Pollinator Habitat Scorecard

The Pollinator Scorecard may also be used to meet the monitoring requirements for organizations participating in the monarch butterfly Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (Monarch CCAA), and/or the Geospatial Habitat Database

The Pollinator Habitat Scorecard is made possible with funding from…

And technical expertise from…

The Pollinator Scorecard was developed by the Rights-of-Way as Habitat Working Group (ROWHWG) to help energy and transportation organizations and land managers evaluate pollinator habitat and management practices. The Pollinator Scorecard User’s Guide provides background information and protocols for using both components of the scorecard: (1) Pollinator Scorecard Management Module and (2) Pollinator Habitat Assessment Protocol.

What is Pollinator Habitat?

For the purposes of the Pollinator Scorecard, pollinator habitat is defined as areas containing native flowering plants, host plants, and nesting sites, throughout the growing season. Other considerations include: Pollinator habitat may be remnant natural habitat, habitat enhanced through management, or newly created habitat A greater diversity of (or dominance by) native plants, which provides a greater diversity of floral resources, host plants, and nesting sites Aim for 3 or more native plant species throughout the spring, summer, and fall

The Pollinator Scorecard seeks to capture information about the ability and potential of ROW and other energy and transportation lands to support monarch butterfly and other pollinator habitat. Specifically, the Pollinator Scorecard captures information about:

• Abundance of milkweed and flowering plant coverage
• Additional habitat resources
• Adjacent land use
• Pollinators observed
• Threats related to management practices
• Opportunities related to management practices

Using the Pollinator Habitat Assessment Protocol

Users may choose between three tiers, from simple to advanced monitoring, depending on time availability, expertise, and organization goals. The Pollinator Habitat Assessment Protocol is a tool designed for flexibility with the understanding that ROW managers may have different objectives for using the Pollinator Scorecard and varying levels of access to resources and expertise for habitat assessment. All three tiers comply with monitoring requirements for the Monarch CCAA.

Determine the best tier for your organizational needs with the following questions: 

Tier 1: Is habitat for pollinators present?

• This scorecard is intended for use by anyone, with minimal training or plant identification skills required.
• The scorecard clearly delineates required and optional monitoring fields per the Monarch CCAA.

Tier 1: Midwest/Northeast U.S

Tier 1: West/South U.S

Tier 2: What is the quality of pollinator habitat?

• This scorecard is intended for use by most assessors.
• Some skill level is required to identify percent plant cover, flowering plants in bloom, habitat resources, and management threats and opportunities.

Tier 2

Tier 3: What is the composition of the pollinator habitat?

• This scorecard is intended for advanced assessors who are capable of identifying most plants to species-level.

Tier 3

Users can also complete the Pollinator Habitat Assessment Protocol electronically through the Survey123 app.The app streamlines data collection and reporting by syncing habitat data and photos with the Rights-of-Way as Habitat Geospatial Database.Find additional information under Resources

Using the Pollinator Scorecard Management Module

The Pollinator Scorecard Management Module is used to evaluate the suitability of management activities for pollinator habitat on each plot or site. This tool provides valuable information to consider alongside the habitat quality ratings and may be completed at any time of year following site assessments. The Management Module aims to identify:

• Threats present on the site that may impact the condition (or availability of) habitat
• Opportunities to improve habitat to the benefit of a species

Effectiveness of current and potential management practices are assessed in terms of scale and persistence to generate an overall management score.