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Home My WebLink AboutRIDGEWOOD HILLS FIFTH FILING - FDP200024 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 1 - SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATIONWeed Control Plan- Ridgewood Hills Project Prepared by: Wildland Consultants, Inc. 1001 Jefferson Drive Berthoud, CO 80513 Prepared for: Goodwin Knight 8605 Explorer Drive, Suite 250 Colorado Springs, CO 80920 April 2020 Overview: The Ridgewood Hills development is located in south Fort Collins, Colorado. The site is bounded on the north by Triangle Drive on the north, and South College Avenue on the east. The proposed residential development is located on a total of approximately 34+- acres. The development includes single family residential, multi-family residential and commercial uses. The existing site includes wetlands, the North Louden Ditch, and seeded grasslands. After construction approximately 10.85 acres +- will be designated as open space. Proposed open space areas include wetlands, portions of the North Louden Ditch, and other open areas. Open space areas are designed to mitigate for lost wetlands, ditch and Natural Habitat Buffer zones. As part of City requirements the open space/mitigation areas (Natural Habitat Buffer Zone/open space and wetland mitigation areas) will be monitored for a 3-year period after project construction. During that monitoring the percent cover of weed species will be estimated by species and percent composition of vegetation (ocular estimate). City of Fort Collins staff may also monitor the Natural Habitat Buffer Zone for compliance with restoration criteria. Based on City Code no more than 10 percent of total plant cover within the Natural Habitat Buffer Zone/open space be comprised of weeds (Article III, Section 20-451 Fort Collins Code). This Weed Control Plan is designed to meet the City requirements for weed control and monitoring of the Natural Habitat Buffer Area. Weed monitoring will be completed over a 3 year period as required by the City. The performance standard for this weed control plan is no more than 10 percent weed cover within the Natural Habitat Buffer Area at the end of the 3 rd growing season after establishment of the Buffer Area. A field review was completed by Wildland Consultants, Inc. (WCI) in July 2019 to identify weeds currently occurring on the site. Table 1 summarizes weed species currently present on the site. These are the species most likely to appear after site disturbance and within proposed open space areas. Figure 1 shows the current extent (approximate) of Canada thistle infestation in and adjacent to the southern wetland area (Wetland 4). Table 1. Ridgewood Hills Weed Inventory Name Comments Classification Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) Large infestation in and adjacent to Wetland 4 CO-List B, Larimer County List A, City Listed cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) Sporadic on uplands Larimer County List troublesome, field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) Sporadic on uplands CO-List C, Larimer County List troublesome, City Lis kochia (Kochia scoparia) Sporadic on uplands Larimer County List troublesome, City Listed leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) A few plants along the N. Louden Ditch Larimer County List A, City Listed prickly lettuce ( Lactuca serriola ) Present in wetlands City Listed Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) Minor presence in riparian zones and along wetlands CO-List B, Larimer County List troublesome, Russian thistle (Salsola iberica) Sporadic on uplands City Listed Classification: CO–ColoradoStateNoxiousWeedListRanking(LarimerCountyWeedDistrict2019) LarimerCo.-LarimerCountyWeedList(LarimerCountyWeedDistrict2019b) CityListed–ListedonArticleIII,Section20-41CodeoftheCity(FortCollins,ColoradoMunicipalCode 2019) Figure 1. Approximate Canada Thistle Infestation (orange polygon), in and adjacent to Wetland 4. The Weed Control Plan was completed by Eric Berg and Craig Severn of WCI, Mr. Berg and Mr. Severn have decades of ecological consulting experience along the Colorado Front Range. Methods: Weed monitoring will be completed by a qualified person familiar with plant and weed identification. The proposed seed mixes that will be used in the open space/mitigation areas includes a variety of native grasses and forbs. Many of these species are hard to identify and could be killed by careless weed control (especially herbicide spraying). Monitoring and weed control will be completed 2 times per growing season:  Annual Late Spring Monitoring and Control (late May-Early June)  Annual Mid Summer Monitoring and Control (late August-Early September)  If needed additional control may be completed outside of these periods Weed control methods will include: preventative, biological, mechanical and chemical. In the event that mechanical control is not sufficient chemical control may be needed. Spot spraying of weed infestation would be the only chemical control method used. Chemical control over the entire site could result in the loss of native forbs. Any chemical control would be completed by a Licensed Commercial Pesticide Applicator (LCPA). Larimer County maintains a list of qualified LCPA’s (Larimer County 2019a). Attachment A includes a list of currently approved LCPA’s. Biological control could be an option if leafy spurge becomes more prevalent on the site (Biological control using leafy spurge beetles (Aphthona lacertosa)(Colorado Department of Agriculture 2018)). An annual summary report/memo summarizing weed control efforts and monitoring will be completed at the end of each growing season (mid fall). The annual report will summarize weed monitoring (weed infestations and percent cover) and weed control (a brief summary of methods used). At the end of the 3 rd growing season after mitigation area establishment a final weed monitoring will be completed. If less than 10 percent of total plant cover within the mitigation/open space areas is comprised of weeds the performance standards for Weed Control will be considered successful. If weed cover is greater than 10 percent additional weed control measures will be completed as required by the City. Literature Cited: Colorado Department of Agriculture. 2018. Biological Control of Leafy Spurge. https://colorado.gov/pacific/sites/default/files/LeafySpurgeBrochure.pdf Fort Collins, Colorado Municipal Code. 2019. Article III, Section 20-41. Available at: https://www.municode.com/library/#!/CO/fortcollins/codes/municipalcode?nodeId=CH 20NU ARTIIIEXPRMA. Larimer CountyWeed District, Colorado. 2019a. Herbicide Applicators, Mowers, Seeding, Equipment Sales and Management Consultants List. Available at: http://www.larimer.org/weeds/commapplicators.htm. Larimer CountyWeed District, Colorado. 2019b. Weed Law Summary and Weed Lists. Available at: http://www.larimer.org/weeds/weedlist.htm#lista. Attachment A- List of LCPA’s, Larimer Weed Control District Anderson Services Carlen Anderson 3355 S. CR 13 Loveland, CO 80537 (970) 667-3735 Cell: (970) 290- 6255 Lawn Doctor of Fort Collins Inc. (970) 221-0441 www.lawndoctor-fortcollins.com Apex Weed Control Sam Doughty 970-222-5489 Email: apexweedcontrol@mail.com Mathern Services Paul Mathern 538 Springwood Ct Windsor, CO 80550 Cell: (303) 588-5659 BH Agriculture Inc. Bryan Rayburn Evans, CO 80620 (970) 686-6411 (970) 397-5006 Email: SG103@iCloud.com Natural Resource Services, Inc. P.O. Box 861 Longmont, CO 80502-0861 303-915- 3211 / 800-242-9466 Steve Johnson SteveJ@nrsiservices.com Courtesy Lawn and Tree Care Inc. 504 Camino Del Mundo Ft. Collins, CO 80524 (970) 352-7265 Resource Logic, LLC** Dale Thompson (970) 628-9979 resourcelogicllc@gmail.com Deep Root Tree Care Brian Kolokowsky 970-238-6505 deeprootcare@gmail.com Simplot Grower Solutions David Kothe (970) 484-4610 5701 E Harmony Rd Fort Collins, CO 80528 Foothills Vegetation Management Mike Wilkinson (303) 697-5424 19394 Silver Ranch Rd Conifer, CO 80433 Sipes Land Prep Jack and Joan Sipes 400 WCR 66E Fort Collins, CO 80524 (970) 222-0305 (970) 568- 3687 Fort Collins Tree Care Richard McCulloch (970) 484-3084 301 E. Douglas Rd. Ft. Collins, CO 80524 Swingle Lawn, Tree & Landscape Care Scott Arnett 1805 E. Lincoln Avenue, Unit A-3 Fort Collins, CO 80524 (970) 221-1287 Front Range Landscape LLC Ft. Attachment B: Canada Thistle Control Guidelines: Canada thistle (and other thistles) is difficult to control due to a creeping root system. Pulling the plant can leave small root fragments that will sprout. The best control strategy is a combination of mechanical, cultural and chemical control. Mechanical control- Mowing the plants during the growing season (monthly) will reduce seed production and plant viability. If possible mowing should be completed prior to seed production. Chemical- Chemical control may require multiple applications. Herbicides should be applied according to rates recommended by the manufacturer. Recommended herbicides (trade names) include: Milestone, Tordon, Curtail, Banvel, Veteran 720. Cultural- Establishment of perennial grasses can help suppress Canada thistle. Mowing during the growing season followed by a fall application of a herbicide is an effective way to control thistle. Collins, CO 80525 (970) 231-0214 Western Hydroseed and Landscape LLC 1704 W. Trilby Fort Collins, CO Contact: Frank Dowling Hired Gun (970) 405-3249 www.hiredgunweedcontrol.com Source: Larimer County Weed District, Colorado. 2019a. Herbicide Applicators, Mowers, Seeding, Equipment Sales and Management Consultants List. Available at: http://www.larimer.org/weeds/commapplicators.htm.