Utilizing Highway Rights of Way to Restore Ecological Resources – April 21, 2021

In 2018, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) began utilizing conservation vegetation management practices on its system to benefit pollinators and other wildlife, subsequently saving Ohio taxpayers millions of dollars each year in maintenance costs. This presentation reviews the vegetation management steps taken by ODOT which includes mowing reduction, targeted herbicide application to control noxious and invasive weeds and encourage the establishment of high-value pollinator habitats, and testing native seed mixes for post-construction activities to control erosion, filter stormwater, and create pollinator habitat.