Lake Okeechobee Aquatic Plant Management Interagency Task ... · Gary Russ . Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Susanna Toledo . Mariah McInnis . Andrea Dominguez

Lake Okeechobee Aquatic Plant Management Interagency Task Force

Meeting Proceedings The following individuals attended the Lake Okeechobee Aquatic Plant Management Interagency Task Force meeting on 03 May 2017 at the Lee County Hyacinth Control District (LCHCD) in Lehigh Acres, FL. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) David Lattuca Jon Lane (Phone) Gary Russ Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Susanna Toledo Mariah McInnis Andrea Dominguez Brent Bachelder Bill Caton (Phone) South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Mike Bodle Steve Smith (Phone) Other Attendees Kurt Ramsey, Applied Aquatic Management Kelli Gladding, SePRO Corporation James Boggs, Helena Chemical Co. Linda Defee, Aquatic Vegetation Control Inc. Jason Cull, Lee County Hyacinth Control District Kevin Watts, Lee County Hyacinth Control District Marla Hamilton, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Phone) Mary Ann Martin, Roland Martin Marina (Phone) Ramon Iglesias, Roland Martin Marina (Phone) Paul Gray, Audubon Florida Call to Order David Lattuca called the meeting to order at 10:00 A.M. Roll Call was taken. He reminded the group that the Task Force meeting is available through the AT&T Teleconference Services. The meeting is recorded and saved digitally. Meeting proceedings will be disseminated to the Task Force email distribution list and uploaded to the Task Force website: http://www.floridainvasives.org/okeechobee/ The Corps of Engineers shall chair, and actively solicit participation in the Lake Okeechobee Aquatic Plant Management Interagency Task Force. The Task Force members will represent

State of Florida agencies (including the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the South Florida Water Management District), State Universities, the Corps of Engineers, and other Federal agencies. The Task Force will serve in an advisory capacity, providing multi-disciplinary technical and scientific data from which the Corps' aquatic plant management strategy, methodology, and research planning and operational efforts will evolve. The focus of the aquatic plant effort will be to benefit the overall ecological health of Lake Okeechobee Public Comment Period Mary Ann Martin asked if any members of the Task Force knew the weather forecast as it relates to the drought that is impacting South Florida, and if any agency is going to be able to complete a prescribed fire on Lake Okeechobee while the water levels are low. Brent Bachelder responded to Mary Ann by providing her with the forecast from the National Weather Service, which predicts below average rainfall for the next few weeks. Brent also stated that FWC will not be able to complete a prescribed fire on Lake Okeechobee while there is drought in South Florida, because the Florida Forest Service (FFS) wont issue prescribed fire authorizations. There are too many wildfires burning, which inhibits the FFS from participating in prescribed fires on Lake Okeechobee. Prescribed burning on Lake Okeechobee will resume once the dangers of wildfires are decreased. FWC Status Report Susanna Toledo reported that 1282 acres of floating plants (Eichhornia crassipes & Pistia stratiotes) were treated on Lake Okeechobee since the last Task Force meeting on 2/15/2017. Oxycaryum cubense, Luziola subintegra, Hymenachne amplexicaulis & Nymphoides cristata were also treated. Currently, FWC is utilizing Applied Aquatic Management, Aquatic Vegetation Control, and Lake and Wetland Management. Currently, the applicators are in maintenance control for Water Hyacinth and Water Lettuce. Susanna Toledo informed the group that there are no major infestations of Water Hyacinth or Water Lettuce, so the crews are actively surveying and seeking out small amounts of the invasive species, while treating as necessary. Currently there are 15 applicators on the Lake.

Aerial Survey Report of Floating Vegetation An aerial survey was conducted prior to the interagency meeting on 08 March 2017, 05 April 2017, & 01 May 2017 flights.

Lake Okeechobee Interagency Flight

Date March 08, 2017

Lake Elevation 12.66 (Feet-NGVD29)

Summary of Estimates

Area of Lake Average % SFWMD FWC1 FWC2

1. Torrey & Kreamer 21.67 9% 20 40 5

2. Ritta 50.00 20% 40 60 50

3. East Wall - Coot Bay 21.67 9% 25 30 10

4. West Wall - Whidden 66.67 26% 60 90 50

5. Fisheating Bay 15.00 6% 15 20 10

6. Harney - Indian Prairie 26.67 11% 40 30 10

7. Indian P. - Kissimmee 18.33 7% 25 20 10

8. King's Bar 13.33 5% 20 10 10

9. Kissimmee - Taylor Cr. 11.67 5% 15 15 5

10. Taylor Cr. - Chancey 6.67 3% 10 5 5

TOTALS 251.67 100% 270 320 165

Participants: SFWMD, Mike Bodle FWC1, Susanna Toledo FWC2, Alyssa Jordan

Lake Okeechobee Interagency Flight

Date April 05, 2017

Lake Elevation 12.00 (Feet-NGVD29)

Summary of Estimates

Area of Lake Average % SFWMD1 SFWMD2 FWC AAM

1. Torrey & Kreamer 23.33 14% 15 5 50 5

2. Ritta 21.67 13% 25 10 30 15

3. East Wall - Coot Bay 8.33 5% 10 5 10 5

4. West Wall - Whidden 45.00 28% 30 25 80 30

5. Fisheating Bay 6.67 4% 10 5 5 5

6. Harney - Indian Prairie 28.67 18% 30 16 40 15

7. Indian P. - Kissimmee 6.67 4% 5 5 10 5

8. King's Bar 5.67 3% 10 2 5 2

9. Kissimmee - Taylor Cr. 13.33 8% 20 5 15 10

10. Taylor Cr. - Chancey 4.00 2% 5 2 5 3

TOTALS 163.33 100% 160 80 250 95

Participants: SFWMD1, Mike Bodle SFWMD2, Alex Onisko FWC, Susanna Toledo AAM, Kurt Ramsey

Lake Okeechobee Interagency Flight

Date May 01, 2017

Lake Elevation 11.60 (Feet-NGVD29)

Summary of Estimates

Area of Lake Average % SFWMD FWC1 FWC2

1. Torrey & Kreamer 10.00 8% 10 10 10

2. Ritta 10.00 8% 10 10 10

3. East Wall - Coot Bay 10.00 8% 10 10 10

4. West Wall - Whidden 21.67 17% 20 30 15

5. Fisheating Bay 8.33 6% 10 5 10

6. Harney - Indian Prairie 11.67 9% 10 15 10

7. Indian P. - Kissimmee 10.00 8% 10 10 10

8. King's Bar 11.67 9% 10 10 15

9. Kissimmee - Taylor Cr. 21.67 17% 20 30 15

10. Taylor Cr. - Chancey 13.33 10% 15 10 15

TOTALS 128.33 100% 125 140 120

Participants: SFWMD, Mike Bodle FWC1, Susanna Toledo FWC2, Mariah McInnis

USACE David Lattuca informed the group that the Removal of Aquatic Growth (RAG) Cooperative Agreement DACW147-85-H-0020 between USACE and FWC is working well. David Lattuca has been pleased with Susanna Toledo’s management of invasive species on Lake Okeechobee. David Lattuca shared with the group that he has been satisfied with Applied Aquatic Management (AAM), Aquatic Vegetation Control (AVC), & Lake and Wetland Management applicators effort on Lake Okeechobee. David Lattuca told the group that he has changed the Task Force and Jacksonville websites to better represent FWC’s Schedule of Operations. There are now direct links to FWC’s website: https://public.myfwc.com/HSC/PMARS/waterbodySchedule.aspx . Members of the public can enter Okeechobee in the search bar and gather information the Work Plan and Schedule of Operations. FWC (At the time of the meeting, FWC’s responses were not yet sent out to the attendees of the public meeting. The below email was sent out on 5/4/2017). Thank you for your interest and concerns for Lake Okeechobee. Attached to this email are the questions, comments and FWC responses from the April 11, 2017 meeting in Clewiston along with a copy of the presentations that were given. If you have any additional questions, please contact the subject matter expert listed on the Contacts page of the Okeechobee Public Comments. Thanks again for your input, we look forward to working with you.

Everyone at the meeting did not leave an email address to send this follow-up letter. Please feel free to forward this information to any interested party. This information will also be posted on the Lake Okeechobee Interagency Task Force website at www.floridainvasives.org/okeechobee

There are 4 documents attached to this email. See list below:

• Okeechobee_PublicComments.pdf • Fishery_Okeechobee.pdf • SnailKite_Okeechobee.pdf • PlantManagement_Okeechobee.pdf

Andrea Dominguez asked for the Task Force’s help in answering a question on how members of the public can be appointed to the Task Force. A group of fisherman would like to have more input than the allotted 30 minutes of public comment period at the beginning of the meeting. David Lattuca responded that the Lake Okeechobee Aquatic Plant Management Task Force was formed with the creation of the Corps of Engineers Letter of Operating Procedures for Aquatic Plant Management on Lake Okeechobee – Policy Guidelines, signed March of 1989 (Attachment #1). As chairman, David Lattuca will more actively solicit participation from members of the public, to include fisherman. Ramon Inglesias told David Lattuca that he would like to have 3 members of the public appointed to the Task Force. These member will be able to attend the

meetings, and participate in constructive conversations. David Lattuca will work with Ramon to better include members of the public. David Lattuca will communicate with the members of the Task Force before the Letter of Operating Procedures is altered. FWC stated that they are planning on conducting more public meetings around Lake Okeechobee, but none are planned yet. Paul Gray told the group that the message that he took away from the Clewiston public meeting is that there is a stronger need for accountability and data collection with FWC’s Invasive Plant Management on Lake Okeechobee. Bill Caton wanted to know more specifically what data should be recorded. Paul Gray wants more documentation on the before and after effects of herbicide treatments on the plant communities and the ecosystem responses for the Invasive Plant Management activities on Lake Okeechobee. Bill Caton response was that FWC doesn’t have the staff in order to complete the data collection and monitoring that Paul Gray is requesting. Paul Gray states that it might be a good idea to have a separate meeting to discuss how to better monitor and collect data on the impacts that FWC’s Invasive Plant Management activities are having on Lake Okeechobee. Ramon Inglesias believes that a way to solve the monitoring problem would be to use GoPro cameras that the applicators would have to utilize. FWC will discuss the idea of using GoPro cameras more with Ramon Inglesias. Brent Bachelder gave a presentation on the Everglade Snail Kite utilization of habitat management areas on Lake Okeechobee (Attachment 2). Brent recently presented on this topic at the Greater Everglades Ecosystem Restoration (GEER) Conference. Mike Bodle passes along an image of the wading birds utilizing Moonshine Bay in Lake Okeechobee (Attachment #3). Brent Bachelder spoke about the DRAFT Lake Okeechobee Habitat Management Proposed Aerial Herbicide Treatments for Spring 2017 (Attachment #4). This aerial herbicide treatment is for up to 2,000 acres Typha sp. (cattail) and 1,500 acres of Panicum repens (torpedograss). Project objective is to improve fish and wildlife habitat by limiting the extent of large monotypic stands of these species; especially within proximity to previous FWC project areas. Project will be conducted in May and June 2017. Due to scheduling requirements, treatments will likely occur in two phases. Phase one of treatment is projected to start date on May 15. Phase two is projected to start the beginning or middle of June. Along with the Proposed Aerial Treatment, Brent Bachelder spoke about the idea of improving fire breaks in Lake Okeechobee (Attachment #5). This project is being proposed to support prescribed fire activities on Lake Okeechobee. The objective of this project is to reduce available fuels adjacent to burn unit boundaries. This project will improve burn unit firebreaks. Specifically, the burn unit boundaries being improved are along the Indian Prairie (C-40), S-129 discharge and Pearce Canals. Aside from periodic prescribed burns and limited herbicide application, there are no records of vegetation management being conducted at any of these specific sites. During both prescribed and wildfire situations on Lake Okeechobee, it is common for fire to spread onto canal levees from the lake marsh. When this occurs, fire intensity increases and the risk of spot fires outside of the unit and subsequent fire escapes escalates. This project is

designed to reduce fuel loading adjacent to canal levees, thus reducing the chance of these levees igniting and causing spotting/escape issues. USACE recently assisted the FFS with the wildfire on Curry Island. USACE disks the toe of the HHD for fire management. SFWMD Mike Bodle Mike Bodle informed the group that he (FWC) will resume Invasive Species Management on Observation Island in Lake Okeechobee. They have previously targeted 180 acres Brazilian Pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius). They also treated Castor Bean (Ricinus communis). Mike Bodle informed the group about possible emergent aerial treatments in the Summer. Mike Bodle will forward the proposed work in a Lake Okeechobee Project Proposal Form to the Task Force. The SFWMD is switching from the WEEDAR system to AVATAR, to assist with their monitoring and data collecting for their Aquatic Plant Management activities New/Old Business *** The next interagency flight is scheduled for the first Tuesday of every month. ***The next interagency meeting will be scheduled in the near future Adjournment David Lattuca adjourned the Task Force meeting at 12:00 P.M.

Attachment #1. Letter of Operating Procedures

CORPS OF ENGINEERS LETTER OF OPERATING PROCEDURES FOR AQUATIC

PLANT MANAGEMENT ON LAKE OKEECHOBEE

WHEREAS, maintaining clear and unobstructed navigational channels to promote and protect interstate and foreign commerce in navigable waters of the United States is an obligation of the Federal government, and whereas, Congress has entrusted this responsibility to the United States Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) under the broad legislative mandate of section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899, as amended, which directs the Corps to maintain navigable waters and enforce the removal of obstructions to navigation; and WHEREAS, the maintenance and improvement of basins, channels, and waterways in the interest of flood control is a Federal governmental responsibility entrusted to the direction and supervision of the Corps under section 2 of the Flood Control Act of 1944; and WHEREAS, the maintenance and improvement of water areas of all water resources development projects to promote and provide recreational parks and facilities is a Federal governmental responsibility entrusted to the direction and supervision of the Corps under section 4 of the Flood Control Act of 1944, as amended; and WHEREAS, the Corps is responsible for the conservation of natural resources held in public trust on water resources development projects such as forests, grasslands, wetlands, soils and fish and wildlife under sections 1 and 2 of the Forest Cover Act of 1960, and under section 2 of the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of 1958 as amended, and WHEREAS, it is recognized that the State of Florida and the Federal government have concurrent authority to manage aquatic plants within Lake Okeechobee and that the exact parameters of those powers have not been defined and need not be defined in order to effectuate a coordinated approach to aquatic plant management in Lake Okeechobee; and WHEREAS, this Letter of Operating Procedures shall not be construed as a waiver of the legal rights of any party with respect to the regulation and control of aquatic plant management activities; and WHEREAS, in the State of Florida, one of the most pervasive and serious obstructions to the Corps’ commission of the aforementioned navigational, flood control, recreational, and conservation duties is aquatic vegetation: the obnoxious exotic and, on occasion, native aquatic plant growth that clogs inland rivers, lakes, and streams and threatens to render them impassable to water traffic, ineffective to control flood waters inappropriate for recreation, and detrimental to animal life and habitat; and

WHEREAS, Lake Okeechobee is a unique natural resource that contains important interstate navigational channels and flood control structures, is a water supply source for the citizens of the Southern portion of the State of Florida, supports endangered species, and is a prime recreational area, and that to preserve and enhance these functions, obnoxious exotic and, when necessary, native aquatic plant growth must be managed, and such management activities must be conducted so as to protect human health, endangered species, safety and recreation and, to the greatest degree practicable, to prevent injury to plant and animal life and property; and WHEREAS, THE State of Florida has established environmental and natural resource agencies to protect, preserve and enhance water and wildlife resources within her borders, namely, the Department of Environmental Regulation, the Department of Natural Resources, the Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, and the South Florida Water Management District; and WHEREAS, the Corps has regularly sought the advice and comment of the environmental and natural resource agencies of the State of Florida and the Federal government in its management of aquatic plant programs and has valued their interest and cooperation in these efforts; and WHEREAS the Corps’ objective is to maintain obnoxious exotic, and when necessary, native aquatic plants on Lake Okeechobee and allied waters at their lowest possible levels through an environmentally-sensitive, balanced program; and WHEREAS, the Corps’ program shall employee the best technology and biological, chemical, and mechanical aquatic plant management research to aid, enhance, and maintain navigability, flood control effectiveness, and recreational use of the nation’s water; and WHEREAS, the Corps seeks to enlist the counsel of the State of Florida and its agencies in this effort and to move forward with its mission in the spirit of interagency cooperation: NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the aforesaid premises, which are hereby made a part of this agreement, and in order to aid and assist in the achievement of the above-defined goals, the Corps proposes to furnish to the State, sufficiently in advance of implementation, and to solicit comment without obligating the State to issue a permit as described in their Section 16-C 20.0025 Rule, the following Corps’ Lake Okeechobee aquatic plant management program as detailed in the following policy guidelines. POLICY GUIDELINES 1. The Corps of Engineers aquatic plant management program on Lake Okeechobee shall be conducted for, but not limited to, the protection of the following: Public health and safety; navigation; flood control; sport and commercial fisheries, water quality, wildlife and native plant habitat (except as described above), endangered species; and recreation. 2. The Corps of Engineers shall chair, and actively solicit participation in the Lake Okeechobee Aquatic Plant Management Interagency Task Force. The Task Force members will represent State of Florida agencies (including the South Florida Water Management District), state

Universities, the Corps of Engineers, and other Federal agencies. The Task Force will serve in an advisory capacity, providing multi-disciplinary technical and scientific data from which the Corps’ aquatic plant management strategy, methodology, and research planning and operational efforts will evolve. The focus of the aquatic plant effort will be to benefit the overall ecological health of Lake Okeechobee. 3. Concerns not worked out at the program staff level or at Lake Okeechobee Interagency Task Force meetings will be included on the Corps/DNR/DER quarterly meeting agenda and discussed by agency heads at that meeting. If issues regarding Lake Okeechobee aquatic plant management are to be discussed at the Corps/DNR/DER quarterly meeting, the agency heads of the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission and the South Florida Water Management District will be invited to participate in these discussions. A special meeting, if necessary, may be called by any of the parties hereto if a legitimate concern arises prior to the next scheduled meeting. 4. The Corps will host in conjunction with other appropriate agencies, annual public meetings in communities around Lake Okeechobee to discuss aquatic plant management activities. 5. The Corps of Engineers will conduct management efforts and agrees to provide an annual aquatic plant management work plan to the State of Florida Department of Natural Resources (DNR) each year for a 45-day comment and review period. The DNR will be responsible for coordinating the work plan with all responsible state agencies and consolidating their comments during the 45 day review period and addressing any areas of concern with the Corps staff. The Corps’ work plan shall contain:

a. the estimated number of acres of each aquatic plant species that shall be controlled during the federal fiscal year;

b. maps of sufficient detail to locate all areas of rooted aquatic plants proposed for control;

c. the method of control that will be utilized (biological, herbicidal, mechanical, and integrated), the application strategy and/or application rate, biological agent description; and

d. the number of acres of aquatic plant species controlled and the method (s) used in that control effort during the previous federal fiscal year.

6. The Corps shall provide the DNR with work schedules and a monthly program activity report. Any contractor (s) executing the Corps program will invoice the Corps directly in accordance with applicable Corps guidelines. 7. Any Corps of Engineers hired labor and/or contractor (s) shall comply with the aquatic herbicide use criteria as set forth; these criteria being:

a. that the aquatic herbicide (s) applied in project waters shall be applied pursuant to, and identified in, the annual work plant, and as detailed in Lake Okeechobee Floating Plant Herbicide Guidelines (Attachment 1); and

b. that only aquatic herbicides approved for use by the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the State of Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will be employed; and

c. that aquatic herbicides (s) shall be applied in accordance with EPA label instructions, the Florida Pesticide Law, the Lake Okeechobee Floating Vegetation Herbicide Guidelines (Attachment 1), the Lake Okeechobee Aquatic Vegetation Management Plan (Attachment 2) and the provisions of Federal Regulation ER-1130-2-413. 8. The Corps of Engineers, vested with the ultimate responsibility and direct management for the federally funded aquatic plant management program on Lake Okeechobee, shall comply with the Lake Okeechobee Aquatic Vegetation Management Plan (Attachment 2). 9. Any party to this Letter of Operating Procedures may withdraw by giving all other parties 120 days notice of the decision to withdraw.

Attachment #2. Everglades Snail Kite Utilization of habitat management on Lake Okeechobee

Attachment #3. SFWMD Wading Birds in Moonshine Bay

Attachment #4. FWC Project Proposal for Spring Aerial Herbicide Application

Vegetation Management Project Proposal

Summary of project and reason for project (include location, history if applicable, benefits, etc.): Aerial herbicide treatment of up to 2,000 acres Typha sp. (cattail) and 1,500 acres of Panicum repens (torpedograss). Project objective is to improve fish and wildlife habitat by limiting the extent of large monotypic stands of these species; especially within proximity to previous FWC project areas. Start date of project and estimated duration: Project will be conducted in May and June 2017. Due to scheduling requirements, treatments will likely occur in two phases. Phase one of treatment is projected to start date on May 15. Phase two is projected to start the beginning or middle of June. Project plan details (include method of treatment and actions being taken): Attach map of project location to this form. Project consists of aerial application of herbicide to emergent littoral marsh vegetation between the Kissimmee River and Cochran’s Pass (Moonshine Bay). All treatment areas have been mapped using GPS in the field, applicator will use this data to ensure treatment to appropriate areas. Two separate chemical mixes will be utilized. Cattail will be treated with imazamox (32 oz/acre). Torpedograss will be treated with a mix of glyphosate (120 oz/acre) and imazapyr (32 oz/acre). Proposed treatment rates are intended to optimize effect on targeted species, while minimizing effect on non-target species (i.e. maximize selectivity where possible). List Endangered, Threatened or Species of Concern in or near project area: Everglade snail kite and various wading bird species have potential to occur within or near project area. Surveys for these species will be conducted prior to treatments. Coordination with FWC and FWS snail kite managers will be conducted prior to treatment. If necessary, treatment areas will be excluded to avoid and minimize adverse impacts to these species. 2 year post-treatment maintenance plan, if applicable (photo monitoring, surveys, re-treatments, etc.): Both ground based and aerial photos of treatment areas will be collected on a quarterly to bi-annual basis for the next five years. Where feasible herbicide treatments will be followed with prescribed fire to minimize organic material deposition. If necessary, floating plant (water hyacinth and water lettuce) and other invasive plant treatments will be conducted within treatment areas. Retreatment of torpedograss areas is likely within the next two years. Retreatment of cattail and Phragmites is unlikely within the next two years. Project manager and hired Contractor (include contact names, phone numbers and email addresses): Project manager – Brent Bachelder, FWC, 863-824-4163, [email protected] Contractor – Greg Clubbs, Coastal Air Services, 850-769-6117, [email protected] Contacts List: USACE – David Lattuca [email protected]

SFWMD – Mike Bodle [email protected], Chuck Hanlon [email protected], Steve Smith [email protected] FWS – Marla Hamilton [email protected] FWC - IPM Susanna Toledo [email protected], AHRES Brent Bachelder

[email protected], Snail kite coordinator Tyler Beck [email protected]

Attachment #5. Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission Potential Emergent Vegetation Aerial Herbicide Treatments

Attachment #6. Lake Okeechobee Conditions Monitoring

Attachment #5. FWC Project Proposal for Fire Breaks

Attachment #5. FWC Project Proposal FWC Fire Break Management

Vegetation Management Project Proposal Summary of project and reason for project (include location, history if applicable, benefits, etc.): This project is being proposed to support prescribed fire activities on Lake Okeechobee. The objective of this project is to reduce available fuels adjacent to burn unit boundaries. This project will improve burn unit firebreaks. Specifically, the burn unit boundaries being improved are along the Indian Prairie (C-40), S-129 discharge and Pearce Canals. Aside from periodic prescribed burns and limited herbicide application, there are no records of vegetation management being conducted at any of these specific sites. During both prescribed and wildfire situations on Lake Okeechobee, it is common for fire to spread onto canal levees from the lake marsh. When this occurs, fire intensity increases and the risk of spot fires outside of the unit and subsequent fire escapes escalates. This project is designed to reduce fuel loading adjacent to canal levees, thus reducing the chance of these levees igniting and causing spotting/escape issues. Fuel loading adjacent to canal levees will be accomplished by regular application of herbicide. It is recognized that in the near term this method will likely result in an increase of combustible fuels within firebreaks. However, within a year of treatment fuel loads should be lower than pre-treatment. Start date of project and estimated duration: TBD Project plan details (include method of treatment and actions being taken): Attach map of project location to this form. Herbicide will be applied via aerial equipment (helicopter) to all vegetation that has been mapped within 350-700 feet of canal levees. Chemicals being used for this treatment are glyphosate (120 oz/acre) and imazapyr (32 oz/acre). Total proposed firebreak treatment area is 457 acres. Treatment areas are identified on the attached map (Attachment 1) as plot number: 3, 4, 5, 6, 13, 14, 15. Firebreak plots range in size from 24 to 193 acres; average size is 65 acres. Vegetation present within treatment areas include: cattail, torpedograss, bulrush, phragmites, willow, and upland grasses. Several considerations have been made when planning this project, in order to reduce potential negative ecological impacts of firebreak creation. These consideration are as follows:

1) Significantly sized stands (>5 acres) of bulrush were avoided during mapping. 2) Vegetation communities that typically do not carry fire – and act as natural firebreaks –

such as Carolina willow forest, have been excluded from treatment. 3) All firebreaks have a buffer of 350-1,500 feet separating them from open water areas.

These buffers consist of dense emergent vegetation. The goal of maintaining these buffers is to prevent highly eutrophic lake water from having an open conduit into the

relative oligotrophic interior marsh. These buffers should also help prevent movement of invasive plant species (especially floating plants) from open water into the interior marsh.

List Endangered, Threatened or Species of Concern in or near project area: Everglade snail kite and various wading bird species might periodically forage within the proposed firebreak areas. Project manager does not have records of any recent nesting by any of these species within the proposed firebreaks. Project area is outside any known kite and/or wading bird nest buffer areas. 2 year post-treatment maintenance plan, if applicable (photo monitoring, surveys, re-treatments, etc.): Qualitative site assessments and photo monitoring will be conducted on a periodic basis. Effectiveness of firebreaks will be evaluated during and after prescribed and/or wildfire operations. If firebreaks prove ineffective, maintenance will likely be ended. If firebreaks prove effective, re-treatments will be applied to vegetation that exceeds a threshold determined by Lake Okeechobee fire managers; likely >25% coverage of burnable vegetation. Project manager and hired Contractor (include contact names, phone numbers and email addresses): Project manager – Brent Bachelder – 863-824-4163 – [email protected] Contractor – Coastal Air Services, pilot Gene Hill – 850-832-1038 – [email protected] Contacts List: USACE – David Lattuca [email protected] SFWMD – Mike Bodle [email protected], Chuck Hanlon [email protected], Steve Smith [email protected] FWS – Marla Hamilton [email protected] FWC - IPM Susanna Toledo [email protected], AHRES Brent Bachelder

[email protected], Snail kite coordinator Tyler Beck [email protected]