The BLM has approved the addition of seven herbicide active ingredients to its available tools for vegetation management on public lands, including the use of Indaziflam. The herbicide has been proven to help eliminate cheatgrass, a troublesome and landscape altering terrestrial invasive species in the sagebrush steppe.

Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, who spearheads the fight against invasive species and led a task force to make recommendations on how to best target eradication, said it is good news, but late in coming.

“Overall, the BLM’s approval is welcome news; albeit it would have been even more welcome months ago as states and counties were planning a coordinated spraying program for the season,” he said in a recent press release.

At the governor’s request, the Wyoming Legislature approved $9 million for battling terrestrial invasives this year.

“Having additional tools to ensure a consistent, thorough and effective invasive plant eradication effort benefits Wyoming's wildlife, fire prevention and habitat improvement programs. It is important to Wyoming’s fight against cheatgrass that federal land management agencies use consistent, proven methods that focus on the goal of landscape health foremost,” Gordon said.

During the draft’s public comment period, the BLM hosted a virtual, webinar based, public meeting to discuss and gather public input on the analysis of seven herbicide active ingredients to control noxious weeds and invasive species on public lands.

With this approval, Indaziflam will be eligible for application on 18 million acres of BLM land in Wyoming. Wyoming invests millions of dollars annually to prevent the proliferation of terrestrial invasive species, including cheatgrass, ventana and medusahead.

The BLM manages 245 million acres of public lands primarily in the Western United States, including Alaska. Seventy-nine million of these acres are impacted by noxious and invasive weeds. One of the BLM's highest priorities is to promote ecosystem health and one of the greatest obstacles to achieving this goal is the rapid expansion of weeds across public lands.

“These invasive plants can dominate and often cause permanent damage to natural plant communities,” BLM officials said in the press release.

“If not eradicated or controlled, noxious weeds will continue to jeopardize the health of the public lands and to constrain the myriad activities that occur on public lands,” reports the  bureau’s Weeds and Invasives chapter.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) originated in Europe or Eurasia and was introduced to the U.S. in the mid- to late-1800s as a contaminant in seed and straw. It germinates in the fall and early spring, and grows rapidly and in high numbers, making it highly competitive with native species. Cheatgrass is also disrupting the fire cycle in sage habitat and other Western ecosystems, leading to more frequent and more intense burns.

Sagebrush steppe is one of the most widely distributed ecosystems in North America. Found in 11 western states, this important yet fragile ecosystem is dominated by sagebrush, but also contains a diversity of native shrubs, grasses and flowering plants. It provides critical habitat for wildlife like pronghorn and threatened species such as the greater sage-grouse, and is grazed by livestock on public and private lands.

“This landscape is increasingly threatened by shifts in wildfire patterns, the spread of invasive grasses, and changing climate conditions. While sagebrush is slow to recover after fires, non-native grasses such as cheatgrass thrive in post-fire conditions and the spread of these species can increase the frequency and intensity of wildfires. These changes to the sagebrush ecosystems have implications for big game, threatened wildlife, and ranching,” the USGS Climate Adaptive Science Center said in its report, Improving the Success of Post-Fire Adaptive Management Strategies in Sagebrush Steppe

Addressing this knowledge gap has been identified as a “high priority” in the DOI Integrated Rangeland Fire Management Strategy, by the BLM Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation Program, and by state management agencies in the West. The results of this project will support adaptive management of sagebrush ecosystems, which will be critical if these ecologically and economically important landscapes are to be maintained into the future, according to the USGS.