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

[Harper-Lore, Bonnie]

I am a technical resource for all 50 State DOTs.
The mowing tradition is a tough one to crack.  Doing so is part of my
job description.
I have been trying for 13 years...so feel free to carp!!!
The safety reason has no scientific basis and is overused, because it is
"the way we've always done it". 
The clear zone policy of many DOTs is not accurate.  Reasonable mowing
of one swath only is what is needed for vehicle recovery and parking for
emergencies.  One swath is all that is needed for visibility at
intersections and in forested areas.
Mowing itself in some states is admittedly attracting large mammals to
the roadside to eat.  We shoot ourselves in the foot with over mowing.
Honestly, there are only two answers I have found:
1.  Calls from the public to the top of the DOT or the Governor, and/or
2.  State legislation.  At least 3 States have reduced mowing by DOT
laws that allow only one swath except during one month in the end of
summer where they can mow right of way fence to right of way fence.
They think the public wants it to look neat.  Let them know if you
prefer a natural look.  The 3 States who do have mowing law imposed on
DOTs did so to protect nesting birds.  Reduced mowing would also protect
other small critters, and pollinators.  We did a study in Iowa some
years back and showed that butterflies prefered native unmowed grassland
habitat and did not increase butterfly roadkill.  Every State in the
U.S.  has some kind of grassland community to emulate.  I advocate
grasslands, because highway engineers will be comfortable with a
softscape solution that they can at least mow the edge and on occasion
all to prevent forest encroachment.

Their fear is litigation.  One tree and one vehicle collide on their
right of way, and the responsibility has been historically costly.  This
is a difficult fear to overcome.  It has a lot of history and dollars
lost behind it.

Perhaps these insights will give you some ideas about how you can help
them mow less.  Let them know you do not want the agricultural approach
to vegetation management, but a more natural and ecologically-based
solution.  They really want to "do the right thing" too.

Good luck,
Bonnie.


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


-----Original Message-----
From: native-plants-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org
[mailto:native-plants-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org] On Behalf Of
mangodance
Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2006 8:18 AM
To: native-plants at lists.plantconservation.org
Subject: Re: [PCA] Fw: [Pollinator] Roads and pollinators - again

Lewis_Gorman at fws.gov wrote:

> 
> It's hard to believe that managing Interstate and limited access 
> highways, clover leaves, etc. by merely not mowing them (except for 
> safety requirements) would not be of overall advantage to all
wildlife.
>  Is a study really required to determine an overall benefit?  
> Increased biodiversity alone should justify supporting a reduced 
> mowing policy on highway lands.
> There must be millions of acres being mowed at great cost, petroleum 
> energy use, and associated air pollution that would be significantly 
> reduced by halting mowing, except as minimally required by federal 
> highway safety specifications.

I've been carping about not mowing for years (even before I got there). 
  Mowing is basically a jobs program.  The contracting for mowing is as
ugly as any defense contracting.  The safety aspect is ridiculous.  They
tell me they're afraid people will go off road and hit a tree. 
Apparently all the rock walls, drop-offs to creeks, and similar things
are not dangerous to people leaving the road.

Additionally, if it was REALLY safety they were after, they wouldn't put
all that optimum deer browse next to the roads.


_______________________________________________
native-plants mailing list
native-plants at lists.plantconservation.org
http://lists.plantconservation.org/mailman/listinfo/native-plants_lists.
plantconservation.org

Disclaimer
Posts on this list reflect only the opinion of the individual who is
posting the message; they are not official opinions or positions of the
Plant Conservation Alliance.