Utilities, local governments, and conservation groups cooperate with vegetation management efforts.
Stony Creek
Metropark
The Metropark complex
consists of a ring of 13 parks located along Michigan’s Huron and Clinton
Rivers, forming a greenbelt around the Detroit metropolitan area. One of these
Metropark facilities is known as Stony Creek, comprising 4,461 acres of scenic,
hilly terrain, in addition to prairies and swamps. Within the park is the
500-acre Stony Creek Lake; miles of trails for mountain biking, hiking, jogging,
inline skating, and bicycling; snowboarding and sledding hills; two beaches; a
nature center; an 18-hole golf course; and considerably more. Wildlife, such as
osprey, wild turkeys, and deer, are found in the park as
well.
Also in the park are
high-powered transmission lines belonging to ITC Holdings, an independent
electric transmission company. That’s where Rick Johnstone comes in. He is the
owner of Vegetation Management with Environmental Stewardship LLC, as well as
the president of Integrated Vegetation Management Partners (IVM Partners). IVM
Partners is a nonprofit corporation acting as a liaison among industry, public
agencies, conservation groups, and academia to promote best vegetation
management practices. The group works to resolve vegetation management problems,
control invasive weeds, and improve wildlife habitat.
Johnstone notes that
when a local power utility has equipment within park boundaries, as in Stony
Creek Metropark, the utility may have one set of needs from a vegetation
management standpoint, while the park has different priorities. For example, the
utility company might not be particularly concerned about small weeds because
they won’t grow tall enough to be troublesome to power lines. But park personnel
may well want even these small weeds to be controlled. Johnstone has found,
however, that often the two entities can work smoothly together to form a nice
synergy. The park might work to accommodate the needs of the utility, and the
utility in turn might go beyond its own requirements to facilitate those of the
park.
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Photo: ITC Holdings
Before restoration |
Such is the case with
Stony Creek Metropark, located about 26 miles from downtown Detroit. The
electric company is concerned with the growth of silver maple, red maple, oaks,
ash, and pines. As Johnstone explains, “The electric company can’t have such
trees growing under power wires—they interfere with the power lines and can
cause a massive power outage,” as occurred in much of the northeastern US in
2003.
On the other hand, the
utility is not troubled by the growth of small shrubs, but Johnstone has
stressed that even though these shrubs
won’t grow to a height to directly interfere with power lines, they present
another concern. Invasive shrubs, such as autumn olive, buckthorn, and
multiflora rose, can expand across the right of way, restricting workers’ access
to utility poles and lines. Managed properly, he notes, such shrub control is a
major help to the utilities, not simply an unnecessary
expense.
Another benefit is
that proper weed control acts to bring back native species that haven’t
prospered in many years. In the past, when there were many open fields to be
found, vegetation management occurred naturally in the form of occasional fires
that occurred from lightning strikes. Native species were thereby maintained
without any special effort.
In many areas, there
is no vegetation control other than occasional cutting or mowing, but this can
result in invasive shrubs and other species taking over. But with proper
maintenance to control the unwanted invasive plants, the result can be natural
shrubs that provide a number of benefits. They offer a good habitat for
songbirds, and wild meadow flowers and grasses can provide a good environment
for native pollinators such as butterflies and honeybees. Such pollinators
crisscross agricultural land and are an important pollinating source for our
crops.
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Photo: Dave Banovich
Reintroducing vegetation along Colorado Highway 67 |
Johnstone explains
that he is not involved with new plantings. Instead, “I take advantage of
nature. You have a goal of what you’re looking for, and we work to keep out
unwanted plants so that we end up with compatible groundcover. The result is not
only a more desirable vegetation mixture, but this also results in the input of
manpower decreasing as nature takes over.”
It is important to
know which herbicides to use and when to use them. This depends, of course, on
the individual project. Johnstone often selects a combination herbicide and
finds that he is therefore able to use less herbicide with better
results.
For the Stony Creek
project, he primarily uses a combination of three herbicides together to inhibit
the growth of unwanted invasive species: Arsenal, a BASF product, and both
Krenite and Escort from DuPont. At times, he combines them with Thinvert, which,
instead of acting as a water carrier for these herbicides, produces a
paraffin-like material. It sticks better where it is applied, encapsulates the
spray better, and minimizes any drift of the combination herbicide off-target.
He also uses Milestone from Dow specifically to control spotted knapweed and
Canadian thistle.
During and after his
projects, Johnstone works with a botanist to document the changes that occur.
For example, he may be able to demonstrate a change from 90% of unwanted
invasive species (pretreatment) to 10% (post-treatment).
He has also arranges
for the installation of nature trail signs showing what was growing in the area
before, and the more compatible species that are currently growing. This allows
for an ongoing education for the public.
Johnstone notes that
it’s been a lengthy process convincing various stakeholders that it’s possible
to have such synergy among industry, government agencies, and conservation
groups. Around the year 2000, he spoke with a variety of federal agencies and
found that they often took the stance “You can cut, but you can’t use
herbicides.” Even after the major blackout in 2003, he still saw little or no
improvement in the situation. He then spoke with the National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation, which was interested in his suggestions for better control of
invasive species. It could not provide funding to private utilities or
organizations, but it assisted him in setting up a nonprofit company to conduct
research, educate, and act as a liaison between various government agencies and
the utilities. More often than they may realize, Johnstone says, what the
utilities want is the same as what the federal agencies
want.
At Stony Creek, the
former owner of the property (Detroit Edison) had done virtually nothing but cut
back the trees every so often, but Johnstone found areas that were still overrun
with undesirable trees. He spoke with the Metropark personnel and proposed
various control methods. They liked his proposal, but suggested that he carry it
out in small stages. Now, there are wetland meadow grasses growing, native
species are again flourishing, and prairie is returning. He went back and
proposed cutting back some trees, as well as using some herbicides for control.
He was very clear in identifying precisely what he was planning on doing. He’s
careful to use an appropriate herbicide combination for any given project. For
example, if he’s working with wetlands, he’ll only use wetland-approved
herbicides.
The result has been
pleasing to all parties. “It’s gone as we’ve said it would, so everyone is
happy,” Johnstone proudly proclaims.
Hayman Fire and
Flood
In early June 2002,
central Colorado was hot and dry, and high winds were blowing. The mixture
proved deadly when a campfire grew into what would become the largest forest
fire in state history. Before it was contained weeks later, it consumed 138,000
acres, destroying nearly 600 structures, including 133 homes. The destruction
came to be known as the Hayman Fire, named for its point of origin. Millions of
ponderosa pine and Douglas fir trees were lost, as well as hundreds of miles of
park roads.
Mike Banovich, a
landscape architect with the Colorado department of transportation, was given
the task of reintroducing vegetation along portions of state Highway 67.
Surveying the scene and seeing that in many areas the topsoil was essentially
gone, Banovich decided that to stimulate plant growth he needed to apply liquid
organic-based fertilizer to the subsoil. The goal was to establish native
grasses in the very steep terrain.
The work proved
successful initially, but the still-massive loss of vegetation left the area
defenseless against flooding from heavy rains. On July 7, 2006, a 100-year
thunderstorm drenched the area with between 2 and 4 inches of rain. Miles of
Highway 67 were again decimated.
Banovich describes
what he found in the aftermath of the torrential rains. “The flood blew out 6
miles of highway and left perhaps 20% of the trees in the area. Everything else,
including the native grass, was scoured out.”
Highway reconstruction
was quickly undertaken, with the roadway reopening at the end of October 2006.
Maintaining local traffic through the area required close coordination among the
construction contractors, traffic control, and the Colorado state
patrol.
In order to
reestablish the native grasses, Banovich again used the same strategy of the
application of liquid organic fertilizer. He used about 600 pounds per acre of
granulate humate, composed of various organic matter, together with 1,200 pounds
per acre of organic fertilizer. Approximately 40 acres were
treated.
The humate/fertilizer
combination serves to increase the ability of the soil to hold water, stimulates
seed germination and viability, and increases the uptake of proteins and
minerals by plants. At times, Banovich has used the organic fertilizer Biosol,
from Bowman Construction Supply in Denver, containing mychorrizae. These fungi
help roots absorb nutrients and are often used in “dead zones”—areas scoured by
forest fires or construction excavation.
Previously, Banovich
had attempted to establish vegetation in such dead zones by importing topsoil,
but found that this often led to poor quality growth of native species. He has
found the most success by first establishing native species through the use of
organic fertilizer; then the competition from these well-established species
acts to minimize the growth of the undesired invasive
species.
“Before we began to
use organic fertilizer,” he says, “it was very difficult to establish vegetation
on this very steep terrain, sometimes at a 2:1 slope in the high altitude—around
7,000 feet.”
The area of the Hayman
Fire may not fully recover for perhaps hundreds of years, but Banovich’s work
has already paid off. The portions he has treated now have full vegetative
cover, including native willows and grasses.
Protecting Georgia
Highways
Bermuda grass is a
perennial grass that grows rapidly in warm temperatures, especially when
moisture is abundant. According to the Agriculture and Natural Resources
Department at the University of California, “The mature plant forms dense mats
with spreading and branching stolons that root at the nodes…. It can also be an
invasive weed. It was introduced from Africa (not Bermuda) in 1751 and is widely
spread throughout the southwest and southern United
States.”
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Photo: Georgia department of transportation
Controlling roadside and roadway plant growth can be labor-intensive, costly, and a safety risk to workers. |
Bermuda grass is found
along roadways throughout much of the state of Georgia. One of its advantages is
that it effectively promotes drainage, which aids in keeping roads free of
standing water. In addition, because it stays green throughout a good portion of
the year, it adds to the aesthetic appearance of Georgia’s
highways.
However, Bermuda grass
tends to grow rapidly, and, left unchecked, it has the capacity to reduce water
runoff by clogging roadside drainage areas. It can even reduce driver
visibility. Other grasses and plants that contribute to potential problems for
Georgia’s highway system include ryegrass, fescue, Johnsongrass, crabgrass,
thistles, dandelion, carpetweed, and beggarweed. These plants have the strength
to pry open crevices and expand cracks, opening the way for other erosive
forces, degrading the roadway system, and increasing maintenance over time. “If
grasses and weeds get a foothold in the cracks and crevices along the pavement,
we can count on a major expense and a major inconvenience for drivers,” says Ray
Dorsey, agronomist manager for the Georgia department of transportation
(GDOT).
Historically, simple
mowing and occasional herbicide applications have been the means of controlling
roadside and roadway plant growth. But these are labor-intensive, costly, and
not without safety risks to workers.
Dorsey explains that
he previously tried controlling excessive plant growth with the use of a
bromacil herbicide, but he had concerns about leaching and off-target damage:
“It was effective on grasses and weeds in the cracks, but, in my opinion, it
didn’t bind tightly enough to the soil.” Dorsey says that his crew also had to
time treatments carefully to avoid further movement of the product. “Treatments
had to be done at very specific times, so we often had to drop other treatments
to do our crack-and-crevice work,” he explains. “This wasn’t a very efficient
use of our time.”
Currently, he says,
“We utilize about 20 or so different herbicides, depending on mode of action and
target species.” In particular, he says, “We use Journey [by BASF] and Roundup
Pro [by Monsanto] herbicides for pavement weed control.” Dorsey’s department
still goes out on mowing runs, but instead of four to six mowings per year for
any given stretch of roadside, the chemical herbicides have reduced mowing to
about twice annually.
“We use a wide variety
of equipment for crack-and-crevice treatments. It’s important to match the
application technique to the size and type of the infestation,” he says. “Doing
the applications right the first time also helps keep our workforce safe by eliminating the time they
spend doing repeat treatments in high-traffic areas.”
Dorsey’s total annual
vegetation management budget comes to about $22 million for the entire state, so
any savings he can find ultimately helps to keep Georgia’s roadways both safe
and beautiful.
The Journey herbicide
that Dorsey uses has proven effective in the seedhead suppression of a number of
the plants that he battles, including pesky fescue and the Bermuda grass noted
above. Because it binds to the soil, there is less concern about runoff and
off-target damage. In addition, his current combination of herbicides can be
effective with fewer applications than what he previously was using, so this
also adds to his cost savings.
Of course, there are
still worker safety issues with which to contend. “Most of the metro Atlanta
pavement weed control is performed at night by a contractor,” Dorsey notes.
“Traffic counts are so much lower during those times. In other areas of the
state, we may have to close lanes or have buffer-type vehicles when using
herbicide trucks in a slow-moving operation.”
In addition, he says,
“We avoid treatments around all waterways and bodies of water. We also avoid
environmentally sensitive areas, such as locations with endangered species.
Areas where property owners are maintaining rights of way are also
avoided.”
Some communities
around the country have ordinances controlling noise when conducting roadside
work, but Dorsey indicates that he has not encountered any such
restrictions.
Although much of his
department’s work involves management of existing vegetation, Dorsey adds, “GDOT
has crews all over the state responsible for grassing shoulders when resurfacing
the pavement. We also do contract landscape plantings and maintenance for new
construction and existing landscapes in the metro areas, as well as rest areas
and welcome centers.”
Seeking Weeds in
Canada
Controlling unwanted
vegetation along miles and miles of railroad track can be a very time-consuming and
labor-intensive task, as Brian Harrison can attest. He has spent more than 30
years specializing in railway application of herbicides for weed
control.
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Photo: JFNew
Indiana's Lake Station is home to the state's first full-scale private wetland mitigation bank. |
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Photo: JFNew
An aerial view of the 223-acre privately owned agricultural site before mitigation. |
His latest project
involves controlling weeds along the right of way of Canadian Pacific Railways.
A railroad right of way consists of the land upon which the railway tracks have
been built, as well as the ballast under the rails (and ditches or other
drainage structures running alongside the tracks), in addition to any adjacent
embankments and the vegetation covering these slopes.
Harrison explains his
task for this project: “The main concern was to cut back on chemical usage by
just applying herbicide on the weed itself instead of blanketing the entire
area.” To accomplish this, he selected the WeedSeeker automatic spot spray
system, manufactured by NTech Industries Inc.
The heart of the
WeedSeeker is its advanced-optics sensor, which identifies chlorophyll and
applies selective spraying to hit the weed and nothing else. Properly used, it
will kill more weeds with less herbicide. “When it senses a weed,” Harrison
explains, “this triggers a solenoid with a nozzle on a boom and then sprays the
weed.”
He says that in the
past, weed control consisted of simple tank-mix blanket spraying, along with
occasional spot spraying. Later, he used chemical injection systems with rate
controllers. At present, Harrison favors the WeedSeeker technology because “it
lets you do more in populated areas where just the weeds are applied—not blanket
sprayed or small areas spot sprayed.”
An early concern,
though, was a cap on productivity, because he found that the normally equipped
WeedSeeker could be used on a vehicle traveling only up to 8 or 10 miles per
hour. However, NTech designed a remote valve controller that allows herbicide
application while traveling up to 30 miles per hour. Harrison claims that,
ordinarily, the vehicle housing the WeedSeeker unit won’t move at a clip greater
than about 20 miles per hour, but the incrementally increased speed of
application means that significantly more ground can be covered in a given
amount of time. “If the contractor is working by the mile, they need to cover
miles,” he explains.
In the case of the
Canadian Pacific Railways, he works with blocks of rail 10 to 15 miles in
length, “and you would be hard pressed to complete an entire block in an hour,
especially on a main line.”
The WeedSeeker sensor
has a 12-inch-wide field of view. Because the ballast right of way with the
Canadian Pacific Railways line is 16 feet wide, Harrison uses an array of 16
sensors mounted on a HiRail spray truck. He says that in addition to the
WeedSeeker sensors, “a TeeJet Technologies chemical injection system was also
installed on some units to help in regulating the amount of chemical usage and
to provide the ability to apply three different products at different
rates.”
Another issue to be
concerned with is chemical drift, but he explains that “whether it’s an
automatic system like the WeedSeeker or a chemical injection rate controller,
the herbicide would always be applied with a boom system with windshields to
help block the wind and keep drift to a minimum. The shields are normally at
track height. In the past few years, there have been big advances in nozzles
that control drift, so with the combination of both a shielded boom and the
right nozzle, it can noticeably cut down drift so most of the product gets on
the ground.”
In addition, he adds,
“There are always government rules to follow in all provinces, and spray speeds
are one of them.” Other regulations relate to how closely one may spray near a
body of water or near residential dwellings. “It is up to the operator,”
Harrison says, “to determine if it is safe to apply in an area, knowing the
product being used, environmental conditions, and the capability of the
equipment. The operator’s knowledge is the key to any
job.”
Lake Station
Restoration
Lake Station, on the
shore of Lake Michigan in northern Indiana, is home to the state’s first
full-scale private wetland mitigation bank. Ecological services firm JFNew
completed the design for the 223-acre privately owned agricultural site,
producing 202 acres of restored wetland.
Restoration efforts
began in 1998 and were largely completed in 2000, but JFNew continues to monitor
and maintain the site. The property is now part of the Indiana Dunes National
Lakeshore, making it accessible to the public, and has proven to be a popular
birding spot during migratory season.
To accomplish the
restoration, JFNew had to coordinate agreements among the US Army Corps of
Engineers, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, the Indiana
Department of Natural Resources, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and
the US Environmental Protection Agency.
In addition to
removing more than 31,000 linear feet of subsurface tile, project engineers had
to control non-native species such as phragmites, reed canary grass, purple
loosestrife, and multiflora rose. Control consisted of backpack herbicidal
spraying, hand wicking, and prescribed burning.
To introduce native
species to the site, seeding of more than 70 native plant types was undertaken.
These native species were carefully selected so that a species non-native to the
region would not be introduced. However, non-native annual cover was initially
applied to help with site establishment and to produce faster results. The
annual cover crops die back after their first season, and this helps to give the
native plants time to get established.
At
present, there are more than 160 native plant species onsite, and wildlife use
of the area has increased significantly, particularly by non-game species. In
addition, some 40 species of birds have been identified using the site,
including documented nesting of the state-threatened marsh wren every year since
restoration.