This first Monday of fall brings a new effort against invasive species in Central Oregon. The U.S. Forest Service and the Oregon Department of Agriculture will begin spraying for invasive plants on Monday.
Throughout the day, drivers will find trucks applying herbicide in the Deschutes National Forest, along Highway 20 near Santiam Pass.
Forest Service spokeswoman Tory Kurtz is a Forest Service spokeswoman. She says the forest will not be closed during the spraying.
“Well, we have some additional herbicides we can now use that were analyzed in the 2012 invasive plant implementation project,” Kurtz says. “They have been thoroughly analyzed and are safe.”
The agencies are specifically going after St John’s wort, diffuse and spotted knapweed, and dalmation toadflax.
Ten sites in the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests, and the Crooked River National Grassland will be sprayed this Fall.
(This was first reported for OPB News.)
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