Maintenance and construction crews are making
increasing use of environmental GIS data at DOTs. DOT
staff in construction and maintenance already use GIS
layers depicting topography (including Digital Elevation
Model, Digital Line Graph, and other topographic layers),
hydrology (Streams, Lakes, Wetlands), and Geology (Bedrock
Geology, Soils, Land Use, Karst Aerial Photographs).[N]
Inventories of species in the ROW are now being used
to support Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management
(IRVM) planning as well.
A number of states are beginning to identify rare
plant species in the ROW and tailor ROW management
to encourage native species. California, Colorado,
Delaware, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, and Wisconsin
are among the DOTs which have begun to preserve high
quality roadside remnant habitats. [N]
These initiatives typically have several common elements:
- Mapped information is combined from multiple agencies.
Typically, the primary mapped data on known plant
locations of rare species is obtained from the state
Natural Heritage Program. Other potential contributing
agencies may include the state DNR or Forest agency,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management,
U.S. Forest Service, Native Plant Societies, Department
of Agriculture, knowledgeable individuals, and counties.
- Upon completion of the initial data compilation
phase, field surveys are conducted in some cases.
- Special Management Areas are set up with particular
management practices.
- Maintenance forces are educated regarding the special
maintenance needs of and expectations in these areas.
- Tracking of species condition and progress, in
some cases.
Caltrans Biological
Management Areas
Caltrans began a plant community preservation program
in 1994. Working with conservation groups, they identified
more than 20 quality natural heritage remnants on highway
ROW. Each Biological Management Area is signed and
has its own management plan.
Colorado DOT Maintenance
Specs and Training for Management of Rare Species
in the ROW
Roadside resource management is an important aspect
of the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT)'s
Shortgrass Prairie Initiative, a programmatic consultation
and proactive avoidance, minimization, and mitigation
effort covering 36 listed and non-listed species and
associated habitats that could be impacted by CDOT's
maintenance and construction activities on Colorado's
eastern plains over the next 20 years. As part of the
agreement, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS),
the State Division of Wildlife, and CDOT negotiated
best management practices to be employed in the right-of-way
(ROW) and developed geographic information systems
(GIS) and hard copy resources/maps that can be used
by regional environmental and maintenance staff. Field
training is being developed as well.
Management practices were recommended as follows:
[N]
- If target plant(s) are present, mowing will be
avoided until late in the season (mid-September) if
possible.
- Re-seeding of disturbed areas will be with a mix
of native graminoids and forbs wherever possible.
Native mixes should be specified and/or approved by
the CDOT landscape architect.
- Herbicide applications will be used only if the
herbicide targets monocots but not dicots. If monocot
targeted herbicides are used, timing of application
is not an issue.
- Where road widening results in alteration of the
hydrologic regime, efforts will be made to ensure
that water flow is not interrupted.
- Habitat destruction for species and decimation
of the original seed source population will be avoided
to the maximum extent practicable during construction/widening.
Right-of-way management practices are designed with
multiple, and sometimes conflicting, species needs
in mind, and with attention to the maintenance and
enhancement of ecosystem processes. This builds upon
CDOT's ongoing efforts to map patches of invasive,
noxious weeds and sensitive areas in the ROW via geographic
positioning systems (GPS), and selectively manage plant
species to promote natives. The effort has been extended
statewide and will incorporate management prescriptions
and proscriptions.
North Carolina Rare
Species Management
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT)
has been protecting roadside populations of rare plants
since 1989, focusing on over 90 sites with federally
listed species and a number of other sites with state
listed species. NCDOT's initial efforts emphasized
marking these rare plant populations in order to prevent
them from being mowed. NCDOT signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) with the NC Department of Environment
and Natural Resources in 1990 that committed NCDOT
to protect populations of threatened and endangered
species that occur on NCDOT ROW, and a MOU with the
NC Department of Agriculture in 1996, agreeing to work
cooperatively on a variety of plant conservation issues,
including protecting roadside populations of federal
and state-listed endangered and threatened species.
For simplicity, NCDOT has established some general statewide
management guidelines for areas marked for rare
species as noted in the Appendix.
Oregon DOT Special
Management Areas for Rare Plants
In 1994, the Oregon Department of Transportation
introduced a voluntary Special Management Area (SMA)
program designed to protect threatened and endangered
(T&E) plant species occurring on its lands, drawing
on information from the Oregon Natural Heritage Program
and multiple agencies, individuals, and counties. The
system helps ODOT apply the appropriate levels of protection
within SMAs, and enables ODOT to maintain or increase
population numbers and assist long-term conservation
of these resources on public lands.
SMAs have special signs and activities are restricted.
SMA signs installed at the edge of buffer areas for
sensitive species are coded so maintenance forces understand
which activities are and are not allowed. Maintenance
personnel carry a "decoder card" that allows
them to decipher the code on the sign. The code provides
information that tells what type of maintenance activity
is allowed (such as ditch cleaning, mowing, spraying,
etc.) and when it is allowed (season). ODOT also developed
an educational video and implemented training that
was presented to ODOT maintenance crews and sign installation
was initiated.
Figure 1: ODOT
Special Management Area Maintenance Sign
Click
for a full-sized version
Field Signing has the benefit of giving ODOT maintenance
crews information on correct management requirements
for each SMA, defining the field limits of the SMAs,
provides a clear optical reference so inappropriate
management is not applied, and establishes continuity
around the state. All SMAs in the state follow the
same signing format, leading to less confusion and
fewer impacts.
Thus far, 40 SMAs have been established for 14 different
threatened and endangered plant species in 15 ODOT
Maintenance Districts. Proactive late fall mowing has
benefited two Willamette Valley species. The ODOT model
is being adopted by Oregon counties and WSDOT, to manage
rare species. Currently the SMA program is focused
almost exclusively on flora (plants), however, other
disciplines such as wetlands, fisheries, and possibly
archaeology may benefit from the use of Special Management
Area Signage. ODOT has noted that long-term departmental
commitment and a good working relationship between
Environmental Services, district maintenance crews,
and state and federal regulators have been essential
components in the effort's success in protecting and
enhancing populations of rare plants.
Oregon DOT GIS-Based
Sensitive Resource Inventory
The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has
developed a geographic information system (GIS)-based
inventory of sensitive resources and erosion control
problem areas along nearly 6,000 miles of state highway
as part of its Salmon Resources and Sensitive Area
Mapping Project. The primary purpose of the project
is to provide accurate resource protection maps to
roadway maintenance crews so that mowing, pesticide
application, and other activities do not harm listed
salmon species and other sensitive resources and so
that streams and banks in poor condition might begin
to be addressed.
The comprehensive resource inventory was developed
by using color infrared digital imagery with 2-foot
resolution. Other sensitive resource features were
recorded from current knowledge bases and limited roadside
surveying, and from modeling of interactions between
multiple resources and data layers. After distance
to water, stream and bank characteristics, known threatened
and endangered species locations and the overall condition
of the salmon and trout habitats were identified. ODOT
compared the imagery to previous data collected from
other sources, such as wetland information from the
National Wetland Inventory and hydrographic data from
the U.S. Geological Survey to update and validate these
findings.
GIS maps were tied into ODOT's linear referencing
system, which enables ODOT to identify the locations
of sensitive natural resources features within a hundredth
of a mile.[N]
From this GIS resource, ODOT's Transportation Inventory
and Mapping Unit and the Information Systems Branch
developed a series of detailed resource maps in 0.01-mile
segments, which indicate where sensitive resources
are present including which side of the road. Based
on the potential for environmental harm, certain restrictions
were developed for each mile of highway. This information
was then placed on restricted activity zone maps. These
maps were designed to alert ODOT staff to specific
locations of sensitive natural resource features in
order to avoid inadvertently harming wildlife or wetlands
when performing routine maintenance practices, such
as slope maintenance, snow removal, and vegetation
management. They also served to help minimize the potential
for violations of the Federal Endangered Species Act
and the Clean Water Act. ODOT supplied these maps to
all districts, for use by biologists, planners, and
maintenance managers. Laminated Restricted Activity
Zone Maps for maintenance use a simple color-coding
scheme of green and red to indicate, for each major
class of maintenance activity (e.g., surface and shoulder
work, vegetation management, snow and ice removal,
etc.), whether or not that activity should be restricted
along the left or right side of a given 0.01-mile segment
of highway.
For approximately the same cost as field surveys,
ODOT produced better quality data that was less subject
to individual interpretation, and covered over a much
larger analysis area— 1,000 feet from the roadway
centerline, without concern for access/trespass issues.
By using remote sensing techniques to collect and map
data, ODOT recognized significant savings, both in
cost and time. Before turning to advanced imaging technology
to help implement this project, ODOT had been sending
three two-person crews into the field for three and
a half months to physically capture data. Once the
digital imagery provided a base map to work from, the
field crews were able to focus their energies on data
validation instead of data capture. It also reduced
the amount of time and resources needed to one two-person
crew for two months, allowing for a quicker solution
to the increasing problem of deteriorating wildlife
habitats. Had ODOT chosen not to use digital imagery
to map these sensitive areas, the results may have
been significantly less accurate and outdated within
a short period of time. In fact, some natural features
may not have been inventoried at all as they would
have been inaccessible to the field crews or too expensive
to map across the entire state. The methodology developed
by this project is easily adaptable for other state
projects.
The library of geographic information system (GIS)
data resulting from the project has given ODOT's regional
staff a detailed environmental inventory of ecological
resources, facilitating consideration of sensitive
natural resource features when planning and designing
transportation system improvements. The maps have proven
to be a reliable, desktop scoping tool. The GIS system,
data layers, and existing modeling routines facilitate
easy updating as new information and aerial photography
becomes available. ODOT is now developing an internet-based
application to enable wider desktop access to the information.
Because the inventory data is digital and easily transferable
between agencies, ODOT can also easily share this data
and streamline communication processes with the National
Marine Fisheries Service, the Oregon Department of
Fish and Wildlife, the USFWS, and the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers. ODOT's Resource and Restricted Activity
Zone Maps were also key to negotiation of programmatic
consultation for maintenance operation activities with
the National Marine Fisheries Service (now NOAA Fisheries),
under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). Specifically,
ODOT received an exemption under 4(d) of the ESA allowing
crews to perform routine road maintenance without having
to consult with NOAA Fisheries on individual actions.
ODOT is also exploring real-time geographic positioning
system (GPS) connection to maintenance vehicles, as
well as herbicide application spray booms to automatically
activate and deactivate applicators as needed to avoid
impacting sensitive resources including streams, wetlands,
or rare plant populations.
Washington State Threat-Specific
Rare Plant Management
During June and July of 1998 WSDOT conducted an extensive
survey within 200 feet of US Highway 2 for its length
of Tumwater Canyon. Biologists/botanists from WSDOT,
the Washington Department of Natural Resources' Natural
Heritage Program (WDNR-NHP), and the U.S. Forest Service
participated. This survey disclosed the presence of
three rare plants; one of which is proposed for federal
listing as endangered and the others listed as state
threatened and sensitive plants. An ortho photo with
GPS points of rare plant locations was prepared and
a GIS map, of much larger scale showing these same
points, was prepared for the WSDOT Maintenance Office
in Leavenworth and the Leavenworth Ranger District.
Actual/potential threats to rare plants were identified,
highlighting ones over which WSDOT had control or influence.
From that list, appropriate management practices were
identified.
- Competition and shading from native trees and shrubs
- Competition from nonnative and/or state-listed
noxious plant species
- Wildfire and fire suppression
- Activities associated with fire suppression
- Plant succession in the absence of fire
- Low seedling establishment
- Roadside vegetation control by applying herbicides
- Spreading of roadway anti-icers/deicers during
winter months
- Mass-wasting and soil erosion on unstable slopes
- Motor vehicle exhaust emissions
- Human trampling and collecting
- Poor seed development
- Low reproductive capacity
WSDOT determined the agency had the most to contribute
in minimizing threats 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, which are covered
below in the next sections.[N]
Minimizing competition and shading from native
trees and shrubs
Rare plants can be threatened by competition and
shading from native trees and shrubs. In some instances,
the removal of hazard trees can help protect rare plants.
At the same time, tree removal can impact rare plants
if not done correctly.
WSDOT maintenance implements the following stewardship
practices to reduce undesirable shading:
- Identify areas where trimming or removal of trees
is desirable for maintenance.
- Contact the land manager (USFS) or regulatory oversight
agency and come to agreement on the best approach,
meeting on-site if needed.
- Employ identified BMPs.
Minimizing competition from non-native and/or
state-listed noxious plant species
Nonnative and/or state-listed noxious plant species
threaten rare plants by competition. Applying herbicides
to weeds while performing roadside vegetation control
can help protect rare plants. To this end, maintenance
in areas with rare or endangered species involves the
following stewardship practices at WSDOT:
- Inform the land manager/regulatory agency of spraying
dates. Agree on best approach. Meet on site as needed.
The land manager, in this case USFS, is responsible
for weed control in immediately adjacent areas.
- Identify road segments where rare plants are absent
and spraying can be conducted.
- Utilize selective control and hand application
of herbicide when near rare plants.
- Employ BMPs for water quality, habitat, and worker
protection.
Minimizing impacts to rare plants during work
on ditches
To avoid adversely affecting rare plants near the
highway while working on ditches, WSDOT maintenance
forces employ the following stewardship practices in
the vicinity of identified populations:
- Check the known locations of all rare plants.
- If rare plants occur within 2 m (6.6 ft) of the
ditch and plant disturbance cannot be avoided, consult
the land management/regulatory agency in advance.
If another agency manages the area (such as the USFS),
maintenance forces can identify work locations and
ask the land manager to mark any individual rare plants
on the day work will be done.
- Perform the maintenance and repair in accordance
with agency procedures and stewardship practices for
Water Quality and Habitat Protection.
- Remove all location markings from plants in the
field.
Minimizing threats to rare plants from soil erosion
on unstable slopes
To minimize rare plants being threatened by soil
erosion on unstable slopes within the highway easement,
WSDOT maintenance forces have committed to do the following
for identified target populations:
- Check to determine if rare plants are known to
exist in the unstable area.
- If within the area, mark all individual plants
on the day work will be done.
- If the plant disturbance cannot be avoided, consult
the land manager or regulatory agency.
- Perform the maintenance and repair in accordance
with standard and agency best management practices.
- Remove all location markings from plants in the
field.
Permanent solutions to chronically unstable slopes
are undertaken by WSDOT's Unstable Slope Program. In
those cases, construction forces:
- Identify the areas with chronically unstable slopes.
- Consult with technicians from the Unstable Slope
Program.
- Check to determine if rare plants are known to
exist for each of the chronically unstable areas.
- If safety measures such as "scaling," "bolting," "netting," "trim
blasting," "doweling," "fencing," and/or "rock
buttressing" will be performed, consult the land
manager and/or the regulatory agency for concurrence.
- If possible to revegetate the exposed areas, confer
with the land manager or regulatory agency about using
local rare plants or suitable noninvasive native plants.
Minimizing threats from human intrusion, trampling,
and unauthorized collection
Rare plants that are threatened by human intrusion,
trampling and unauthorized collection will require
a conscious effort, on the part of land managers and
the DOT to watch for such action or implement a monitoring
program. If it is determined that such threats occur,
both agencies will confer with one another to establish
a contingency plan for minimizing the threat. Actions
the DOT can take may include blocking newly constructed
maintenance pullouts during flowering of rare plants
or other measures if parking and public access become
significant issues.
Annual training sessions will be conducted to assure
that rare native plants receive the attention required
for their protection and sustainability. Field staff
from both Design/Construction and Maintenance Divisions
will receive training that includes discussion of the
importance of the rare plants in their associated ecosystems,
their natural history, and the roles each agency has
agreed to play in the planned rare plant management
strategies. Training should include a field review
to point out individual rare plants, their specific
locations, and advice as to what can and cannot be
done to them. Such training should be conducted annually.
Identifying new locations of rare plant species
If new or additional rare plants are found, their
type (common or scientific name) and specific location
should be reported to DOT biologists, land management
or regulatory agency biologists, and/or the state Natural
Heritage Program, depending on the state DOT's process
for confirmation of plant identification. If confirmed,
and depending on the location, it may be recorded as
a new sighting and subsequently logged via GPS into
the appropriate GIS database. The relevant state or
federal agencies should be notified of the find and
its location.
TxDOT Rare Plant Management
Partnership
One of the major public landholders in Texas, a state
with less than 10 percent public land, is the Department
of Transportation (TxDOT). TxDOT manages over 750,000
acres of highway right-of-way.[N]
A 1989 survey of the Texas Biological Conservation
Database revealed 150 occurrences of listed or category
plants on or within the immediate vicinity of highway
right-of-way. To assure protection for these species,
a project was undertaken between 1990 and 1994 to identify
listed and non-listed rare plants occurring on highway
right-of-way, collaboratively develop management agreements
to protect these species, and establish monitoring
plans to assess the effectiveness of the management.
Of the 150 potential sites identified in the Conservation
Database as possibly occurring on highway right-of-way,
57 were relocated, 15 were either not found or not
found to be on highway right-of-way, and 88 were still
being verified as of 1995. The management effort for
species in the ROW led to establishment of 26 management/
monitoring areas; monitoring/management agreements
were maintained between TxDOT and the Texas Parks and
Wildlife Department until the program ran out of money
several years later. A total of 33 populations representing
26 species were monitored while the program was in
effect, and data collected in that period indicated
that about two-thirds of the species' populations increased
or remained stable under the agreed upon management
regimes. Decreases were usually assignable to drought,
but occasional abnormal habitat disturbances such as
fiber optic cable placement contributed as well. However
no decreases in either population numbers or vigor
were attributable to TxDOT management. TxDOT placed "No
Mow" or "Wildflower Research Area" signs
were placed around some rare plant populations. In
a few areas reflector posts cordoned off populations,
to help keep mowers out.
Wisconsin DOT Characterization
of the Karner Blue Butterfly Habitat in the ROW
As part of Wisconsin's Statewide Habitat Conservation
Plan (HCP) for the Karner blue butterfly, the Wisconsin
Department of Transportation (WisDOT) conducted an
initial inventory of high potential corridors for the
presence of lupine along state highway ROW, using soil
types as a simple key indicator. Management for the
Karner blue butterfly also benefits a number of other
state-listed species and federal species of concern,
including plants, turtles, lizards, and other butterflies.
WisDOT's primary strategy for maintaining butterfly
habitat is to manage ROW to provide for corridors of
dispersal between larger butterfly population centers
via habitat in the ROW along corridors controlled by
DOT. USFWS and Wisconsin DNR see the corridors as important
in creating connectivity, short-term refuge areas,
and dispersal corridors. This strategy includes the
following measures for areas with high potential for
presence of the Karner blue butterfly (KBB), as determined
by soil type: 1) selective mowing that avoids the growing
season except immediately adjacent to travel lanes,
2) lupine seeding after construction projects in appropriate
soils and locations, 3) removal of brush and trees
during the non-growing season to assure continued lupine
habitat (2-5 year basis for mowing), 4) mitigation
for permanent take or removal, 5) monitoring KBB/lupine
populations through annual surveys, and 6) public education
WisDOT corridors meeting the following criteria were
included in the agreement: 1) those within high potential
range of KBB, typically upland sandy soil areas in
central and northwestern Wisconsin, 2) corridors that
already contain significant wild lupine populations
or KBB, and 3) those close to, or connected with other
KBB HCP lands that have potential for similar management.
WisDOT also implemented an internal education and
training program for maintenance crews and other appropriate
field personnel regarding KBB and lupine identification.
Herbicide use is limited to spot applications for invasive
weeds and cut stumps. WisDOT shares roadside management
techniques and information with counties and towns
upon request.
The overall Habitat Conservation Plan brought together
26 partners, including eight counties, the WisDNR,
and WisDOT. WisDOT undertook a species and habitat
conservation agreement with the state DNR, which, in
turn, has a statewide HCP and Incidental Take Permit
with the USFWS. The implementation agreement covers
approximately 4,000 acres for 10 years.
Canadian Practices
for Vegetation Preservation from Winter Maintenance
The Transportation Association of Canada makes the
following suggestions for protection of sensitive plants
in the ROW from winter maintenance practices:[N]
- In urban areas protect newly planted conifers by
erecting burlap screens during the winter months;
- In urban areas consider applying anti-desiccants
and anti-transpirants to the tender shoots of sensitive
plants;
- Sweep salt laden grit from turf areas as soon as
possible in the spring;
- Shield natural areas from salt spray by planting
buffers of salt tolerant species; and
- Where feasible and cost-effective consider using
snow fences (living or structural) to reduce snow
accumulation on roadways or to trap salt spray and
prevent it from traveling far from the roadway.
Winter maintenance practices are discussed in greater
detail in Chapter 8 of this Compendium. |
