В Айдахо планируют уничтожение инвазивных трав с помощью авиаспрей-операций

Planned aerial spraying to target invasive annual grasses Published 11:00 am Thursday, August 27, 2026 Idaho Fish & Game and partners next month plan to conduct low-elevation spraying by helicopter in parts of the south-central region to control the spread of invasive annual grasses such as cheatgrass. Pre-emergent herbicide will be sprayed on hillsides starting the week of Sept. 1 through Sept. 12, according to a news release. Areas to be treated include a portion of Willow Creek, Fleck Summit, Phillips Creek and Deer Creek drainages — in game management units 43, 44 and 48 — and parts of the Trapper Creek, Hopper Gulch and Big Cedar Canyon drainages in unit 54. About 8,000 acres will be sprayed overall. Treatments — to be conducted on a day or days where wind and weather conditions meet parameters — are expected for two to three days per location. Staging is planned at multiple sites. Native grasses, forbs and shrubs “struggle to grow when competing with annual grasses,” Fish & Game regional wildlife habitat biologist Miranda Reinson said in the release. And invasive grasses are highly flammable, “which increases both the risk and intensity of wildfire.” Planned treatments will “help reduce fire risk and improve wildlife habitat for a variety of species,” she said. Areas to be treated “provide important habitat for big game animals such as mule deer, pronghorn and elk,” Reinson said. By reducing cheatgrass on the landscape, native vegetation can thrive and provide more nutrition forage for those species. The project involves Fish & Game, the Sawtooth National Forest, the Mule Deer Foundation, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Reasons for fall spraying • Most seeds dropped by invasive annual grasses germinate in fall following the first moisture. Applying herbicide before germination helps prevent them from becoming established plants. The most effective application period is from late August through early October, according to the release. • Weather patterns are more predictable, allowing spraying during low-wind conditions. • Fall precipitation helps bind the herbicide to the soil, where it can remain effective. And cheatgrass is largely dormant in the fall before green-up begins. • Treating after fire season avoids the risk pf a wildfire occurring before rainfall can incorporate the herbicide into the soil, which could reduce or eliminate effectiveness. (Source: Idaho Fish & Game)