FINAL - Thurston County's 2015 Annual Integrated Pest ...owned by the County include the Thurston...

Thurston County’s 2015 Integrated Pest Management Report

History: The Board of County Commissioners adopted the Thurston County Pesticide Use Policy in 1989 and the revised Pest and Vegetation Management Policy in 1993 and with additional revisions in 2014. The Board adopted these policies after significant public involvement and input from the Pesticide Use Study Committee. These policies established a mandate for all county departments to set an example in implementing integrated pest and vegetation management programs that minimize the use of pesticides and are least disruptive to human health and the environment. Additionally, it created the Pest and Vegetation Management Advisory Committee (PVMAC). The Pest and Vegetation Management Policy applies only to County departments and use of pesticides on County property or land managed by the County. In 1990, the Thurston County Board of County Commissioners appointed nine citizens to the PVMAC, today the committee has six members with three positions open. The Committee has been directed to assist in the implementation of the Pest and Vegetation Management Policy. This Policy emphasizes development and implementation of IPM programs that provide effective pest and vegetation management with minimal environmental and public health impacts. 2015 IPM Program Summary

In 2015, Thurston County had a substantial decrease in pesticide use compared to 2013 and 2014. This decrease is due to the single application of herbicide for non-native grass control at Glacial Heritage Preserve instead of two herbicide applications per season. It is expected that two applications per season will resume in 2016. There was also significant reduction of herbicide use at the Waste and Recovery Center (WARC) due to the progression of the landscape renovation although it is expected that in 2016 there will be more areas that will be renovated. Mechanical and manual control of roadside vegetation and for specific noxious weeds continues to keep the use of chemical herbicides very low at County parks, trails and along roadsides. Public Works Department - Parks Division:

The Public Works Department Transportation Division is responsible for the maintenance of all county rights-of-way. The vegetation control program is conducted almost entirely by mechanical means, primarily mowing. The Parks Division provides building and grounds maintenance in a variety of locations. Outlined below are general descriptions of the type of areas maintained, the duties performed and a list of the specific sites: 1. COUNTY PARKS: Building and grounds maintenance of lawn areas, picnic shelters, trails, parking areas, restrooms, caretaker residences, park grounds, etc. The sites include: Burfoot Park, Kenneydell Park and Frye Cove Park. 2. ATHLETIC FACILITIES: Building and grounds maintenance of sports fields, picnic areas, trails, parking areas, restrooms, park grounds, etc. The majority of the work involves turf care. The sites include: Kenneydell Park Ball Fields and the Griffin Athletic Fields. 3. COUNTY TRAIL SYSTEM: Building maintenance of trailhead restrooms and kiosks and grounds maintenance of over 40 miles of trail. The majority of the work involves mowing and trimming vegetation along trails as well as control of noxious weeds. The Chehalis Western Trail and the Yelm-Tenino trail are paved and make up 35 miles of the system with the 12.5 mile Gate-Belmore trail held for future development.

4. PRESERVES AND HISTORICAL SITES: The sites include: Fort Eaton, Mima Cemetery, George Washington Bush Memorial, Glacial Heritage Preserve, Woodland Creek Wetlands, and the Johnson Point Wetlands. These sites require grounds maintenance of lawns, formal and native beds, control of non-native species, habitat protection, etc. 5. STORMWATER PONDS: The Parks Department controls invasive plants such as blackberry in county owned stormwater ponds. The treatments are necessary so the ponds can perform their necessary function. Public Works Department – Waste and Recovery Center (WARC)

The WARC is Thurston County’s closed landfill that operates as a transfer station for solid waste and other waste recycling programs. Although the waste that is brought into the facility is shipped out of County for disposal, there are still areas where waste is separated and containerized. These areas of waste handling are an ongoing source for rodent pressure. The former landfill area is gradually being utilized for other community uses that are altering the pest and vegetation goals. Areas that used to be managed with a high tolerance of weeds have been converted to a dog park, a park and ride, and a high end demonstration garden for the master gardeners program. Vegetation selection and placement will be key components to the success of managing these areas with minimal pesticide usage. Public Works Department – Noxious Weeds Program:

Herbicides are used only for noxious weed and other nuisance vegetation control within the county rights-of-way. The county’s Noxious Weeds Department oversees the control of listed noxious weeds in Thurston County.

Public Works Department – Lakes Program:

The Lakes Program manages the Long Lake and Lake Lawrence Management Districts. The Lakes Program implements Commissioner approved IPM prescriptions to control the noxious white fragrant waterlily and nuisance aquatic plants using county approved herbicides.

Central Services Department

The Central Services Department Facilities Division is responsible for the maintenance of all county buildings and facilities. The primary focus of their control program is on insects such as carpenter and moisture ants, rats, and yellow jackets. The Central Service Department also is responsible for contracting for landscape maintenance including; turf care, weeding, pruning, etc. of the following sites: County Courthouse, Emergency Operations Center, Coroner’s Office, Youth Service Center, Building #4, Building #5, Ferguson (CSA) Building, Accountability and Restitution Facility (ARC), County Health Building, McLane Building, Tilley Shop Facility, and the Evaluation and Treatment Center.

Description of pesticide use: The county’s only use of pesticides between 1990 and 1996 was the use of fluridone on Long Lake to control Eurasian watermilfoil using an approved IPM Prescription. Beginning in 1996 when the first IPM programs were approved the county began to track the amount of pesticides being applied annually. Graph 1 below, shows the total amount of pesticides used by the County over the years. The “Pounds of active ingredient” in all the graphs is based the amount of active ingredient contained in the pesticide products used by the County. Differences in the amount of pesticides used vary from year to year because of new sites being managed by the County or response to a new or increasing pest problem. Examples of unique sites managed or

owned by the County include the Thurston County Waste and Recovery Center, Glacial Heritage Nature Preserve, Long Lake, and Lake Lawrence. Pest or weed control at these sites is necessary due to a variety of site-specific goals identified in each of their individual IPM Programs and Prescriptions.

Graph 2 breaks down the amount of total “pounds of active ingredient” of pesticides used at the Waste and Recovery Center, at Glacial Heritage Preserve and other County parks and grounds, for noxious weed control, and for aquatic plant control in Lake Lawrence and Long Lake. Each of these sites and control programs are explained below and more detail on pesticide use can found in the tables at the end of the report.

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Annual Pesticide Use by County

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Annual Pesticide Use by Departments

WARC (Solid Waste) Glacial Heritage (Parks) Roads (Noxious Weeds) Lakes (Water Resources)

Central Services Department Central Services started contracting landscaping services with Northwest Landscaping Service (NLS) in 2014. This continued into 2015. In the first quarter of 2015, NLS applied a glyphosate product called Prosecutor at four County locations. These applications were for the control of grass and broadleaf weeds in planting beds. When Central Services discovered that NLS had applied herbicide, they were advised to cease any future applications. It was the intent of Central Services to ensure alignment with the direction of minimizing the use of pesticides for weed control. After this directive, NLS performed all weed control activities on County properties with mechanical and manual processes. These processes have included the application of mulch in planting beds, hand pulling weeds, and using mechanical equipment such as weed eaters to remove weeds from landscapes and hardscape areas such as sidewalks and parking lots. Chemicals used for control of rodents and other vectors were supplemented by IPM strategies such as eliminating harborage areas, thorough cleaning to remove food particles in buildings, requesting occupants to store foodstuffs in securely enclosed containers, and continuous monitoring to quickly find pest populations to prevent widespread infestations. Central Services is committed to providing healthy and safe environments for staff, visitors, and citizens to Thurston County sites.

Parks Division The Parks division of Public Works was responsible for vegetation maintenance in parks, trails, preserves, historic sites, stormwater ponds, and right-of-way landscaping. For Parks, 2015 was a challenging year in implementation of IPM policy. 2015 was Thurston County’s second year managing right-of-way landscaping. In addition to the Yelm Highway landscape, Parks took on management of right-of-way landscaping on Martin Way, in 2015. After a major renovation of the Yelm Highway landscape in 2014, Parks was able to focus more on typical maintenance at that site in 2015. However, 2015 unfolded as a year of historic early and prolonged warm weather. Because the Yelm Highway landscape is still a relatively new landscape, the ornamental plantings still require irrigation. So, with unusually warm weather and irrigation being supplied, weeds in the landscape had a very favorable growing season. Nevertheless, weed management was nowhere near as problematic as it might have been, thanks to cultural controls implemented in 2014. In 2014, Parks installed approximately 150 cubic yards of acidic mulch, providing excellent natural weed suppression. The benefits of this mulch clearly offset the favorable growing conditions for weeds, as Parks was able to reduce its chemical controls on the Yelm Highway landscape, applying 220 ounces of herbicide, compared to 241 ounces applied in 2014. Reducing herbicide application was also made possible by diligence in mechanical and cultural controls. On right-of-way landscaping in 2015, Parks spent 684.5 labor hours on mechanical and cultural controls, the bulk of which was manually removing weeds. By comparison, a mere 42 labor hours were spent applying herbicide. Another challenge presented in 2015 came at Kenneydell Park’s soccer and baseball fields. The abnormal growing season created soil conditions favorable for an explosion in crane fly larvae population, which decimated the turf on the soccer and baseball fields at Kenneydell Park. The only cost-feasible method for addressing this challenge would have been the application of insecticide. However, Parks does not have an approved prescription for insecticide application. Therefore, the condition of the turf declined rapidly and to a level unsuitable for reserved play. Parks had to decline reservations, which resulted in $2,800.00 to $3,200.00 in lost revenue. Also, the turf remains in a condition that will now require an expensive renovation to return to a level suitable for reserved play in the future. Overall, Parks’ use of chemical controls was kept at a relatively stable level in 2015. Total herbicide application went from 258 ounces in 2014 to 306 ounces in 2015, but 2015 contained two significant

aggravating factors. The Martin Way landscape was added to Parks’ duties, and that site received 22 ounces of herbicide application. The biggest factor contributing to the slight rise in chemical controls was the abnormal growing season. In quantified terms, Parks did not make its first herbicide application in 2014 until May; in 2015, Parks had already applied 150 ounces – nearly half of the annual total – by May 1st. At stormwater ponds, historic sites, almost 50 miles of trails, and over 2,500 acres of parkland and preserves, Parks made only 8 applications of herbicide. At the one site where Parks maintains a relatively formal landscape – Yelm Highway – a high level of service was achieved through a combination of pest management methods. The two most prominent methods in this combination were mechanical and chemical. As of the beginning of 2016, Parks no longer has a prescription for glyphosate. With Parks unable to use chemical controls, unless mechanical controls increase substantially, which would mean a substantial increase in manual labor resources, the level of service provided by Parks in formal landscaping will decline.

Waste and Recovery Center (WARC) The Landscape at the WARC, which is the County’s closed sanitary landfill, is a very challenging site to manage for weeds. The landscape is about eleven acres of various species of hardy ornamental shrubs. Planted in 1991; it included and irrigation system and two feet of topsoil on top of a black impervious synthetic membrane. Many of the originally planted shrubs have died due to many of the following factors; the thin layer of topsoil being very poor in quality, the heat generated by the black synthetic membrane and the decomposing garbage, damaged irrigation system, damage to the shrubs from rabbits. Other influences to the poor condition of the landscape are; the replacement and repair of gas lines, construction for the Intercity Transit Park n Ride, construction of a dog park, work on Closed Loop Park and removal of the original Hazohouse. Through the consultation of a horticulturalist, it was determined that the original landscape had overgrown the available space and was experiencing stress related pest

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Annual Pesticide Use at the Waste and Recovery Center (WARC)

problems as a result of the above mention factors. In 2013, the County began a project by removing and replacing most of the original landscaping around the perimeter of the landfill. This work continued through 2014. In 2015, the project was put on hold, with the understanding that it would begin again in 2016. Due to the size of area, this project of improving the perimeter landscape of the landfill will continue for several years. In the newly landscaped area, the plantings consist of evergreens, tall grassy plants, a variety of small native shrubs, and turf on the hill sides. The replanting has resulted in a great deal of open areas requiring more weed control until the new planting are fully established and can out-compete the weed growth. Since this project began, the WARC has significantly reduced the amount of areas needing watering, decreased water consumption times, and calibrated irrigation heads to reduce their output. With this new plan of having smaller condensed landscape beds and predominate turf areas, the County can manage the weeds more efficiently while consuming less water and less use of pesticides.

Glacial Heritage Nature Preserve The Glacial Heritage Nature Preserve is a 1,020-acre site located in southwestern Thurston County. The County owns the land, but the Center for Natural Land Management (CNLM) manages the vegetation on the Preserve. The management goal of the Preserve is to restore it to native prairie with all associated species. The first step in prairie restoration efforts was to rid the site of Scotch broom and other woody plants. By the end of 2003, most of the original stand of Scotch broom had been removed. Figures 4a and 4b below show the Preserve in 1996 and again in 2012 with significant Scotch broom removal (the shaded areas at the top of the 1996 picture is Scotch broom). Since Scotch broom seeds persist for up to 50 years in the soil, they continue to germinate and require control.

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Annual Use of Pesticides at Glacial Heritage Preserve

Figure 4a – (1996) Glacial Heritage with Scotch broom. Figure 4b – (2012) Glacial Heritage little Scotch broom.

In 2015, control efforts included burning 52 acres, seeding over 84 pounds of native seeds, manually pulling 200 acres of scotch broom, and applying three herbicide applications. Current management focus is on improving the medium quality prairie to high quality prairie and keeping the high quality prairie stable. In addition, the Prairie Quality Monitoring (PQM) survey was also conducted on the 525 acres of prairie land on the preserve.

Spring Invasive Grass Treatment: In 2015, there was a single herbicide application for invasive grasses that required a selective herbicide. This resulted in a reduction of use by 41% compared to 2014. Approximately 350 acres of the 650 prairie acres were treated for invasive grasses. Grass specific herbicide use will likely increase into the near future, as more of the prairie moves to higher quality prairie which requires more selective invasive grass control.

Post-Burn Invasive Treatment: In 2015, 50 acres were burned resulting in native and nonnative species emerging simultaneously with fall rains. Given the situation of trying to retain native species- a small portion of the burn units (7 acres) was treated with triclopyr and clethodim (to treat non-native forbs and grasses), while the remainder was treated with clethodim alone (to treat non-native grasses). No acreage was treated with glyphosate.

Scotch Broom: Our final chemical treatment was targeted to control Scotch broom. Immense strides have been made towards removing this noxious weed from Glacial Heritage Preserve. The infestation has been reduced so drastically that only a small corner in the northeast of the preserve requires boom applications- with the remainder of the preserve being spot treated, burnt, or manually removed. Our goal is to eliminate Scotch broom over the entire 600 acre preserve annually using fire, manual pulling or chemical treatments. As is evidenced by Table 1, the infestation has diminished annually resulting in less herbicide use for broom control every year since 2012. Alternative methods to chemical control to treat Scotch broom are utilized heavily at Glacial Heritage. In 2015, approximately 200 acres were treated with manual pulling and 50 acres were treated with fire, approximately 42% of the prairie acreage on the preserve.

Prairie Quality Monitoring Analysis: The 525 acres of prairie land was analyzed during 2015 by CNLM monitoring crews using Prairie Quality Monitoring (PQM) surveys. This included collecting percent cover information on 578- 25 by 25 meter plots on the preserve. This analysis excluded 135 acres of low quality prairie and the 440 acres of forest, as results would just confirm the qualitative estimation of poor quality or non-prairie areas. For analysis, the designation of prairie management stages was not

changed between 2015 and 2008 (i.e. the same areas were considered high quality in 2008 as they were in 2015) and improvement was measured within these two areas only. Analysis looked at plots containing greater or less than six percent cover of tall oat grass or scotch broom (Figure 4 and 5). As seen in Table 3, in “high quality prairie areas”, the percent of sites with both scotch broom and oatgrass above six percent cover decreased from 2008 to 2015. In medium quality areas, scotch broom was also shown to decrease, while oatgrass increased very slightly. This backs up field observations, as scotch broom is currently being managed effectively and throughout the entire preserve, while oatgrass is not being managed throughout the entire preserve and available control options are limited and require significant resources. In 2016, clethodim will continue to be used to treat invasive grasses with two spring applications. Two applications will result in more chemical being applied as we aim to remove this threat from the prairie. Chemical treatments in high quality prairie areas are expected to decline after three years of treatment. Currently, only 58% of the prairie acreage is being treated for invasive grasses because of limited amount of seed available to plant following the treatment. Seeding high quality areas after an herbicide application uses fewer seeds than lower quality areas, so the priority is to use the limited seeds in high and medium quality areas over low quality areas. . As more of the low quality prairie areas begin to be treated for invasive grasses, the amount of grass-specific herbicide will increase, before a reduction of use occurs. The removal of Scotch broom from the preserve has already shown in the amount of triclopyr being used. Each year into the foreseeable future, triclopyr use is expected to decline, with the majority of control coming from manual pulling and prescribed burning. In addition, unlike invasive grasses, the entire preserve (600 acres of prairie) is being treated annually, which results in continued reduction in the amount of chemical required to maintain control. Glyphosate use is currently only requested to treat prescribed burn units post-fire. Units are treated after prescribed burning to eliminate the quickly emerging non-native species at the onset of fall precipitation. Without this tool, prescribed burning can result in an increase in some fire adapted species of non-native forbs and grasses as fires remove competition and open bare ground for germination.

Yearly Management Phase (Acres)

2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Canopy 0

Low 150

Medium 220

High 280 Table 1: Details the estimated amount of prairie acres within each management phase (660 prairie acres total), this excludes the 440

acres of forested land that is not being managed for prairie habitat.

Yearly Totals

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Seeds Planted (pounds) 109.0 62.3 192.0 367.9 84.68

Volunteer Pull (hours) 1746 1327 942 1354 1267

Acres Burned 114 119 124 117 52

Fluaziflop (gallons) (0.75%)

Spot 725 0

Boom 6700 0

Post Fire 0 0

Total 2335 2935 3945 7425

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Clethodim (gallons) (0.5%)

Spot 0 600

Boom 0 3750

Post Fire 0 875

Total 0 0 0 0 5225

Glyphosate (gallons)

(2%)

Spot 56 0

Boom (post fire)

2075 0

Total 41 25 675 2126 0

Triclopyr (gallons)

(2%)

Spot 650 785

Boom 600 275

Post Fire 0 125

Total 1575 2140 1550 1250 1185 Table 2: Details the specific reportable numbers for each year since 2011. Blank cells indicate details which were not reported.

Figure 1: Shows scotch broom control methods used in specific areas for 2015. “Broom Spot 2015” indicates the area in which spot

spraying was utilized to control scotch broom. “RX15” indicates the area in which prescribed burning occurred in 2015. “Volunteer

Pull” indicates the area in which volunteers manually pulled scotch broom.

Figure 2: Shows that the majority of the prairie habitat on Glacial Heritage Preserve has been burnt over the past 5 years. “GH RX”

stands for glacial heritage prescribed fire followed by the year it occurred.

Figure 3: Shows 2015 PQM monitoring plot results (colored squares) and estimates habitat quality (colored areas). PQM plots were

classified by percent cover of both scotch broom and tall oat grass and categorized into high, medium, and low categories (>20%

cover, 6-20% cover, and <6% cover respectively). The habitat quality areas were identified by field observations. High quality

habitat covers approximately 280 acres, medium quality covers 220 acres, and low quality covers 150 acres.

Table 3: Shows the results of the Prairie Quality Monitoring percent cover analysis comparing the same medium and high quality

areas between 2008 and 2015.

Figure 4: Shows the Prairie Quality Monitoring results when analyzed for areas with less than six percent tall oatgrass cover. The

management units are identified showing two high quality areas and one medium quality areas. The areas not identified are the low

quality areas that were not analyzed during the 2015 monitoring cycle.

Prairie Quality Monitoring (PQM)

2008 2015

Percent of Plots

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High Management 85.10 96.98

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Management 74.99 88.26

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High Management 80.77 89.12

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Management 74.10 57.49

Figure 5: Shows the Prairie Quality Monitoring results when analyzed for areas with less than six percent scotch broom cover. The

management units are identified showing two high quality areas and one medium quality areas. The areas not identified are the low

quality areas that were not analyzed during the 2015 monitoring cycle.

Long Lake

Monitoring surveys in 2014 showed topped out and very high density conditions in the green and yellow polygons indicated on the Long Lake map below. The decision was made to treat some of those areas with Clearcast (green), while harvesting in others (yellow). The 2015 season was largely driven by the presence of the noxious weeds Curly Pondweed (Potamogeton crispus) and Brazilian Elodea (Egeria

densa).

Diver Mapping and Manual Removal: In April, divers from the Noxious Weed unit began mapping Curly Pondweed locations and removing the plants when found. This was intended to survey those areas that had been ear-marked for mechanical harvesting to avoid fragmentation and spread of this noxious species further throughout the lake. After starting in the southeast corner of the lake, far more plants than initially anticipated were located and removed. Two days into the project, Brazilian Elodea was discovered on Afflerbaugh Island. The divers immediately backtracked and found one more location. These are both marked on the map with a bright pink cross. An emergency grant was obtained to intensively search for and remove this plant. At the same time, the Long Lake Management District (LMD) added time for the divers to fully survey for Curly Pondweed; its locations are indicated by black dots on the map. Over 16 total diving days were spent to manually remove 6.5 lbs of Brazilian Elodea and 439 lbs of Curly Pondweed. In 2016, the remainder of the emergency grant will be used to survey and remove any Brazilian Elodea that is found. We were fortunate that divers familiar with this plant identified it before the boating season had begun, which would have spread this plant throughout the lake.

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Annual Pesticide Use by Water Resources (Lakes)

Mechanical Harvesting: More than 19.5 acres were harvested in late June, following completion of the diver’s survey and removal of Brazilian Elodea and Curly Pondweed. These areas are shown in yellow on the map. The Lorna Canal on the southwest end of the lake has topped out plants and algae growth nearly year-round, and was harvested in late June two months after a Clearcast (imazamox) treatment. This canal continues to be an annual problem, with topped out conditions through much of the year. Harvesting appears to be the best approach, although it must be repeated during the season and is very expensive for such a small area. Costs to harvest this 0.9-acre canal alone have averaged $6,000 due to baseline costs to mobilize and stage the equipment. If included in the larger harvesting effort, the cost is closer to $1,200. Many of the areas that were harvested in June had filled in again by early August; this was likely due to the unusual summer heat conditions in 2015.

Submerged Nuisance and

Noxious Plant Treatments: In early April, Clearcast (imazamox) was applied to 4.8 acres at two locations: Lorna Canal in the southwestern corner, and Timberlake Canal in the northwest corner. Both are shallow canals that were widened to improve boater access, and both have dense Curly Pondweed, common elodea, and coontail populations heavily draped with filamentous algae in all but the coldest winter months. These were treated early in an effort to apply as much pressure on these plants as possible. In late May, an additional 18.5 acres were treated with Clearcast; these were all areas where topped out conditions of native plants were observed in the fall of 2014, coinciding with Curly Pondweed growing in densities beyond the abilities of the divers to clear. Because the LMD was competing with other urgent work scheduled for the divers it was not possible to keep them in the lake.

Lawrence Lake

Yellow Flag Iris: In 2014 a prescription for the control of Yellow Flag Iris was approved by the Board of County Commissioners, allowing the Lawrence Lake Management District (LMD) to begin a multi-year program to control this noxious weed. The LMD’s long term goal is to immediately remove the Iris from lakefront parcels, while systematically reducing its presence in the multiple sloughs and back waters of Lawrence’s extensive wetlands. 2015 marked the second year of the Iris program. The parcels shown in bright yellow on the above map were part of the 2015 control program. The bright pink polygons illustrate where work was done, both manual and treatment with Polaris (imazapyr). Note that these polygons are intended to show relative locations, they do not necessary reflect the exact acreage of plants that were treated. They were also exaggerated to be visible on the map. The southeast corner of the lake is not accessible by boat, so the majority of this work was done by wading into muddy sloughs. On each parcel all seed pods were clipped into black plastic bags then disposed of in garbage bins. After seed pods were removed, the iris leaves were spot treated with Polaris. As noted earlier in this report, the herbicide treatments were conducted under the Noxious Weed Board’s permit from the State Department of Agriculture; records of this work are included in the Noxious Weed tables. The strategy for 2016 is to continue manual removal of all seed pods. No herbicide treatments are anticipated until 2017, when sufficient foliage has grown to take up enough herbicide to affect control. After several toxic and allergic reactions to the juices of the plant, leading to one visit to the Emergency Room, the other to Urgent Care, the residents are especially motivated to continue this program.

Submerged Nuisance and Noxious Plants: In 2014, very few submerged plants were observed growing in the lake’s littoral zones, but by late July and August, we observed topped out conditions around the entire perimeter of the lake. Curly Pondweed, a state-listed noxious weed was also found growing among the native submerged species throughout the small basin of the lake. The early spring monitoring survey in 2015 indicated that plants were again growing along most of that basin’s shoreline, and the Curly Pondweed had spread to other areas of the lake. An application of fluridone was conducted in April, May and June. Unlike many herbicides, fluridone must be present in small concentrations from 60 to 90 days. The label calls for 3 separate applications, and clay pellets with different release rates of the fluridone were used. The first of the treatments, Sonar Q, releases the herbicide quickly into the water, the following treatments used Sonar PR, which has a much longer release curve, thus maintaining the concentrations for as long as possible. The SONAR treatments are shown in bright green on the Lawrence Lake map. The surveys conducted in the late summer and fall did show a reduced density of plants in some sites, but the late March surveys will show the extent of Curly Pondweed’s re-growth and will guide the selection of control sites for 2016. Unlike most native aquatic plants found in Lawrence and Long lakes, Curly Pondweed begins growth very early in the spring, much like Eurasian Watermilfoil. It is an early indication of those areas where dense levels of plant growth can be expected in the following months.

Noxious Weeds Program In 2015, Thurston County Noxious Weed Control performed a total of 506 herbicide applications on a combination of county property, rights-of-way and private property. 205 applications were made to

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Annual Pesticide Use by Roads (Noxious Weeds)

Thurston County rights-of-way and County owned parcels. Noxious Weed staff performed a total of 301 applications on private property in the course of special projects. These projects were for the control of Yellow Flag Iris, Knotweed and Shiny Geranium. Control of Yellow Flag Iris and Knotweed was done almost entirely with spot treatments of imazapyr. Injection or cut-stem method using glyphosate were used in sensitive areas where there was a risk of off target damage to ornamentals. Shiny Geranium control was also conducted by spot treatment, using aminopyralid in vacant, open or grassy areas and imazapyr on rights-of-way and transitional riparian zones.

In all project work on private property, written agreements are obtained from all landowners providing permission to access private properties to perform treatments and monitor results. Shiny Geranium accounted for the largest number of treatments to Thurston County rights-of-way. The number of sites county-wide continues to increase, largely due to activities such as mowing, belt loading, ditch and utility work and tree trimming. Of the 160 known Shiny Geranium sites in Thurston County, 72 sites (45%) are on county rights-of-way. Treatments on knotweed began on county-owned property and rights-of-way in 2004, with the largest number of sites being treated in 2006 at 224. By 2015, the number of sites treated was reduced to 56, a 75% reduction of treatments. Only slightly more than a quart of herbicide (imazapyr) was required to treat all of the county sites this year. In 2015, the Thurston County Noxious Weed Control Board selected Bohemian and Japanese knotweed, in conjunction with already State designated Giant and Himalayan knotweed for mandatory control county-wide. This was the final step necessary in the progression of managing knotweeds, a widespread and persistent invasive species throughout the county.

Tell-tale strip of white, indicating a new infestation of shiny geranium.

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1.38 1.42 2.542.46

14.2

Gallons of Herbicide Applied (concentrate)

A knotweed control project on the Deschutes River was begun this year. A grant was provided by WSDA to assist with efforts to survey for and control knotweed along the river, beginning at the furthermost upstream knotweed found. Noxious Weed staff surveyed, mapped, distributed fact sheets, collected permission forms, performed and recorded treatments. Please see the Deschutes River Knotweed Control Report for more details.

Bohemian knotweed patches on the banks of the Deschutes River.

Monitoring

In 2015 Noxious Weed Control staff monitored 712 noxious weed sites on County owned rights-of-way and parcels. This was an increase of slightly more than 8% over 2014. Of those, 374 (52.53%) had weed infestations present this year. County-wide, staff monitored 5,798 sites; 3,025 (52.17%) of those had weeds present. Weed staff monitors all previously known sites for a minimum of three years. After three consecutive years without weeds present, the site is removed from the active database records. This process helps to direct efforts to the most likely areas where weeds will be found in subsequent years and is a most effective tool in the IPM process. Every year, significant progress is recorded in the reduction of number and severity of known sites of most species. Infestations that are caught early after introduction are usually eradicated soon after found, though new introductions keep the species on the active list. The table on the right lists some of the more notable reductions in numbers of infestation sites from their historic high numbers:

Manual Control

Most noxious weed infestations (in particular tansy ragwort on County rights-of-way) are abated through manual control efforts utilizing a dedicated pull crew. Weed staff also control small infestations, and occasionally contractors are used to abate larger infestations, particularly in enforcement cases. In 2015 the pull crew logged 1,923.50 hours in manual control on Thurston County rights-of-way and parcels, depositing 6,489 lbs. of weed material at the Waste and Recovery Center or other Thurston County transfer stations. Thurston County Noxious Weed Control also provides free disposal for landowners doing manual control on many of the designated species. In addition to terrestrial manual control, projects controlling various aquatic invasive species manually are conducted annually. In 2015, 8,671 lbs. of Brazilian elodea were removed from the Chehalis River, 475 lbs. from Plummer Lake in Centralia (the source of reintroduction into the Chehalis River) and 6.5 lbs. from the south end of Long Lake.

Historic High Current

Common Fennel 464 168

Gorse 151 24

Giant Hogweed 138 4

Meadow Knapweed 230 111

Spotted Knapweed 794 115

Diffuse Knapweed 439 18

Wild Chervil 361 198

Hartman Creek Yellow Flag Iris infestation

Table 1: Thurston County 2015 Pesticide Applications

Program Pest Problem Location Date Applicator Product Quantity of Pesticide Used

Noxious Weeds Program

Shiny Geranium 66 applications 3-10/15 Staff Polaris 77.72 gallons mix / 201.7 oz. product

Shiny Geranium 65 applications 3-10/15 Staff Milestone 247.09 gallons mix / 58.8 oz. product

Gorse 1 application 3/18/15 Staff Milestone 0.0625 gallons mix / 0.015 oz. product

Yellow flag iris 152 applications (124 Lawrence Lk.)

4-7/15 Staff / Contractor

Polaris 612.74 gallons mix / 1,098 oz. product

Poison Hemlock 6 applications 4-10/15 Staff Polaris 2.13 gallons mix / 5.43 oz. product

Wild Chervil 2 applications 5/1/15 Staff Polaris 0.13 gallons mix / 0.33 oz. product

Wild Chervil 4 applications 5/7-19/15

Staff Milestone 1.63 gallons mix / 0.38 oz. product

Knapweed spp. 32 applications 5-7/15 Staff Milestone 9.25 gallons mix / 2.19 oz. product

Hawkweed spp. 6 applications 5-6/15 Staff Milestone 4.25 gallons mix / 0.99 oz. product

Sulfur Cinquefoil 5 applications 6/11/15 Staff Milestone 6.5 gallons mix / 1.54 oz. product

Knotweed spp. 158 applications 8-10/15 Staff Polaris 202.79 gallons mix / 395 oz. product

Knotweed spp. 5 applications 9/8-22/15

Staff Roundup PowerMAX

28.16 oz. product (injection)

Purple Loosestrife 2 applications 9/16-20/15

Staff Polaris 1 gallon mix / 1.95 oz. product

Lakes Program Curly-leaf Pondweed

2 applications Long Lake

4/13/15 Contractor Clearcast (liquid)

77.1 gallons mix / 1,159 oz. product

Big leaf, Curly-leaf & var. Pondweed spp.

5 applications Long Lake

4-5/15 Contractor Clearcast 2.7g (pellets)

3,379 lbs. granules w/ clay binder / 91.2 lbs. A/I

Big leaf, Sago, Curly-leaf & var. Pondweed spp., Common naiad,

9 applications Lawrence Lk.

4/30/15 Contractor Sonar Q 809.4 lbs. granules w/ clay binder / 40.5 lbs. A/I

Big leaf Pondweed, Common naiad

18 applications Lawrence Lk.

5/21/15 6/8/15

Contractor Sonar PR 700.6 lbs. granules w/ clay binder / 35 lbs. A/I

Thurston County Annual IPM Report - 2015


Solid Waste (WARC) Weeds WARC 2015 County Employee

Habitat 55 gallons mix / 110 oz product

Weeds/grass/hemlock WARC 2015 County Employee

RoundUp Pro 126 gallons mix / 252 oz product

Rodents Waste and Recovery Center

2015 Contractor

Contrax Blocks 50 pounds

Closed Loop Park (WARC) Weeds Closed Loop Park (WARC)

2015 County Employee

KleenUp Pro 20 gallons mix / 45 oz product

Weeds Closed Loop Park (WARC)

2015 County Employee RoundUp Pro 3 gallons mix / 6 oz product

Central Services Rodents McLane Bldg. 2015

Contractor Blue Max 114 blocks @ 0.71 oz. / block = 81 oz.

Rodents McLane Bldg. 2015

Contractor Generation Bait 21 blocks @ 0.71 oz. / block = 15 oz.

Rodents PHSS 2015

Contractor Generation Bait 12 blocks @ 0.71 oz. / block = 9 oz.

Rodents PHSS

2015 Contractor Blue Max 127 blocks @ 0.71 oz. / block = 90 oz.

Rodents Mary Elder Bldg. (CSTU)

2015 Contractor Generation Bait 90 blocks @ 0.71 oz. / block = 64 oz.

Rodents Mary Elder Bldg. (CSTU)


Rodents ARC


Rodents ARC


Rodents Medic One


Rodents Medic One


Rodents Court House Buildings 1-3


Rodents Court House Buildings 1-3


Rodents Tilley Road Facility


Rodents Tilley Road Facility


Weeds Tilley Road Facility

2015 Contractor Prosecutor herbicide

6 gallons mix / 12 oz product

Weeds Medic One





Weeds ARC



Weeds Juvenile Court



Parks Program Perennial Weeds Yelm Highway 2015 County Employee

Cornerstone Plus 55 gallon mix / 220 oz product

Perennial Weeds Martin Way 2015

County Employee

Cornerstone Plus 5.5 gallons mix / 22 oz product

Perennial Weeds Frye Cove Park 2015

County Employee

Cornerstone Plus 5 gallons mix / 20 oz product

Perennial Weeds Burfoot Park 2015

County Employee


Perennial Weeds Kenneydell Park 2015 County Employee


Perennial Weeds Chehalis Western Trail

2015 County Employee


Glacial Heritage Preserve Eurasian Grasses Glacial Heritage 2015

CNLM Envoy Plus 5225 gallons mix/ 26.1 gallons product

Scotch Broom Glacial Heritage 2015 CNLM

Garlon 4 Ultra 1185 gallons mix/ 23.7 gallons product


Table 2: Thurston County 2015 Pesticide Application Totals

Department Product Amount of Product

Amount of Active Ingredient (or acid equivalents)

Amount of Product and Mix Applied

Noxious Weeds Program

22Polaris 1,702.6 fluid oz. Imazapyr = 26.6 pounds 896.5 gallons 4Milestone 63.9 fluid oz. Aminopyralid = 1 pound 268.8 gallons 24Roundup PowerMAX 28.2 fluid oz. Glyphosate = 1 pound 0.2 gallons

Solid Waste (WARC) 3Habitat 110 fluid oz. Imazapyr = 1.7 pounds 55 gallons 1RoundUp Pro 258 fluid oz. Glyphosate = 6 pounds 129 gallons 21KleenUp Pro 45 fluid oz. Glyphosate = 1 pound 20 gallons 12Contrac Blox 50 pounds Bromadiolone = 0.0025 pounds 50 pounds

Parks Program 25Cornerstone Plus 306 fluid oz. Glyphosate = 9.6 pounds 76.5 gallons

Glacial Heritage Preserve

5Garlon 4 Ultra 3,034 fluid oz. Triclopyr = 94.8 pounds 1185 gallons 34Envoy Plus Herbicide 3,340 fluid oz. Clethodim = 25.3 pounds 5225 gallons

Lakes Program

33Clearcast 1,159.3 fluid oz. Imazamox = 9 pounds 77 gallons

27Clearcast 2.7G 3,379.2 pounds Imazamox = 91 pounds 3,379 pounds

7Sonar Q 809.5 pounds Fluridone = 40.5 pounds 809.5 pounds 7Sonar PR 701.5 pounds Fluridone = 35 pounds 701.5 pounds

Central Services 8Generation Bait 298 oz. Difethialone = 0.04 ounces 19 pounds

35Blue Max 744 oz. Difethialone = 0.04 ounces 47 pounds

32Prosecutor Herbicide 48 fluid oz. Glyphosate = 1.5 pounds 24 gallons

1Roundup Pro has 3# acid equivalents/gallon product 2Aquamaster and AquaPro have 4# acid equivalents/gallon product 3Habitat has 2# acid equivalents/gallon product 4Milestone has 2# acid equivalents/gallon 5Garlon 4 Ultra has 4# acid equivalents/gallon product 6Poast has 1.5# acid equivalents/gallon product 7Sonar Q and Sonar (PR) have 5% fluridone 8Generation bait (0.71 oz per block) at 0.0025% 9Spectracide (prallethrin at 0.025%) and (Lambda cyhalothrin at 0.01%) 10Phantom (chlorfenapyr at 21.4%) 11Drione (silica gel at 40%, piperonyl butoxide at 10% and pyrethrins at 1%) 12Contrac Blox contain 0.005% active ingredient 13Maki Mini Blocks contain 0.005% active ingredient 14Ditrac All Weather Blox contain 0.005% active ingredient 15Conquer EC contains 0.25% active ingredient 16Element 3A has 3# acid equivalents/gallon product 17Termidor contains 9.1% of the active ingredient fipronil 18Tempo Ultra WP contains 10% of the active ingredient B-cyfluthrin 19Mad Dog has 3# acid equivalents/gallon product 20Fusilade DX has 2# acid equivalents/gallon 21Ranger Pro / KleenUp have 3# acid/gallon 22Polaris has 2# acid equivalents/gallon product 23Garlon 3A has 3# acid equivalents/gallon product 24Roundup PowerMAX has 4.5# acid equivalents/gallon product 25Cornerstone Plus - 4# acid equivalents/gallon 26Polaris AC has 4# acid equivalents/gallon product 27Clearcast 2.7G has 0.027# acid equivalents per pound of product 28Stingray has 1.9# active ingredient/gallon product 29Aqua Pier has 2# active ingredient/gallon product 30Demand CS contains 9.7% lambda cyhalothrin 31RoundUp Weed and Grass Killer has 4# acid/gallon 34Envoy Plus has 0.97# active ingredient/gallon

32Prosecutor has 4.17# acid equivalents/gallon product 35Blue Max bait (0.71 oz per block) at 0.0025%

33Clearcast has 1# active ingredient/gallon product


Table 3: Summary of Pesticide Product Applications from 1996 to 2014 by Department:

Year Noxious Weeds Parks & Preserve

Solid Waste (WARC) Lakes Program Central Services

1996 Roundup = 94 oz Roundup = 13.5 gallons Combined with Parks data Tempo 20 WP = 1 oz Drione Dust = 0.25 oz Vengeance = 2 oz Rodeo = 5220 oz

Tempo 20 WP = 12.7 oz Drione dust = 0.5 oz Gentrol = 3.5 oz

1997 Roundup = 106 oz Manage = 0 .71 oz Stinger = 2.5 oz

Roundup = 8.2 gallons Combined with Parks data Rodeo = 1318 oz No applications

1998 Roundup = 42 oz Manage = 0.38 oz Stinger = 28.5 oz

Roundup Pro = 3 gallons Combined with Parks data No applications Tempo 20% WP = 2.68 oz Drione Dust = 48 oz

1999 Roundup = 62 oz Manage = 0 .05 oz Stinger = 4.75 oz

Roundup = 6.2 gallons Enforcer (Wasp) = 12 oz

Combined with Parks data No applications No applications

2000 Roundup = 78.3 oz Manage =0 .05 oz Stinger =0 .16 oz

Roundup = 12 gallons Fast Trac = 0.56 oz

Combined with Parks data No applications Tempo 20% WP = 0.84 oz Drione Dust = 1.25 oz

2001 Roundup = 16.6 oz Manage = 0 .05 oz Transline =0 .14 oz

Roundup = 19.3 gallons Spectracide = 40 oz Ortho Hornet & Wasp = 24oz

Combined with Parks data No applications No applications

2002 Roundup = 20 oz Roundup = 75.4 gallons Fastrac = 32 g or 1 oz

Combined with Parks data No applications Drione = 2 oz Tempo 20 WP = 1 oz

2003 Roundup = 112 oz Transline = 2 oz

Roundup = 39 gallons Combined with Parks data Rodeo = 270 oz Contrac Blox = 51.25 oz

2004 Roundup = 183.6 oz Aquamaster = 224 oz

Roundup = 17.4 gallons Fast Trac Blox = 3.4 oz

Combined with Parks data Rodeo = 180 oz product Contrac Blox = 46 oz Tempo 20 WP = 12 oz Talstar 1 = 8 oz Drione Dust = 0.2 oz Phantom = 34.5 oz

2005 Roundup = 112 oz Aquamaster = 3,322oz

Roundup = 1,957.5 oz Combined with Parks data No applications Contrac Blox = 122 oz Tempo 20 wp = .88 oz Drione dust = .5 oz

2006 Roundup = 32 oz Rodeo = 154 oz Aquamaster = 1,427oz Habitat = 1,129 oz Milestone = 96 oz

Glyphosate = 585.5 oz Combined with Parks data Rodeo = 326 oz Contrac Blox = 36 oz Tempo 20 WP = 10 g = .35 oz Drione Dust = 4 oz Phantom = 28.5 oz




2007 Roundup = 62.9 oz Aquamaster = 7.8 oz Habitat = 311 oz Milestone = 60 oz

Glyphosate = 6,660.5 oz Combined with Parks data Glyphosate =1203oz AquaPro = 2227 oz Fluridone = 720.2 oz Sonar-PR = 1,107 pounds

Generation Bait = 30.3 oz Tempo 20 WP = 1.5 oz Drione Dust = 7 oz Phantom = .25 oz

2008 Roundup = 18 oz Habitat = 123.9 oz Milestone = 5.6 oz

Glyphosate = 738 oz Garlon 4 = 2551.6 oz / 20 gal

Combined with Parks data Glyphosate = 2,406.2 oz AquaPro = 4,454 oz Fluridone = 94 lbs. Sonar-PR= 1,881 pounds

Generation Bait = 0.09 oz Drione Dust = 2.5 oz Termidor = 0.8 oz

2009 Roundup = 11.7 oz Habitat = 126.6 oz Milestone = 194 oz Aquamaster = 4 oz

RoundUp = 1,600 oz Spectracide Wasp and Hornet Killer= 60 oz. Milestone = 44 oz Garlon 4 =1,248 oz.

Round up = 248 oz Glyphosate = 128 oz AquaPro = 243 oz Sonar PR= 2,842 pounds

Generation Bait = 0.12 oz Tempo 20wp = 0.75 oz

2010 RoundUp Pro = 1.6oz Aquamaster = 245 oz Habitat = 126 oz Milestone = 3.4 oz

RoundUp = 1,369 oz Spectracide Wasp and Hornet Killer= 20 oz. Poast = 1,645 oz Garlon 4 Ultra = 2,518 oz.

RoundUp Pro = 34 oz Sonar Q = 3,593 pounds Generation Bait = 92 oz Phantom = 2.6 oz Drione = 1.9 oz

2011 RoundUp Pro = 0.2 oz Habitat = 155 oz Milestone = 19.6 oz Element 3A = 2 oz

RoundUp = 151 oz Fusilade = 2,242 oz Garlon 4 Ultra = 4,032 oz.

RoundUp Pro = 345 oz Contrac Blox = 59 pounds Maki Blocks = 2 pounds Ditrac All Weather Blox = 1 pound Conquer EC = 1 ounce

Sonar PR= 719 pounds Sonar Q = 2,876 pounds

Generation Bait = 9.75 pounds Phantom = 0.75 oz Termidor = 0.4 oz Tempo 20wp = 0.2 oz Drione = 0.2 oz

2012 RoundUp Pro = 43 oz Ranger Pro = 21 oz Element 3A = 7.6 oz Habitat = 32.7 oz Milestone = 36.5 oz Polaris = 44.8 oz

RoundUp/Mad Dog = 171 oz Fusilade = 2,818 oz Garlon 4 Ultra = 5,478 oz.

RoundUp Pro = 329 oz Contrac Blox = 48 pounds

AquaPro = 849 oz Sonar PR= 396 pounds Sonar Q = 1,473 pounds

Generation Bait = 48.5 pounds Drione = 0.4 oz Termidor = 0.3 oz




2013 Ranger Pro = 21.3fl oz Garlon 3A = 2.5 fl oz Milestone = 97.7 fl oz Polaris = 203.5 fl oz

RoundUp PowerMAX = 56 fl oz Cornerstone Plus = 340 fl oz Mad Dog = 1,728 fl oz Fusilade = 3,840 fl oz Garlon 4 Ultra = 3,968 fl oz.

RoundUp Pro = 947 fl oz Contrac Blox = 50 pounds

AquaPro = 640 fl oz Sonar PR= 467 pounds Sonar Q = 2,277 pounds Clearcast 2.7G = 5,400 lbs

Generation Bait = 83 pounds Drione = 0.4 oz Tempo 20 WP = 0.116 oz Phantom = 0.75 oz

2014 Ranger Pro = 17.2 fl oz Milestone = 61.5 fl oz Polaris = 131.2 fl oz Polaris AC = 105 fl oz

Cornerstone Plus = 258 fl oz Mad Dog = 5,440 fl oz Fusilade DX = 7,130 fl oz Garlon 4 Ultra = 3,200 fl oz.

RoundUp Pro = 1,686 fl oz Contrac Blox = 50 pounds KleenUp = 16 fl oz RoundUp Weed and Grass Killer Super Concentrate = 20 fl oz

Clearcast 2.7G = 7,240 lbs AquaPier = 410 fluid oz. Stingray = 1,057 fluid oz. Polaris = 269 fluid oz.

Generation Bait = 98 pounds Tempo 20 WP = 0.9 oz Demand CS = 0.2 oz Prosecutor = 78 oz

2015 RoundUp PowerMAX = 28.2 fl oz Milestone = 63.9 fl oz Polaris = 1702.6 fl oz

Envoy Plus = 3,340 fl oz Garlon 4 Ultra = 3,034 fl oz. Cornerstone Plus = 306 fl oz.

RoundUp Pro = 258 fl oz Contrac Blox = 50 pounds KleenUp Pro = 45 fl oz Habitat = 110 fl oz

Clearcast 2.7G = 3,379 lbs Clearcast = 7,240 fluid oz. Sonar Q = 809.5 lbs Sonar PR = 701.5 lbs

Generation Bait = 19 pounds Blue Max Bait = 47 pounds Prosecutor Herbicide = 48 fl oz.

FINAL - Thurston County's 2015 Annual Integrated Pest ...owned by the County include the Thurston...

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