Use of Certified Forage To Prevent the Spread of Noxious Weeds on National Forest System Lands in Montana

Résumé

The Regional Forester for the Northern Region of the Forest Service has adopted a final policy which prohibits the use of hay, grain, straw, cubes or pelletized feed on National Forest System lands in Montana unless it is certified as free of noxious weeds or noxious weed seeds. This requirement will affect such users as recreationists using pack and saddle stock, ranchers operating under Forest Service grazing permits, outfitters and guides operating under Forest Service permits, and contractors who use straw or hay for reseeding or erosion control purposes on National Forest System-administered lands in Montana. This proposal has been developed in coordination with the State of Montana and Bureau of Land Management Montana State Office, which is publishing a similar decision in a separate notice in this same part of today's Federal Register. The intended effect is to coordinate prevention of the spread of undesirable weeds on federal lands in Montana.