Native to Another Area: Iowa Upgrades Vegetation Management Program With a New Wrinkle

This article discusses the role of transportation organizations in maintaining vegetation management programs, particularly through the case of the Iowa Department of Transportation’s (IDOT’s) 175,000 acres of land. Although most of IDOT's responsibility for this land concerns maintaining the public's right of way, it also concerns itself with aesthetic sensibility as well as environmental conservation. Noxious weeds are kept in abeyance in IDOT's program, a task that is conducted using a minimum of herbicides. As Iowa's native plant species often develop deep tap roots in order to access water deep beneath the surface, water runoff is conveniently diverted using extant channels created by these plant's root systems. Iowa's commitment to native species has gone so far as to eliminate large swaths of invasive, non-native species for replacement with indigenous plants.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/11660022
• Authors:
  • Bramble, Tracey
• Publication Date: 2007-3

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Photos;
• Pagination: pp 59-62
• Serial:
  • Roads & Bridges
  • Volume: 45
  • Issue Number: 3
  • Publisher: Scranton Gillette Communications
  • ISSN: 8750-9229
  • Serial URL: http://www.roadsbridges.com/rb/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aesthetics; Maintenance; Mowing; Native plants; Roadside flora
• Identifier Terms: Iowa Department of Public Safety
• Subject Areas: Design; Energy; Environment; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; I15: Environment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01047192
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: UC Berkeley Transportation Library
• Files: BTRIS, TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 5 2007 12:50PM