Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Vegetation Treatments Using Herbicides on Bureau of Land Management Lands in 17 Western States. The fluorinated herbicides included for use are diflufenzopyr and fluridone. (Of the six herbicides rejected for use is the fluorinated mefluidide.) As part of the Proposed Action and this decision, the BLM also adopts the protocol for identifying, evaluating and approving herbicides. Copies of the Record of Decision are available in hard copy or CD upon request from Brian Amme, Nevada State Office, P.O. Box 12000, 1340 Financial Blvd., Reno, NV 89520, or via the Internet at the BLM National Web site http://www.blm.gov/. The Record of Decision is available for review in either hard copy or on compact disks (CDs) at all BLM State, District, and Field Office public rooms.

This national, FPEIS provides a comprehensive analysis of BLM's use of chemical herbicides in its various vegetation treatment programs related to hazardous fuels reduction; noxious weed, invasive terrestrial and aquatic plant species management; resource rehabilitation following catastrophic fires, and other disturbances. The FPEIS addresses human health and ecological risk for use of chemical herbicides on public lands and provides a cumulative impact analysis of the use of chemical herbicides in conjunction with other treatment methods. The decision area includes public lands administered by 11 BLM state offices: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana (North Dakota/South Dakota), New Mexico (Oklahoma/Texas/Nebraska), Nevada, Oregon (Washington), Utah and Wyoming.

• Draft PEIS, Part 1 AND Draft PEIS, Part 2. The PEIS provides a comprehensive programmatic NEPA document that addresses the primary controversial issue identified through scoping: the BLM’s continuing use and proposed increased use of herbicides in vegetation treatment programs that would implement the National Fire Plan and other related initiatives.

• Draft PER describes the environmental effects of using non-herbicide treatment methods, including prescribed fire and mechanical, manual and biological controls, on vegetation, watersheds, and fish and wildlife habitat on surface lands administered by the BLM in the western United States, including Alaska.

• Human Health Risk Assessment
• Ecological Risk Assessment Protocol and Assessments
• Draft Biological Assessment