 6000 acres with scattered populations of various 

noxious/invasive species. The Kiowa/Rita Blanca District had 1597 acres with scattered infestations of 

species classified as noxious/invasive . The Black Kettle District has been treating approximately700 

acres a year since April 2008. Primary species that have been treated are scotch thistle and eastern red 

cedar. Treatments began on the Kiowa/Rita Blanca in 2009. Primary species to be treated are Salt Cedar, 

Canada thistle and Scotch thistle. Treatment will follow an Integrated Pest Management approach that 

will utilize treatment methods such as prescribed burning, mechanical, manual, cultural, and herbicides.

Methodology and Analysis Process

In the analysis for this resource, the following assumptions have been made:

Assumptions

• The land management plan provides a programmatic framework for future site-specific actions.

• Land management plans do not have direct effects. They do not authorize or mandate any sitespecific projects or activities (including ground disturbing actions).

• Land management plans may have implications, or environmental consequences, of managing the 

forest under a programmatic framework.

• The plan decisions (desired conditions, objectives, standards, guidelines, management areas, 

monitoring) will be followed when planning or implementing site-specific projects and activities. 

• Law, policy, and regulations will be followed when planning or implementing site-specific 

projects or activities. 

• Monitoring will occur and the land management plan will be amended as needed.

• We will be funded similar to past budget levels (past 5 years).

• The planning time frame is 15 years; other time frames may be analyzed depending on the 

resource (usually a discussion of anticipated trends into the future.

Management direction for other resources addressed in the Grasslands plan revision were reviewed as to 

their affect on reaching the desired conditions for noxious/invasive species. It was determined that they 

would not affect reaching the desired condition. The removal or control of noxious/invasive species 

would have beneficial affects on the other species.

Revision Topics Addressed in this Analysis
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Summary of Alternatives

Alternative A utilizes guidance from the “Environmental Assessment for Integrated Pest Management of 

Noxious/Invasive Plants for the Cibola National Forest and Kiowa and Rita Blanca,” June 2010, that 

covers treatments to eradicate, control, or contain invasive plants. Alternative A also utilizes the 

“Environmental Assessment for Invasive Plant Management, Cibola National Forest, Black Kettle Ranger 

District, Cheyenne, Oklahoma,” August 2007, that covers treatment methods such as cultural, biological, 

manual, and mechanical control; controlled grazing; prescribed fire; and chemical (herbicide) methods to 

control invasive plants.

Alternative B would use grasslands-wide and district-specific invasive species control and would allow 

for removal of invasive or nonnative trees from historical grassland vegetation communities or in 

otherwise suitable LPC habitat on the BK NG following site-specific assessment. Objectives and 

guidelines would promote the desired condition.

Alternative C would be identical to alternative B, except that invasive species management in the 

Canadian River PWA would have some limitations on management tools that could be used. FSM 2320, 

Wilderness Management, would govern use of management tools within the potential wilderness.

Historically there were no noxious/invasive species on the grasslands. Disturbance factors such 

periodic fire and grazing by wild ungulates kept native plants that have invasive characteristics in 

check. The settlement of the grasslands and increasing populations made it necessary to limit fire 

activity and allowed native invasive plants to increase.

Desc ription of Affec ted Environment (Existing Condition) 

The Dust Bowl Era resulted in a landscape with erosion and soil deposition conditions to be 

implemented in order to stabilize the soil. One conservation measure was to divert wind to 

reduce erosion. Windbreaks and soil erosion shelterbelts were created by planting tree species 

that included Siberian elm, Russian Olive, and Salt Cedar. These species are very prolific and 

have dispersed over the landscape. Transporting of vegetation products such as hay for livestock 

feed and ornamental flower arrangements has resulted in the spread of noxious plants such as 

Russian knapweed, Scotch thistle and Musk thistle. These plants have no natural control on the 

grasslands. This has enabled them to establish and spread quickly.

The land management plan provides a programmatic framework that guides site-specific actions but does 

not authorize, fund, or carryout any particular project or activity. Because the land management plan does 

not authorize or mandate any site-specific activities or ground disturbing actions there can be no direct 

effects. However, there may be implications, or longer term environmental consequences, of managing 

the forests under this programmatic framework.

Environmental Consequences
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Common to All Alternatives. An integrated pest management program would be implemented on the 

grasslands to control invasive plant populations. Invasive species control would generally improve 

grasslands aquatic and terrestrial wildlife habitat; however, in the potential wilderness area under 

alternative C, treatment options may be restricted, require waivers, or require the approval of the regional 

forester.

Implementation of saltcedar eradication would reduce evapotranspiration of the instream flow and 

enhance riparian habitat on the Canadian River within the potential wilderness area.

Alternative A. Where the current plan is silent, law, regulation, and policy and BMPs are used for 

guidance.

Shelterbelts would be maintained and sustained, thus supplying a source for undesirable native and 

nonnative invasive tree seed from species such as black locust, eastern redcedar, and Siberian elm.

Alternatives B and C. Implementation would provide clear management direction for effective 

noxious/invasive plant species control which would provide more benefit to soil condition, water quality, 

and wildlife habitat. Feral hog populations would be reduced grasslands-wide.

An increase in prairie dogs could have an effect on vegetative conditions in the shortgrass vegetation 

type. It is expected that where prairie dogs increase, vegetative conditions would become a lower seral 

stage and possibly exhibit less than satisfactory soil conditions. It is possible that this could provide 

disturbed sites that are conducive to noxious/invasive species establishment. However, prairie dogs would 

be expected to control invasive colonization before the plants develop seeding capability.

The analysis area is the entire grasslands area including a one-half mile weed treatment zone adjacent to 

the grassland units. Attainment of the desired condition for noxious/invasive species will hinge upon the 

adjacent lands of other ownership being treated so that seed sources for re-infestation are eliminated. 

Adjacent lands have been undergoing mechanical, manual and herbicide treatment for noxious invasive 

species for many years. This has been done to maintain the agriculture value and other property values 

associated with the adjacent lands. The Mills Canyon/Canadian River area has recently underwent such a 

treatment for salt cedar that involved state, private and federal lands.

Cumulative Environmental Consequences

Some private ownership agriculture lands adjacent to the grasslands have been undergoing mechanical, 

manual, and herbicide treatment for noxious invasive species for many years. This has been done to 

maintain the agriculture value and other property values. The grasslands have a one-half mile weed 

treatment zone adjacent to the grassland units as well.

Some private landholdings within the administrative boundary of BK have invasive species and tree 

encroachment issues that may not have the same eradication emphasis as does the grasslands.

Common to All Alternatives. There would be less areal extent of invasive plant species on the grasslands 

due to control efforts on private lands. Feral hog control, or lack thereof, would have commensurate 

consequences on the grasslands.
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As part of the interagency Canadian River saltcedar control program, efforts up and downstream of the 

Mill Canyon MA to eradicate saltcedar positively affect the riparian area by reducing seed sources of 

saltcedar.

Alternative A. Lack of invasive tree control on private lands would result in further degradation of 

potential and suitable habitat for the LPC.

Alternatives B and C. Lack of invasive tree control on private lands would further isolate and fragment 

grasslands habitat.

The mutual benefit of concurrent invasive species control on the national grasslands and adjacent nonFederal land would be best realized under alternative B and least realized under alternative A in 

consideration of the environmental consequences of alternatives.

The land management plan provides a programmatic framework that guides site-specific actions but does 

not authorize, fund, or carryout any project or activity. Before any ground-disturbing actions take place, 

they must be authorized in a subsequent environmental analysis. Therefore none of the alternatives cause 

unavoidable adverse impacts.

Unavoidable Adverse impacts

The treatments of noxious/invasive species that are carried out in an effort to attain the desired condition 

are done in an Integrated Pest Management approach. The treatment methods have been analyzed in 

separate NEPA analyses and found to not have unavoidable adverse impacts.

The land management plan provides a programmatic framework that guides site-specific actions but does 

not authorize, fund, or carry out any project or activity. Because the land management plan does not 

authorize or mandate any ground-disturbing actions, none of the alternatives cause an irreversible or 

irretrievable commitment of resources.

Irreversible and Irretrievable Commitment of Resources

All alternatives assume the use of adaptive management principles. Forest Service decisions are made as 

part of an on-going process, including, planning, implementing projects, and monitoring and evaluation. 

The land management plan identifies a monitoring program. Monitoring the results of actions will provide 

a flow of information that may indicate the need to change a course of action or the land management 

plan. Scientific findings and the needs of society may also indicate the need to adapt resource 

management to new information. The Forest Supervisor annually evaluates the monitoring information 

displayed in the evaluation reports through a management review and determines if any changes are 

needed in management actions or the plan itself. In general, annual evaluations of the monitoring 

information consider the following questions:

Adaptive Management

• What are the effects of resource management activities on the productivity of the land?

• To what degree are resource management activities maintaining or making progress toward the 

desired conditions and objectives for the plan?

• What changes are needed to account for unanticipated changes in conditions?
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In addition to annual monitoring and evaluation, the Forest Supervisor reviews the conditions on the land 

covered by the plan at least every 5 years to determine whether conditions or demands of the public have 

changed significantly. The forest plan is ordinarily revised on a 10-year cycle and the Forest Supervisor

may amend the plan at any time.

The adaptive management philosophy will be used in the treatment of noxious/invasive species. 

Integrated Pest Management techniques are available for use that make it possible to treat species 

according to the individual plant growth characteristics. Follow up monitoring will occur so that 

effectiveness can be determined and adjustments made, if needed.

All alternatives are designed to guide the Kiowa, Rita Blanca, Black Kettle and McClellan Creek National 

Grasslands’ management activities in meeting federal law, regulations, and policy. 

Consistency with Law, Regulation, and Policy

There is not a conflict between the desired condition for noxious/invasive species and the objectives of 

Federal, regional, State, local, or Tribal land use plans, policies, and controls for the area concerned.

Other Planning efforts

Preparer: Rick Newmon, Range Program Manager; B.S. Range Science