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NOXIOUS WEED PREVENTION IN THE ALBUQUERQUE FIELD OFFICE 

United States Department of the Interior 

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

Albuquerque Field Office

435 Montaño Rd. N.E. 

Albuquerque, New Mexico 87107-4935 

www.nm.blm.gov 

IN REPLY REFER TO: 

9220 (010) May 14, 1999 

Instruction Memorandum NM-010-99-01 

Expires: 9/30/2000 

To: All Employees 

From: Field Manager (010) 

Subject: Noxious Weed Prevention Schedule for the Albuquerque Field Office 

Noxious weeds are spreading nationally at 2,300 acres/day on BLM lands. If cooperative weed 

management efforts are not dramatically increased approximately 19 million acres bureauwide will be 

infested with these invasive plants by the year 2000. The serious threat from noxious weeds warrants 

inclusion of noxious weeds as one of the mandatory items in BLM's National Environmental Policy Act 

Handbook, H-1790-1. Within the Albuquerque Field Office we have known populations of Russian 

knapweed, musk thistle, bull thistle, Canada thistle, Scotch thistle, whitetop, and Halogeton. 

The Partners Against Weeds (PAWS) action plan for BLM (January 1996) established some general 

guidelines to be implemented to help prevent the introduction or spread of noxious weeds. These 

preventative measures should be applied to BLM actions such as range improvements, fire rehabilitation, 

and road maintenance, as well as BLM authorized actions including rights-of-way, oil and gas activities, 

grazing permits, and recreation permits. 

The goals and strategies identified in PAWS will be implemented as needed for noxious weed 

management for the Albuquerque Field Office. A summary of portions of the PAWS action plan which 

need to be implemented immediately are as follows: 

Goal 1—Prevention and Detection 

The Field Office will delineate high priority areas for prevention of noxious weed infestation. Review 

and modify where necessary, all activities authorized or conducted on BLM land for their potential to 

spread weeds. This includes evaluating the potential for noxious weed invasion in the effects analysis of 

each NEPA document. Newly introduced weed species will be identified and documented. 

APPENDIX B
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Goal 2—Education and Awareness 

The Field Office will conduct workshops for all field personnel to update their knowledge of noxious 

weeds, to include identification and the problems noxious weeds can cause. The Field Office will 

continue to work to establish county weed associations in developing and implementing outreach plans. 

Goal 3—Inventory 

The Field Office will monitor all known populations of noxious weeds and update the inventory as 

needed on a yearly basis. 

Goal 4—Planning 

Include provisions for noxious weed management in all BLM-funded or authorized actions. See Weed 

Prevention Schedule and Appendix 4 (attached) from the PAWS for specific actions to be considered. 

Goal 5—Integrated Weed Management (IWM) 

The Field Office will determine the best management options using a combination of the four general 

categories identified for weed management: Cultural, Physical Control, Biological Control or Herbicides. 

 See Appendix 5 from PAWS for specific guidelines. 

Goal 6—Coordination 

The Field Office will continue and expand cooperation with other federal agencies, state and county 

governments, organizations and private landowners in the fight against weeds. 

Goal 7—Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Technology Transfer 

The Field Office will continue to work with the Cooperative Extension Service and others on research for 

control methods for Noxious Weeds. Monitoring programs will be established to determine if we are 

meeting our management objectives with our weed management programs. 

Signed by: Authenticated by: 

Edwin J. Singleton Jeanne Holtby 

Field Manager Staff Asst. 

1 Attachment: 

 1—AFO Weed Prevention Schedule (3 pp) 
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ALBUQUERQUE FIELD OFFICE WEED PREVENTION SCHEDULE

 PREVENTION ACTIVITY WHEN STAFF 

Require that all road construction and maintenance equipment be free of 

mud, dirt and plant parts before moving from infested areas. Gravel and 

fill pits should be inspected to ensure they are weed free. 

All 

Year 

Lands and 

Minerals & 

Engineering 

Teams 

Re-establish vegetation on all areas of soil disturbance. Proper dates and 

the seeding mix to be used will be provided by the Albuquerque Field 

Office. Only certified weed free seed and mulch will be used in the reestablishment of vegetation. All reseeded sites should be monitored and 

permit holder notified if spot reseeding is required. 

All 

Year 

Lands and 

Minerals & 

Watershed & 

Engineering 

Teams 

All Range, Watershed, and Wildlife Projects and all Land Use Permits 

should include a stipulation requiring monitoring for and treatment of 

noxious weed infestations that occur after a permit is issued. Method of 

treatment for any infestations must be approved by the Albuquerque Field 

Office. 

All 

Year 

Lands and 

Minerals & 

Watershed 

Teams 

Environmental analysis for all Range, Watershed, Wildlife, and 

Recreation Projects and all Land Use Permits will include weed-risk 

considerations. 

All 

Year 

Lands and 

Minerals & 

Watershed 

Teams & 

Recreation 

Require that supplemental feed be certified weed free. Any permit 

allowing livestock on the site should have a stipulation that weed free feed 

be used. Require that all pack and saddle stock in Wilderness Study 

Areas, Areas of Critical Environmental Concern, Recreation Areas or 

sensitive areas use only certified weed free feed. Encourage the use of 

weed free feed in all areas. 

All 

Year 

Lands and 

Minerals & 

Watershed 

Teams & 

Recreation 

All Special Recreation Use Permits should include a stipulation requiring 

on-site weed control and minimization of spread to other areas. Method 

of treatment for any infestations must be approved by the Albuquerque 

Field Office. 

All 

Year 

Recreation 

Sign trailheads of pack and saddle stock trails for weed awareness and 

weed prevention techniques. 

All 

Year 

Recreation 

In allotments with infestations and weed free areas, control timing of 

animal movement to prevent movement from infested sites to non-infested 

after seed set. Avoid grazing any vegetative treatment site (brush control, 

sagebrush shaving, reseeded sites or prescribed burn sites) until vegetation 

is well established. 

All 

Year 

Watershed Team 

Include weed prevention and treatment in all mining plans of operation 

and reclamation plans. Retain bonds for weed control until the site is 

All 

Year 

Lands and 

Minerals Team 
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 PREVENTION ACTIVITY WHEN STAFF 

returned to vegetative conditions matching the surrounding area. Method 

of treatment for any infestations must be approved by the Albuquerque 

Field Office. 

Require that all archeological site excavations greater than 1/4 acre be 

reclaimed. Dates of seeding and seed mix to be used will be provided by 

the Albuquerque Field Office. Seed must be certified weed free. 

All 

Year 

Cultural Team 

Will establish weed management areas and work to expand the 

cooperation with other federal agencies, state and county governments, 

organizations and private landowners in the fight against weeds. 

All 

Year 

Watershed Team 

& Weed 

Coordinator 

Distribute public information/brochures. Weed identification training for 

field going employees and managers. Participate in state and local 

workshops that deal with noxious weed management. 

All 

Year 

Watershed Team 

& Weed 

Coordinator & 

Public Affairs 

NOXIOUS WEED STIPULATIONS FOR ALL PERMITS, EAs, & EISs 

Noxious weed control Standard Operating Procedures found in Instruction Memorandum NM-010-

99-01 (Weed Prevention Schedule for Albuquerque Field Office) will be followed.

• Ensure equipment involved in land disturbing actions be clean of noxious weed seeds or 

propagative parts prior to entry on site. When working in areas with noxious weeds, 

equipment should be cleaned prior to moving off site. 

• Survey and inventory proposed work areas for noxious weeds; take reasonable measures 

to avoid spread of noxious weeds found (i.e., cleaning equipment with pressure washers, 

stockpiling overburden material for later treatment, avoiding driving through weed 

patches). The following noxious weeds have been identified as occurring on lands within 

the boundaries of the Albuquerque Field Office (AFO). 

 1) Russian knapweed (Centaurea repens) 

2) musk thistle (Carduus nutans)

3) bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare)

4) Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense)

5) Scotch thistle (Onopordum acanthium)

6) hoary cress (Cardaria draba)

7) perennial pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium)

8) Halogeton (Halogeton glomeratus)

9) spotted knapweed (Centaurea maculosa) 

10) Dalmation toadflax (Linaria genistifolia) 

11) yellow toadflax (Linaria vulgaris)

12) camelthorn (Alhagi pseudalhagi) 

13) yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) 

14) saltcedar (Tamarix spp.)
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15) diffuse knapweed (Centaurea diffusa) 

• Use only certified weed free erosion control and re-vegetation materials (e.g., mulch, 

seed, natural fiber mats). 

• If fill dirt or gravel will be required, the source needs to be noxious weed free. 

• The site should be monitored for the life of the project for the presence of noxious weeds 

(includes maintenance & construction activities). If weeds are found, the AFO will be 

notified and the AFO will determine the best method for the control of the particular 

weed species. 

• Reclamation and revegetation of the work site will use species specified by the AFO. All 

seed shall be certified weed free. The area will be monitored to determine the success of 

the revegetation, and revegetation will continue until successful.