[PCA] Roadside refugia in Nevada, 444 more miles of the 1997 Megatransect

Nancy_Brian at nps.gov Nancy_Brian at nps.gov
Thu Sep 28 11:41:18 CDT 2006


Dear Lew and Craig,
Was happy to see your on the list serve about increasing natives along
roadways -- and if you need any more support, here's text from
nativeseednetwork.org:




 Benefits of restoring roadsides with native species
  The extensive network of American roadways crosses virtually every
  ecosystem in the country and has the potential to provide connectivity
  across an increasingly fragmented landscape. Roadside vegetation is often
  a maintenance liability and frequently serves as a pathway for exotic
  plant invasion. If we can replace invasive weeds with appropriate native
  plant species, then we can establish corridors for gene flow between
  isolated ecosystems and provide contiguous habitat for plants and
  wildlife. By selecting native plants with appropriate growth habits, we
  can reduce the maintenance requirements and provide an aesthetically
  pleasing flora that reflects the local character of the landscape.

  Regards,
  Nancy
*   *   *   *   *
Nancy Brian, Endangered Species Specialist - Botanist
Biological Resources Management Division
Natural Resource Program Center, Nat'l Park Service
1201 Oak Ridge Drive, Suite 200; Fort Collins, CO 80525
970.267.2103 phone   970.225.3585 fax
nancy_brian at nps.gov


                                                                                                                                
                      Lewis_Gorman at fws.gov                                                                                      
                      Sent by:                                      To:       Craig Dremann <craig at astreet.com>                 
                      native-plants-bounces at lists.plantconse        cc:       apwg at lists.plantconservation.org,                 
                      rvation.org                                    native-plants at lists.plantconservation.org,                 
                                                                     native-plants-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org,         
                                                                     rwg at lists.plantconservation.org, (bcc: Nancy               
                      09/27/2006 05:37 PM AST                        Brian/FTCOLLINS/NPS)                                       
                                                                    Subject:  Re: [PCA] Roadside refugia in Nevada, 444 more    
                                                                     miles of the 1997 Megatransect                             
                                                                                                                                





All,
Now, how to design a national policy/program to deal with this?  Or is it
on a state by state basis?
IN has received $350,000 to plant native grasses on their interstate
highway, reducing cost and creating habitat.
Lew


                                                                           
 Craig Dremann                                                             
 <craig at astreet.com>                                                       
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                                                                        cc 
                                       native-plants at lists.plantconservati 
 09/14/2006 06:51 PM                   on.org,                             
                                       rwg at lists.plantconservation.org     
                                                                   Subject 
                                       [PCA] Roadside refugia in Nevada,   
                                       444 more miles of the 1997          
                                       Megatransect                        
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           





Dear All,

Regarding Native Plant Conservation, and the importance of Roadside
Refugia---plus the impacts of weeds on those refugia, especially weeds
intentionally sown by State DOTs---here's the second part of the Nevada
portion of my 1997 Megatransect:

US 93 and US 6, total miles 444
Jackpot NV to Wells to Ely to Warm Springs to Tonopah to Cal. border

NATIVE GRASSES ABSENT = 196 miles (44%),
---Native grasses should have be present in 180 of those miles.
TOWNS, riparian, playas, lava = 17 (3.8%)
CHEATGRASS = 37 (8.3%)
CRESTED WHEATGRASS sown along roadside by DOT = 26 (5.8%)

NATIVE GRASSES PRESENT = 248 miles (55.8%)
Oryzopsis found only within R/W = 84 (19%)
Oryzopsis on other side of fence = 48 (11%)
Oryzopsis solid prairies = 6 (1.3%)
Hilaria grasslands = 22 (4.9%)
Mixed native grasses, Stipa, Poa etc.= 59 (13.2%)
Great Basin Wild Rye, found only within R/W = 13 (2.9%)
Great Basin outside of R/W = 21 (4.7%)
Great Basin Wild Rye solid beautiful prairies = 7 (1.5%)

You can see for two of the native grasses, the roadside fences and thin
strips of the Federal highway right-of-ways, were protecting nearly 100
miles of the only remaining stands of grasses, that used to occur
abundantly in those areas.

I think that everyone will agree, when Roadside Megatransects are done
across the United States in many of the other States,  we will begin to
see clearly, how important and to what degree roadside right-of-ways are
the last safe harbor and refugia for many of the local native perennial
grasses, native herbaceous perennials, and native insect nectar plants?

Sincerely,  Craig Dremann, Redwood City, CA (650) 325-7333

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