Growing Healthy Forests in the Pacific Northwest

Herbicides in Forestry

Rayonier, and the forestry industry in general, periodically uses herbicides as part of site-specific forest management operations.  We carefully evaluate each site and use herbicides only where and when needed to control competing vegetation.

Agencies and Their Roles

The application and use of herbicides in the forestry industry are heavily regulated.  Many different agencies at the state and federal levels are involved in ensuring the protection of human health and the environment.

Legislative Initiatives

Rayonier supports efforts to review the effectiveness of herbicide regulations to protect human health and the environment.

• Washington: in 2019, the Washington State legislature created a work group to review aerial application of herbicides in forestry.  Rayonier supported both the legislation to establish the work group as well as the legislation codifying its results. 

• Oregon: in 2020, Rayonier supported legislation in Oregon that restricted aerial application of herbicides in forestry near schools and inhabited dwellings, a standard practice for Rayonier.  The legislation also increased buffers on watercourses, and established a modern notification system for the general public.

If You Have Questions 

Call the numbers below if you have questions about our operations or you see us doing something different than what we say we do.

If you have questions about our operations
please call us.  When giving us a call, please take note of the location, day, and time.

(360) 249-7004

If you have questions about misuse of herbicides, herbicide drift, worker protection standards in Oregon, please call ODA.

(503) 986-4635

If you have questions about misuse of herbicides, herbicide drift, worker protection standards in Washington, please call WSDA.

(844) 388-2020

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• What is an herbicide?  Is it the same as a pesticide?

Pesticides are used to grow healthy crops and protect from insects, diseases, and weeds.  Herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides are all different types of pesticides.  Each protects crops and forests from different pests.  Herbicides improve growing conditions for young trees by reducing the density of brush and weeds. Insecticides and Fungicides, which are rarely used in northwest forests, protect from insects and diseases respectively.

• Why does Rayonier use herbicides?

Rayonier, and the forestry industry in general, periodically uses herbicides as part of site-specific forest management operations.  We carefully evaluate each site, and use herbicides only where and when needed to control competing vegetation.  The removal of invasive species, noxious weeds, and other competing vegetation helps the trees we plant survive and thrive.  

• Why is it necessary to control competing vegetation?

In any forest, there is a limited amount of food, light and water (vital resources) for plants to use.  When the baby trees we plant need to compete for vital resources with other vegetation, such as invasive species and noxious weeds, they may not be able to grow or even die.  Just like you would weed a garden, Rayonier, and the forestry industry, uses herbicides to control competing vegetation to make sure trees have all the sunlight and nutrients they need to survive and thrive.

• Why can't weeds be pulled, mowed or cut?

If left unchecked, the weeds that grow in forests will become too deeply rooted and too large to remove by mowing, cutting or pulling.  Pulling weeds will not always remove the roots, which allows the plant to regenerate and spread.  Additionally, mowing weeds will spread their seeds and make the infestation worse. 

• How long does the herbicide control competing vegetation?

Herbicides are used to control competing vegetation and limit competition for vital resources during the first year after new trees are planted.  Typically, vegetation will re-emerge during the following years at which point the baby trees are strong enough to compete for vital resources to survive and thrive.

• Who reviews and approves the herbicides used in the United States?

The federal government regulates the use of all herbicides under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).  Under FIFRA, all herbicides and their active ingredients must be evaluated and registered by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) before they can be sold and used.  The United States Environmental Protection Agency also consults with the United States Fish and Wildlife and National Marine Fisheries Services to evaluate potential impacts to fish and wildlife.  The herbicide label is a legal document that specifies how much to use, when to use it, how to mix it, and more.  The label must be followed by law.

• Are herbicides harmful to humans or wildlife?

Herbicides are safe when used according to the instructions specified in their labels.  The effect of herbicides on humans or wildlife depends on the amount and time of the exposure.   We follow forestry best management practices and product label instructions, and we apply rates that are typically far below what the label recommends to ensure exposure levels are below toxicological effect thresholds.  Under these conditions, herbicides used by Rayonier and the forestry industry have very low toxicity levels, lower than most household cleaning solutions used everyday.  

• How does Rayonier select and prescribe herbicides?

We select the herbicide to be used at each site based on the needs at the site and the safety and efficacy of the herbicide.  When selecting and applying herbicides we rely on the product label and follow all label instructions, which is the law.  We use the lowest amount of herbicide to achieve the result required at each site.

• How are herbicides used in forestry?

Typically, herbicides are applied to the:

•  Entire area that is being treated

•  Stems of specific trees

The most common application methods are:

•  Aerial: applied by a helicopter

•  Hand: applied by individuals using backpack tanks or spray bottles

• What are herbicides used for in forestry?

•  Before planting: herbicides are applied prior to planting baby trees to control competing species and promote healthy growth.  Application can be done aerially to the entire area being treated or by hand to individual tree stems. 

•  After planting: herbicides are applied after planting has been completed to promote healthy early growth, and ensure survival of baby trees.  Application can be done aerially to the entire area being treated or by hand to individual tree stems.

• Who applies herbicides for Rayonier?

Herbicides are applied by professional applicators who must pass a state test and receive a license to legally apply pesticides.  Applicators are required to attend continuing education classes to retain their license.

• What is drift and what does Rayonier do to manage it?

Spray drift is the movement of herbicide through the air during the application or soon after, particularly in windy conditions, to an area other than the site intended for the application.  We take action to minimize spray drift to other areas: a) we select the appropriate equipment for the site of the application, b) we use drift control agents to increase the size of the droplets so they drop faster, and c) we leave buffers to minimize herbicide drift to areas other than the site intended for the application.

• What does Rayonier do to protect our water sources, the environment, wildlife and people?

We follow forestry best management practices and the law when applying herbicides so that we protect the public and the environment, including wildlife and aquatic habitat.  We leave substantial buffers around sensitive sites such as houses, public roads, and waterways. Where we apply herbicides, we typically do it once or twice in the lifetime of a forest, which is about 40 years.  This is less frequent than herbicides are typically used on lawns and gardens where they are often used monthly or annually.

• Who ensures that Rayonier does what it says it does?

We are dedicated to responsible management of all of our forests.  Rayonier forests are certified under the Sustainable Forestry Initiative^® (SFI) in the United States and under the Forest Stewardship Council^® (FSC), and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) in New Zealand.  Our operations are also subject to compliance monitoring at the state level.

We are accountable to protect forests for current and future generations, our employees, and residents of the communities where we operate.  This dedication to responsible management is backed by independent, third-party auditing of our forest management practices, including herbicide use, to ensure we meet both the letter and the spirit of our commitment to sustainable forestry.  

We are Rayonier. We are More Than Trees.

Learn more about Rayonier here.

Rayonier is built on our ability to grow and manage a healthy, abundant renewable resource: trees.  At every stage in the lifecycle of our trees, we take careful measures to ensure the long-term sustainability of our forests as well as the wildlife, soils, and water within them.  We are committed to looking after the land for both current and future generations.  Rayonier’s success depends on a continued commitment to the principles of environmental and economic sustainability – growing, maintaining and harvesting healthy forests that will enable us and the communities we live in to prosper well into the future.

We build trust through transparency.  Go behind the scenes in these three videos and articles to learn more about what our employees do and how they do it.  Click here to read all our stories.

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