2014-10-21_REVISION - M1988044 (5)

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TR-07 RECLAMATION PLAN a. Roadside inspections: Roadside inspections will particularly concentrate on the land within 15 to 20 feet of the roadway. Land outside the 15 to 20 foot zone should also be examined to determine whether new weed growth is moving toward the road corridor or if the land beyond the 15 to 20 foot zone is relatively clear of noxious weeds. If the outer zone is not relatively clear, then anticipate the weeds will move into the inner zone. Action can be taken to push the boundary further from the road at that time. Also, waiting until the weeds move into the inner zone is permissible. b. Species to look for: All noxious species on the official, current list of prohibited weeds will be looked for. Although it is unlikely many of the other species on the list will ever appear on this site, every species should be looked for. If the inspection only looks for weeds known to be on the site, it is less likely that a newly introduced species will be noticed. 3. Treatments: When weeds are found in any of the affected lands,plans will be immediately made to implement control measures. Often delays of even two weeks can make a difference in the effectiveness of the control measures as well as the extent of the problem. Many noxious weeds spread with amazing speed. Furthermore, because many noxious weeds spread by seed, as well as a number of other methods, preventing the plants from reproducing is critical to success in containing an infestation. a. The treatment applied will be appropriate to the species, its stage in its life cycle, and the extent of the infestation. i. If, during the inspection process, only a few plants are noted and it is appropriate for the species (e.g. Knapweed) simply pulling the plants out by their roots and bagging them can be very effective. Unfortunately, with spurge and Canada Thistle pulling them up rarely works because these plants have underground stems that spread all over the place and there is no hope that you will be able to pull all of it out of the ground. Spraying small populations when they are found is a very good course of action. For larger populations, scheduling a treatment in the very near future is best so time is not wasted treating those weeds while other populations that need to be identified through the inspection process are expanding. ii. If during the inspection process weeds are found that are in flower or have flowered and are setting seed, and there aren't too many plants, plucking off the flower heads will temporarily stop seed production. However,be aware that removing the flower heads usually induces re-flowering, so this is only a temporary measure. Sometimes, their second flowering, after removal of the Coal Creek Sand Resource Amendment 3 (2005)- M-1988-044 Exhibit E Page 24