Aerial treatment of salt cedar within threatened and endangered species habitat - a success story

Abstract

The Lower Rio Grande Salt Cedar Control Project treated 7,648 acres of monotypic Tamarisk (Salt cedar) in riparian areas along the Rio Grande in Socorro, Sierra, and Dona Ana Counties in New Mexico. We contracted North Star Helicopters, Inc. to do aerial treatment of these Salt cedar stands. The biggest issue in doing this treatment was the presence of the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher, an endangered bird species that is now nesting in Salt cedar. For this project to be undertaken, we had to ensure the USFWS that no treatment would occur within the ¼-mile buffer radius of the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher’s nesting sites. We had ESRI (Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc.) shape files of the nesting sites with the ¼-mile buffer. These files were uploaded into the on-board Trimble GPS units on the helicopters and marked as exclusion zones. The spray pump could not be activated when the helicopter was within this zone. The on-board GPS units also had real-time differential correction. ESRI shape files of the areas to be treated were loaded into the GPS units. When the helicopter was within the boundaries of these files, the spray pump could be activated. When outside of these boundaries, the spray pump could not be activated. This project was very successful. It was done with several constraints such as the exclusion zones, and the time period allotted for treatment. Current technology allows us to do accurate and safe treatment.

Parent Publication

• Monitoring Science and Technology Symposium: Unifying Knowledge for Sustainability in the Western Hemisphere

Citation

Stowe, Nyleen H. Troxel. 2006. Aerial treatment of salt cedar within threatened and endangered species habitat - a success story. In: Aguirre-Bravo, C.; Pellicane, Patrick J.; Burns, Denver P.; and Draggan, Sidney, Eds. 2006. Monitoring Science and Technology Symposium: Unifying Knowledge for Sustainability in the Western Hemisphere Proceedings RMRS-P-42CD. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. p. 254-256