FLORIDA Cogongrass Treatment Cost-Share Program

Transcription

1 FLORIDA Cogongrass Treatment Cost-Share Program Technical Guidelines Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Florida Forest Service ADAM H. PUTNAM COMMISSIONER James R. Karels, Director Revised August

2 Table of Contents A. Introduction... 3 B. Program Objective... 3 C. Eligibility Requirements.. 3 D. General Program Requirements and Guidelines.. 4 E. Treatment Guidelines and Requirements... 5 F. Application and Program Procedure... 6 G. Failure to Complete Approved Practices H. FFS Foresters: Time Accounting and Forest Stewardship I. Florida Forest Service Offices Appendices Appendix 1: 2014 Sign-Up Period Dates, Funding Availability and Priorities. 12 Appendix 2: Map Preparation Guidelines 13 Appendix 3: Template Invoice for Contract Holders Conducting Their Own Work.. 18 This program is made available through a grant from the USDA Forest Service. In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326- W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C or call (202) (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. 2

3 Cogongrass Treatment Cost-Share Program Technical Guidelines A. Introduction Cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica L.) is a non-native, invasive grass which is established in Florida and several other southeastern states. In addition to being regulated as a state and federal noxious weed, cogongrass is a pest plant in 73 countries and has been recognized as one of the Top 10 Worst Weeds in the World. Cogongrass infestations negatively affect tree regeneration, growth, and survival, as well as wildlife habitat, native plant diversity, and forage quality. They also increase the risk of wildfires and alter fire behavior. Cogongrass tolerates a wide range of site conditions, and can quickly colonize both disturbed and undisturbed areas, both by seed and by the growth of its thick rhizome. New infestations are often started by unintentional spread of seed or pieces of rhizome in contaminated fill dirt, or on equipment used for mowing, logging, grading, or site preparation. Once established, cogongrass spreads rapidly by the growth of its rhizomes, forming thick, often circular patches in which few other plants can establish. Steps should be taken to avoid spreading cogongrass to new areas, by using only noncontaminated fill dirt, carefully sanitizing equipment that has been operating in infested areas, and avoiding soil disturbance that runs through infested areas and into un-infested areas. Once the plant has established, it can be eradicated by the thorough and repeated use of herbicide treatments. B. Program Objective The primary objective of the Cogongrass Treatment Cost-share Program is to reduce the spread of cogongrass to new areas by assisting with the control or eradication of existing cogongrass infestations on private lands. Toward this end, the program offers up to 50% reimbursement toward the cost of approved herbicide treatments of cogongrass infestations on non-industrial private land over a 2-year period. This program is administered by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Florida Forest Service (FFS) and is funded through grants from the USDA Forest Service. C. Eligibility Requirements Eligible Ownership Types: For the purposes of this program, eligible applicants include any individual or entity (e.g., partnership, corporation, company, trust, etc.) that legally holds ownership of the land indicated on the application, or that has a lease agreement which gives the applicant authorization or responsibility to perform herbicide applications on that land. The applicant is defined as the name(s) and Taxpayer Identification Number entered on the Florida Substitute W-9 Form information that is entered online at (see Section F Application and Program Procedure). The name(s) on the Substitute W-9 registration should be the same name(s) entered on the program application, and should be the 3

4 name(s) that appear on the deed or other document of title evidencing ownership of the land (or lease agreement, if applicable). Only non-industrial private landowners or managers of property in the State of Florida are eligible to apply to this program. Applicants may include private individuals, joint owners, nonprofit organizations, or corporations that do not have publicly-traded stock. Ineligible owners include lands controlled by federal, state, and local governments, corporations with publiclytraded stock, and public utility companies. D. General Program Requirements and Guidelines Cost-Share Rate: Applicants who meet the eligibility requirements listed above may receive reimbursement for up to 50% of the actual cost (including labor and materials, based on submitted receipts or invoices) of treating cogongrass infestations with herbicide for two consecutive years. However, payment will not exceed $100/year for treatment of up to 1 acre of infestations, plus $75/ac for any additional area treated each year. Occasionally, landowners may choose to conduct a practice (in whole or in part) using their own resources, labor, and/or equipment, and thus may not receive a receipt or invoice from a contractor. In such cases, landowners are required to generate their own invoice and submit it at the time of project completion. Appendix 3 may be used as a template. Maximum Payment: No contracts may exceed the maximum payment of $20,000, or $10,000 per year for a 2-year contract. Application Period: Applications may be made during a specified, announced sign-up period (see Appendix 1). If all available cost-share funds are not allocated during the sign-up period, it may be extended. Only one application per applicant is allowed per sign-up year (see Section C above for the definition of applicant ). Landowners with Multiple Ownerships: If an individual owns or manages land (in full or in part) in the name of more than one legal landowning entity, that individual should submit an application on behalf of only one of those landowning entities. If it is determined that an individual is represented as owner on more than one application per year, the Florida Forest Service shall approve only one of those applications. Prior practices: Any practices performed prior to application approval are not eligible for cost-share reimbursement. Each applicant will be notified in writing when his/her application has been approved. CRP Landowners: Acreages enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), or other programs that may prohibit receipt of federal cost-share funds from more than one source for the same acreage, are not eligible for treatment under this cost-share program. 4

5 Two-Year Treatment Requirement: The infested areas that are accepted under this program must be treated for at least two consecutive years, unless complete eradication is achieved after the first year of treatment. In such cases the contract holder must acquire an on-site confirmation from an FFS forester, who must notify the Program Coordinator in writing. Failure to abide by this requirement will result in the recapture of cost-share payments. Effectiveness Requirement: The herbicide must be applied in a manner and formulation that will result in at least 95% of the visible, above-ground cogongrass foliage showing visible wilting and/or death, with no visible re-sprouting, at 6 weeks after each treatment. The effectiveness of the treatment will be evaluated by the FFS forester before the practice is approved for reimbursement of costs. Treated areas that do not show the required 95% treatment effectiveness will be deducted from the final payment acreage, unless the contract holder re-treats the re-sprouting areas. E. Treatment Guidelines 1. Herbicide selection recommendations: Treatment with glyphosate (Roundup, Glypro, Accord, etc.) and imazapyr (Arsenal, Chopper, Habitat, etc.) have been found to be effective in controlling cogongrass. The choice of herbicide will depend largely on the presence of desirable non-target vegetation (such as trees) in the treatment area. Generic versions of these herbicides are effective and can greatly reduce treatment costs. The following recommendations are offered: a. For treatment of areas with trees or other desirable vegetation: Glyphosate herbicide can be used in a 4% solution, e.g fluid ounces of herbicide concentrate per gallon of water. Glyphosate has no residual soil activity, however it should be considered non-selective when sprayed on any green plant tissue such as leaves or green stems. Non-target plants that are sprayed on such tissues may be injured or killed. b. For areas where selective treatment is not needed: Imazapyr herbicide may be used in a 0.5% solution, e.g fl. oz. per gallon of water (for the 4 lb/gallon concentrations such as Arsenal AC or Polaris AC), or in a 1% solution, e.g fl. oz. per gallon of water (for the 2 lb/gallon concentrations such as Habitat, Arsenal, Polaris, or Chopper). A surfactant must be added for treatment with imazapyr (0.125 fl. oz. per gallon, or 0.5 oz. per 4 gallons), unless it is included as part of the product formulation. Imazapyr has residual soil activity, therefore it can harm non-target plants on the site through root uptake, and can injure or kill new vegetation planted on the site too soon after treatment. Imazapyr (plus surfactant) may also be combined with the glyphosate solution described above. 2. Herbicide application: Herbicide solution may be applied with backpack sprayers or a similar manual spraying apparatus, or with sprayers mounted on a tractor or other vehicle. This treatment may be conducted either by the contract holder or by a contractor 5

6 hired by the contract holder (the FFS forester can provide a list of known contractors available for your area, if desired). The herbicide solution should be sprayed to thoroughly cover all cogongrass foliage, and moisten it to the point where excess solution just begins to run off the plant material. The treated area may include a buffer strip extending 10 feet beyond the visible edge of the infestation, to kill runners that may be hidden from view and prevent new growth (if imazapyr is used). All herbicide applications must be applied in a manner consistent with the label requirements. The herbicide applicators should have and properly utilize all appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). 3. Timing of treatment: The herbicide treatment is only effective if applied when cogongrass is actively growing. Herbicide treatments applied during the winter dormant season (after the first frost until growth begins in the spring) are not eligible for reimbursement through this program. When applying a single treatment per year, the best control is generally seen with treatments made in the late summer or fall. A treatment in the spring or early summer may also be applied, however the area must be inspected between August 15 and October 20 of each year. Any regrowth detected at that time must be treated again before the first frost. The final treatment must be applied on or before October 20 of the second year. 4. Other treatment preparations: Other pre-treatment preparations that may increase the effectiveness of the control treatment may be considered by the applicant/contract holder in consultation with the FFS forester and/or other resource management professionals. The costs for such treatments may be included towards the total cost-share reimbursement. a. Prescribed burning: Research has shown that the use of a prescribed burn to reduce thatch prior to treatment can increase the effectiveness of herbicide on cogongrass infestations. However, cogongrass fires can be unusually intense and fast-burning. This practice should only be considered with a great deal of preparation and planning, and conducted with extreme caution. b. Mechanical treatment: Mowing or tilling the site may also increase the effectiveness of herbicide treatment on cogongrass after it re-sprouts, by reducing dry thatch material. However, these treatments should be avoided when the cogongrass is producing seed heads, and care must be taken to clean all equipment after using it in an infested area, to avoid the spread of seed or rhizomes to new areas. F. Application and Program Procedure 1) The applicant obtains all of the following forms from a Florida Forest Service office or the FFS website ( a. A copy of the Cogongrass Treatment Cost Share Program Technical Guidelines (this booklet). b. A Program Application form. c. Hold Harmless Agreement forms (if applying to fully treat infestations that extend onto adjacent property). 6

7 d. Information submitted for the Substitute Form W-9. In order to process your application and pay you under this agreement, the State of Florida - Department of Financial Services has advised that a completed Substitute W-9 is required. An online version can be completed securely at: At that website, follow the following procedure: Click where it says, Not Registered? Click Here to Register Enter your name and contact information, enter a password of your choice, and click Register An will be sent to you along with a User ID and instructions on how to enter the W-9 information. Return again to the website at and click where it says Click Here to Sign On Enter your User ID from the and the password that you chose, and click Sign-On Click where it says Form W-9 Main Menu, and follow the directions to enter your W-9 information. A second with the italicized text below will be sent to you, confirming that you have successfully completed the form. FINAL landowner will receive: Thank you for registering with the Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS). We received your completed Florida Substitute Form W-9. Information from this form was submitted to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) matching. The results from the IRS Tin Matching show your IRS Name/TIN combination matches their records. Based on this match we have activated your Florida Substitute Form W-9. There are no further actions required at this time. If you need to update your Florida Substitute Form W-9 for any of the following reasons, please return to the Florida Vendor Website: * You have a change in business designation (i.e., you incorporate your sole proprietorship). * You change your address, telephone number or address. * You are notified by the IRS that you are subject to backup withholding. * You add a Doing Business As (DBA) Name. NOTE: If you change your TIN or sell or close your business, please contact the Vendor Management Section at (850) or FLW9@myfloridacfo.com. Please do not include Social Security Numbers in any s sent to the Vendor Management Section. In the event you need it, a brief tutorial on using the website can be found at e. Please be advised that unless you do not have internet access, the information MUST be submitted online at For questions regarding W-9 requirements or if you are unable to submit this information online, please contact the Vendor Management Section at (850) or via at FLW9@myfloridacfo.com f. Note: in order to process your application and ensure that all future correspondence and/or payment will be sent correctly, please be sure that the name and address in your Substitute W-9 form information (entered online at match those on your application form. 7

8 2) The applicant contacts the forester to receive practice recommendations and/or assistance with completing the application form and a tract map. At least one telephone number must be given on the application form. See Appendix 2 for requirements for tract maps. Maps of poor quality or that do not conform to all required map standards outlined in Appendix 2 will not be accepted. If sub-standard maps are received, the FFS County Forester or applicant will be notified and required to submit an acceptable map before the end of the sign-up period in order for the application to be considered for the program. 3) If any infestation to be treated extends onto adjacent public or private land, the applicant may include the entire contiguous infestation in the cost-share project, by obtaining a Hold Harmless Agreement Form signed by the adjacent property owner or authorized representative, granting permission to access and treat the remainder of the infestation. Applicants are not required to treat beyond their property boundaries; however, a higher ranking score will be awarded to applications that do not include partially-treated infestations. 4) The applicant requests a site visit from a FFS forester, who verifies the size and location of the cogongrass infestations to be treated, and the feasibility of the proposed treatment. The FFS forester will record the latitude/longitude and size of each location, and use this information to create the tract map. In some cases, many individual cogongrass infestations may be distributed over a large area, making it impractical to map the coordinates and dimensions of each spot. Where cogongrass infestations are scattered through a contiguous area of 5 acres or more, that entire area may be mapped as a polygon, and the treatment area will be estimated according to the average proportion of the area that is infested (e.g. a 20-acre area that is 20% covered with cogongrass = 4 acres of cogongrass to be treated). 5) Both the FFS forester and the applicant sign the application form under the section labeled Initial Project Approval. 6) The FFS forester or applicant mails the signed application and the tract map to the program coordinator at the Forest Health Section: Cogongrass Treatment Cost-Share Program c/o Jeffrey Eickwort Florida Forest Service 1911 SW 34 th Street Gainesville, FL ) The program coordinator reviews the application materials and approves (or denies) the cost-share request. If approved by the program coordinator, the program coordinator signs the application form, assigns a project completion date to the application which will allow for 2 consecutive years of treatment, and forwards it to the DOACS Division of Administration. 8

9 8) Once the application is approved by the Division of Administration and returned to the program coordinator, the program coordinator will mail duplicate originals of the application, along with written notification of approval, to both the applicant and the FFS forester. These should be kept on file by both the forester and the applicant until project completion. The applicant should not begin implementing the treatment until this written notification of approval is received. 9) If the application is denied by either the program coordinator or the Division of Administration, the program coordinator will notify the applicant and FFS forester in writing explaining the reason for denial. Incomplete application packages will be returned. 10) After receiving written approval, the applicant (now the contract holder) is responsible for seeing that the approved practice is carried out according to all treatment and program requirements (see Sections D and E above). Practices must be completed by the completion date assigned by the program coordinator on the application form. The contract holder or contractor shall complete the Herbicide Application Record Form indicating the dates of treatment, the types and rates of herbicides applied, and the areas treated. Upon completion of the practice, the contract holder contacts the FFS forester to schedule a performance check to be conducted at least six weeks after the last treatment was applied. After treatment, no mowing or other mechanical disturbance should be applied in the treated area before the performance check has been carried out. a. If the last treatment was conducted in the spring or early summer (before August 15), a fall performance check must be scheduled to be conducted between August 15 and October 20. If any amount of cogongrass re-growth is observed at that time, it must be treated again before the first frost, and a final performance check conducted six weeks later. The contract holder may not submit the contract for payment before a successful final performance check has been conducted. b. If the initial treatment was conducted after August 15, the contract holder must contact the County Forester to schedule a final performance check to be conducted six weeks after that treatment. 11) At the final performance check, the FFS forester revisits the property (bringing the application form) and verifies that the previously identified areas have been treated, and that at least 95% of cogongrass foliage in the treated areas is visibly wilted or dead, with no visible re-sprouting. The contract holder shows the FFS forester documentation (original receipts and invoices) of all practice costs incurred, with total costs clearly indicated. If the contract holder has performed the treatment him or herself, then he or she should create an invoice documenting the value of labor, materials and equipment used in the treatment (a sample format for a landowner-generated invoice can be provided by the FFS forester). Clearly legible copies of all documentation, including the Herbicide Application Record Form, must be included with the returned application form. 9

10 12) If the practice has been satisfactorily completed, the FFS forester verifies that the remaining items on the application form are filled out correctly. The following procedures should be followed for each of the two treatment years: Year 1: The FFS forester will make two copies of the original application form and maps, for the forester and the contract holder to retain. On the original application form, the forester fills out the year 1 columns for acres treated, cost incurred, and payment requested. The contract holder and the FFS forester sign the form under the section labeled Partial Payment Approval. The forester mails the signed original application, along with copies of all receipts and invoices, to the program coordinator at the address in #5 above. Year 2: The same procedure as above is followed, except that the FFS forester fills out the year 2 columns for acres treated, cost incurred, and payment requested, and the forester and contract holder sign the form under the section labeled Final Payment Approval. If the forester determines that the practice has not been completed satisfactorily, the forester can request a site evaluation from the Forest Health Section to determine if partial or complete deduction of cost-shared acreage is warranted. 13) The program coordinator reviews documents and, if approved, forwards the necessary information to the Division of Administration for processing of payment. After processing, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will issue a check to the contract holder. Payment will be for 50% of costs for approved treatments, not to exceed $75 per acre per year, or $75 per year for treatments of less than an acre total. All areas should be estimated to the nearest tenth (0.1) acre. G. Failure to Complete a Practice If the contract holder determines that the practice will not be conducted, he/she should notify the FFS forester. The FFS forester should write the word CANCELED across the top of his/her copy of the application form and send it to the program coordinator. If the herbicide treatment for the first year is not conducted during the active growing period, the contract will be considered canceled. Funds for canceled practices may be re-allocated for other purposes related to the control of cogongrass in Florida. The treatment must be repeated for a second year, unless complete control of the infested areas is achieved after the first year of treatment, as confirmed by the FFS forester on a visit to the site after August 15 of the second year. Failure to do so will result in recapture of funds that were awarded for the first year of treatment. 10

11 H. FFS Foresters: Time Accounting and Forest Stewardship Foresters should record all time spent on activities related to this program in the appropriate FFS time accounting system (e.g. CARS), as well as in the PeopleFirst information system, under the Cogongrass project code. Foresters should encourage participating contract holders with 20 acres or more of forest land to also participate in the Forest Stewardship Program and have a stewardship plan developed for their property. I. Florida Forest Service Offices and More Information To contact the FFS county forester or office nearest you, consult the state government section of your phone book, or visit the web at For more information about cogongrass and other non-native invasive pest plants, visit the Forest Health Section page on the website above, under the Forest Management heading. Additionally, information regarding invasive species in Florida may be found at 11

12 Appendix 1. A Cogongrass Treatment Cost-Share Program Sign-Up Dates The sign-up dates for the program will be announced on the program website ( m.html) and in a press release issued by the Florida Forest Service. Applications for the program must be received by the Florida Forest Service Forest Health Section office in Gainesville between the announced start and end times. Applications postmarked by the end date will also be accepted. The address is: Cogongrass Treatment Cost-Share Program c/o Jeffrey Eickwort Florida Forest Service 1911 SW 34 th Street Gainesville, FL Applications received (or postmarked) after the end date will not be considered, or will receive lowest priority ranking for any remaining available funds. All applications received at any time during sign-up period will be equally evaluated and ranked for funding approval using established criteria. B. Funding Availability and Priorities The Cogongrass Treatment Cost-Share Program is supported by limited federal and state grant funding. If more eligible applications are received than can be funded by the program, then they will be prioritized according to the following rank criteria (in order of importance): 1.Applications for treatment of 5 acres or less of infested area will receive first priority. Within that group, applications for treatment of smaller areas will receive higher priority. 2.Applications for which all treatments will include each entire contiguous infestation; either 1) the infestations are completely included within the property boundary, 2) the neighboring landowner or manager has committed to treat the adjacent portion, or 3) permission (with a signed Hold Harmless Agreement) has been obtained to treat the portion of the infestation that lies beyond the property boundary. 3.Applications for treatment of infested areas that are located within 1 mile of land managed or preserved by a public agency or non-profit organization as a park, forest, or other protected natural area. 4.Applications from applicants who have an existing multi-resource management plan for the property, including the proposed treatment areas. 5.Applications for which the applicant (with the assistance of the FFS forester or other resource management professional) has prepared a written Practice Plan for the herbicide treatment, detailing the expected timing, herbicide types and rates, and methods to be used for the treatments. This does not need to be submitted with the application. 12

13 Appendix 2. Map Preparation Guidelines for Florida Forest Service Programs The Florida Forest Service (FFS) administers a variety of forestry assistance cost-share programs for the benefit of private landowners in the state. Examples of such programs have included, but are not limited to, the Forest Lands Enhancement Program (FLEP), Forest Lands Recovery Program (FLRP), and the Southern Pine Beetle Prevention Program (SPB). In order to apply for a program, applicants must submit an application and other supporting documentation, including a map or maps of the property and/or practice area. Applications without maps or with maps that do not sufficiently meet the requirements stated on the application risk being disqualified or delayed during the application approval process. Such a delay can result in a lack of funding for the applicant. Maps of poor quality or that do not conform to all required map standards outlined will not be accepted. If sub-standard maps are received, the FFS County Forester or landowner will be notified and required to submit an acceptable map before the end of the sign-up period in order to be considered for the program. In an effort to avoid these disqualifications and delays, FFS foresters are required to use a standardized map template that provides all of the information required by the various programs. In order to facilitate this process this document is being developed to assist in the mapping component of the application and provide specific instructions, template, and tips and tricks during the mapping process. These mapping requirements apply to all maps for Forest Service cost-share programs but do not apply to Stewardship or general forest management plans. Cost-share Application Maps will consist of an aerial image of the property, property boundary, practice area boundary, and a legend or labels that indicate the acreage and activity(ies) to be conducted. Maps prepared by non-ffs individuals (e.g., consulting foresters, landowners, etc.) must also conform to the guidelines stated below to ensure a smooth application process. 13

14 Required Mapping Elements Sample maps are shown below with the required components numbered. Each component is discussed in more detail in a corresponding numbered paragraph. Although it is not necessary for a map to use the exact same format or look as the ones below, it must contain all of the following components: 1. Scale - A map scale can be provided either as a graphic scale bar (as shown on the sample map) or as a ratio (e.g., 1:24,000). Most FFS programs do not require use of a specific scale provided that the scale is sufficient to show the property, practice area, and other important features clearly. Note: When a ratio scale is used, any resizing of the map by fax or reproduction will nullify the ratio. It is therefore recommended to use the graphic scale bar which will be resized along with the map and remain relatively accurate. 2. Title - Each map should have a title consisting of the landowner s name and tract name, if applicable. 3. Author - The name, initials, or other identifier of the person who made the map should be included on the map. This is important if questions arise about the map or if edits or additional information is required. 4. North Arrow - Most maps are oriented north-up. However, it is sometimes necessary for the map image to be rotated in order to fit it on the page. Because of this possibility, it is very important that each map contains a text or graphic symbol to indicate the direction of north. 5. Dates All maps must include the date they were created. If digital imagery is used, the map should also include the source and year of the imagery (if known). Active management or natural disturbance can dramatically change the appearance of the landscape. This will provide valuable historical information about the management that has taken place on the property over time. 6. Property boundary - The property boundary need not be survey accurate. Property lines based on parcel data, ground reconnaissance or other credible sources are sufficient. 7. Disclaimer - Given the probability of property line error, all Forest Service produced maps are required to have an approved disclaimer included on it. A basic disclaimer is included as part of the map templates provided by the CFA Section. Alternate version may be found on the FFS GIS intranet site. Disclaimers are recommended, but not required for maps produced by private sources. 14

15 8. Stands or Practice Areas - Clearly delineate and label the stands or areas where proposed practices will be implemented. Practice areas should be delineated by their boundary only with no fill color or pattern. This will prevent the aerial image beneath from being obscured. Maps are often reproduced or copied in black and white so it is important to use colors and line patterns that will remain apparent after reproduction. 9. Acreage Pertinent acreages should be included for property ownerships, stands, and/or practice areas shown on the map. Acreage may be indicated in the title bar, legend, text boxes or any other appropriate location on the map. Practice area acreage must match the acreage on the cost-share application form. 10. Access - Your map should show local roads used to gain access to the property and practice area. Note: A person unfamiliar with that area of the state should be able to use the map to locate the property. 11. Geographic location Maps should include the Section(s), Township, and Range (STR) and the latitude and longitude (in decimal degrees) of the property. These will provide additional location information and will also be required to obtain any prescribed burn authorizations that may be needed for the property. 12. Location Map All FFS programs require a location map, either as an inset map (as shown) or as a separate map, to aid in identifying the property location. The scale of the location map should be as large (zoomed in) as possible while still showing nearby landmarks such as cities or major highway intersections. Someone unfamiliar with that area of the state should be able to navigate to the practice area using the two maps. 13. Aerial Imagery All FFS maps submitted with cost share applications will have an aerial image as a background. This image may be lightened or made semi-transparent to improve the visibility of other graphics, but should still be clear enough to show the details of the landscape. 15

16 Sample Cost-share Application Maps Sample Map #1 Example of a properly prepared map for a cost-share application. All of the required components are present and labeled. 16

17 Sample Map #2 This map demonstrates an alternate way of symbolizing and labeling features on a map. It will sometimes be necessary to symbolize practice areas with both polygons and points. The scale of your map will determine how small a polygon can be before it is better represented as a point. Each location should be labeled with its size, with a total treatment acreage provided elsewhere on the map. It is critical that the total treatment acreage match the acreage stated on the application (rounded to the nearest whole acre). 17

18 Appendix 3. Template invoice for documenting expenses when landowner conducts practice using own labor and/or equipment Landowner Name: Address: Cogongrass Treatment Cost-Share Program Contract Number: Management practice(s) associated with this invoice: Date Type of Equipment Equipment Use Time Start End HR : MIN Rate Amount Date Name of Laborer Labor Start Time End SUBTOTAL:$ HR : MIN Rate Amount Date Type of fuel, oil, fluid, etc. Fuel and Oil Gallons or quarts used SUBTOTAL:$ Rate Amount Other Expenses SUBTOTAL:$ Date Item Units Rate Amount SUBTOTAL:$ TOTAL EXPENSES:$ This invoice accurately represents the expenses I incurred during the implementation of the management practice(s) indicated above. I understand that invoices for additional work performed by contractors, the Florida Forest Service, or other entities should also be submitted, if applicable. Landowner Signature: Date: 18