[PCA] Fw: [Pollinator] Roads and pollinators - again

Thu Aug 31 10:33:32 CDT 2006

I have worked with roadside issues for almost 20 years.  IF your New Jersey State DOT District or perhaps County (is not cooperating....which they are more and more prone to do)......you could do what some states have done in the 80's to protect exotic pheasants (ironic in retrospect).

The States of Michigan, Minnesota and I think Wisconsin, have legislated mowing periords to allow nesting birds to fledge before mowing begins.
Why not do the same for your rare orchids and gentians?  Mowing of rural roadsides is allowed only between June 15 and September 15, except for one swath for
visibility and pull-off purposes............Be creative, but do talk to whichever authority that does the mowing first.  They want to do the right thing too!!!  They just might be hung up on an old agricultural approach to roadside management and know the weeds, but not the rich diversity of natives in the area.

Good luck to you,  Bonnie

P.S.  I am a technical resource for all 50 State Highway agencies and teach roadside management to them and counties across the U.S.

Bonnie L. Harper-Lore

Restoration Ecologist

Office of Environment, HEPN-30

Federal Highway Administration

360 Jackson Street, Ste. 500

St. Paul, MN  55101

651-291-6104

  _____  

From: native-plants-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org [mailto:native-plants-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org] On Behalf Of Renee Scagnelli
Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2006 8:16 AM
To: native-plants at lists.plantconservation.org; native-plants-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org
Subject: Re: [PCA] Fw: [Pollinator] Roads and pollinators - again

Timing of mowing is critical in our area (NJ Pine barrens)---we've lost a number of populations of native orchids and pine barrens gentians, etc. because mowing was too early in the season; otoh, complete cessation of mowing allows for succession which again can be problematic for some of our rarer plants that don't don't handle competition well (Schwalbea americana, for instance).

Renee Scagnelli

Renée (Brecht) Scagnelli
Associate Director
Citizens United to Protect the Maurice River and its Tributaries <http://www.cumauriceriver.org/>  

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services Volunteer Coordinator: Adopt-a-swamp pink population and Knieskerns monitoring program <http://www.fws.gov/northeast/njfieldoffice/Endangered/Endangered.htm> 
Vineland Environmental Commission
South Jersey Bayshores Coalition
Cumberland County Eagle Festival Committee 2006 (formerly Raptor Festival)
Partnerships for NJ Plant Conservation <http://www.pnjpc.njpinelandsanddownjersey.com/Mission_Statement.htm>  

Visit NJ Pines and Down Jersey <http://www.njpinelandsanddownjersey.com/open> 

Join our NJ Pines & Down Jersey Forums <http://www.miumu.com/boards/index.php?mforum=NJPinelands> 

  _____  

Get your own web address for just $1.99/1st yr <http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=43290/*http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/domains> . We'll help. Yahoo! Small Business <http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=41244/*http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/> . 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.plantconservation.org/pipermail/native-plants_lists.plantconservation.org/attachments/20060831/24eeff06/attachment.html>