Proposed Dates of Use: (POSTPONED) May 2nd, 2024 – May 31th, 2024; as weather conditions and operational factors permit

Street Address/Site Name: Various locations within Storm Water Utility access roads, conveyance channels and retention ponds.

Detailed Location of Application Site: Along driveways, along fence lines, behind structures and around infrastructure in the following areas:

• SDS #1 including access road on west side of pond 
• SDS #2 including access road on F St. 
• SDS #3 at H St 
• SDS #4 Core Area Pond north and west access roads 
• SDS #5 1 mile south of I80 in bypass, north and south side of station 
• SDS #6 SE side of Richards BLVD underpass 
• SDS #7 at Sutter Davis 
• SDS #8 at Evergreen Pond and access road 
• SDS#9 on Cannery Loop 
• F St Channel from Covell to Anderson 
• Chiles Road access next to CalFire 
• Putah Creek access road from Mace Blvd 
• Second St from L St to Mace Blvd 
• Sycamore channel from Hwy 113 to Sycamore Rd, including access road 
• Olive Dr channel west of Lincoln Hwy bike path 
• Mace channel east to road 105 
• El Macero channel off Chiles road 
• Putah Creek access road from Mace Blvd east to Woodbridge 
• Covell channel east from Lake Blvd to Sutter Road 
• John Jones Road from SDS #7 to road 99B 
• Inside retention basins

Posting and Notification: Site notifications will be posted at least 48 hours before application at site entrances and will remain posted for 24 hours post-treatment, and via the pesticide application electronic notification system.  

Pesticide Products: Capstone, Vastlan

Product (W/ active ingredients): CAPSTONE - Aminopyralid 2.22% Triclopyr 16.22%
EPA Reg #: 62719-572
Pesticide Type: Herbicide
City Use Type: Tier 2. Less Hazardous. Less Restrictive

Product (W/ active ingredients): VASTLAN- Triclopyr choline: 2-[(3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinyl)oxy] acetic acid, choline salt 54.72%
EPA Reg #: 62719-687
Pesticide Type: Herbicide
City Use Type: Tier 2. Less Hazardous. Less Restrictive

Target Pests: Woody vegetation that poses a fire fuel threat and/or blocks maintenance access to the facility.

Justification for Use: Staff needs to conduct fire-fuel abatement in stormwater maintenance areas, and for safe, year-round vehicle access to these critical infrastructure facilities. Dense woody vegetation in close proximity to residential areas and utilities poses a threat to homes and infrastructure due to the fire-fuel loads they represent. Simply cutting back most tree and shrub species results in multi-stemmed regrowth that is thicker and more difficult to manage. Herbicide stump-cut treatments are necessary to kill the unwanted vegetation and prevent regrowth, thus reducing the need for additional chemical applications for vegetation management.

Explanation of IPM Methods Used: The remaining stormwater management areas are maintained using non chemical approaches.  Access roads, channels and slopes that can be mowed or trimmed  receive those treatments, as needed, to keep access clear and fire risk low.

Strategies to Prevent Future Applications:

• Well-timed stump-cut application will kill the specific, unwanted tree or shrub immediately and eliminate the need for future management. 
• Once large, unwanted woody vegetation is removed, staff can prevent the establishment of new woody vegetation through mowing and hand removal while still small.
• Re-incorporate grazing as a management tool for larger sites, as grazing can be an effective way to suppress woody vegetation, thus reducing the need for future applications.
• Prescribed fire as a tool for weed suppression in appropriate locations

Additional comments: Thinning dense areas of vegetation can help protect habitat value by reducing fuels that could lead to intense fires that result in full loss of habitat. Staff possess  extensive experience with vegetation fuel management and aim to limit the overall reliance on herbicide use while continuing to meet their mandate for public health and safety.

More information on the IPM Program, including the current Policies and Procedures guidance, can be found on the City's webpage: Integrated Pest Management