Rights-of-Way as Habitat Working Group

habitat conservation + working landscapes

A close-up image of a bee hovering near a vibrant pink flower, surrounded by green foliage, highlighting the importance of pollinators in nature.

Resources library

This online library is a clearinghouse of tools and information related to habitat on rights-of-way and other lands. From seed mix calculators to mowing guidelines and everything in between, you’ll find it here.

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Alt text: Page from a publication discussing the establishment of low maintenance vegetation in highway corridors, authored by researchers from Virginia Polytechnic Institute, University of Maryland, and University of Florida. The introduction highlights the environmental impact of road construction and the challenges of revegetation in disturbed areas.

Establishment of Low Maintenance Vegetation in Highway Corridors

Best Management Practices

This paper published by American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America and Soil Science Society of America reviews the general concepts and approaches for evaluating site conditions, vegetation establishment, and long-term management of highway corridors to develop sites specific prescriptions for amendments, species, and management practices.
Research summary on alternative management strategies for roadside vegetation, focusing on the effectiveness of natural herbicides like citric acid, clove oil, corn gluten meal, and pelargonic acid compared to conventional methods. The study evaluates the duration of efficacy, highlighting that alternative methods may require repeated applications for effective vegetation control.

Alternative Management of Roadside Vegetation

Best Management Practices

This paper published by HortTechnology evaluates the efficacy of alternative methods of vegetative control of roadside vegetation, including citric acid, clove oil, corn gluten meal, pelargonic acid, woodchips, bark mulches, and burning to conventional herbicides.

MaineDOT and Wild Seed Project collaboration promoting the use of Maine native plants for effective roadside restoration, featuring a winding highway surrounded by greenery and wildflowers.

Maine Native Plants For Roadside Restoration

Best Management Practices

This document developed by MaineDOT in collaboration with Wild Seed Project to help learn more about the needs of native plants along roadsides and to support pollinators. This guide aims to help roadside managers transition to creating native plant habitat along Maine’s travel corridors. It also provides information needed to plant new or manage existing populations of 70 species of wildflowers, shrubs, and grasses.

MaineDOT and Wild Seed Project collaboration promoting the use of Maine native plants for effective roadside restoration, featuring a winding highway surrounded by greenery and wildflowers.

Roadside Vegetation Management of Invasive Plants

Best Management Practices

This report was developed by Maine Department of Transportation to better understand how they can maximize benefits in Roadside Vegetation Management, by conducting a research project by the Maine Natural Areas Program (MNAP) to investigate invasive plant and native plant diversity along the roadsides.

Image of a roadside in New England featuring native grasses, illustrating the report titled

Effective Establishment of Native Grasses on Roadsides in New England

Best Management Practices

This manual prepared by University of Connecticut provides guidelines for establishment of native species on roadsides in New England which supports transportation goals for safety and infrastructure reinforcement while providing economic, ecological and aesthetic advantages. It provides provides region-specific information derived from the literature reviews, interviews with experts and practitioners, and field experiences obtained during the establishment of the regional demonstration plots.

Cover page of a document titled

Roadside Revegetation

Best Management Practices

This report by the Federal Highway Administration offers an integrated approach to facilitate the successful establishment of native plants and pollinator habitats along roadsides and other areas of disturbance associated with road modifications. It guides readers through a comprehensive process of: 1) initiating, 2) planning, 3) implementing, and 4) monitoring and managing a roadside revegetation project with
native plants and pollinator habitat.