Best Management Practices

This report by EPRI summarizes the process and final methods for a landscape-scale, GIS-based approach to identifying monarch habitat in the United States.

This guide by the Wildlife Habitat Council serves as a catalog for corporate landowners to learn more about specific nature-based solutions (NbS) to climate challenges, and select those that best align with their needs. The publication includes twenty NbS interventions, from reforestation to green roofs, as well as real-life case studies that illustrate how corporations have successfully implemented each solution.

This document provides guidelines, resources, and strategies for pipeline operators and managers to use in the development and management of conservation programs for pipeline rights-of-way (ROW) and assets. The goal of this document is to help operators and managers with ROW conservation programs, including guidance on how to identify, plan, implement, and mature conservation practices to maintain the highest standards of safety while also achieving benefits for the natural environment, the community, and the organization.

This interactive guide from the American Wind & Wildlife Association summarizes current information on onshore wind energy development in the U.S. in the context of protecting wildlife and their habitats, including regulatory considerations, impacts and risk factors to wildlife and habitat, and landscape assessment and siting.

This habitat guide, developed by the Bee & Butterfly Habitat Fund, outlines the steps that go into planning, preparing, planting, and maintaining great pollinator habitat.

This document, authored by the Rights-of-Way Work Group of the Oklahoma Monarch and Pollinator Collaborative, provides recommended Best Management Practices for monarch habitat on Oklahoma Industry Sector Rights-of-Way (ROW), including transportation ROWs, electric transmission ROWs, solar parks, oil and gas distribution lines, and rail corridors.

This Technical Brief provides a summary of the key considerations related to “pollinator-friendly solar,” including:  site design, construction and maintenance; procurement of pollinator-friendly solar; and the business case.  Sidebars cover honey bees on solar fields, brown fields to bright fields, and several specific power company case studies. 

This guide developed by North Caroline Dept. of Transportation outlines legal requirements and permits for planting on highway right-of-way.

This report prepared by the Electric Power Research Institute and the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation describes the conservation actions for monarch habitat protection, management, enhancement, and restoration that are compatible with the land use and management of electric power company properties. Conservation actions are mapped to the various land asset types to understand where the greatest monarch conservation potential exists.

This technical guide developed by North Carolina Pollinator Conservation Alliance highlights healthy pollinator communities , solar farm site preparation and planting guidelines and the benefits of pollinator conservation activities.

This technical manual developed by Pollinator Partnership is a guide for state Department of Transportation managers and staff. It provides information on roadside enhancements that allows to maintain safe and accessible roadsides and support pollinators.

This guide developed by Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation shows how to bring back milkweeds and restore habitat for monarch butterflies. It is a manual on large-scale milkweed seed production, nursery propagation, and field restoration of the plants.

This guideline published by Ontario Horticultural Association aims to create pollinator-habitat patches in Ontario – along roads, in unused public spaces and in home gardens. The goals of the project are three-fold: to provide habitat for our native pollinators; to reintroduce native Ontario plants; and to beautify the province

This review article published by Native Plants Journal highlights some of the previous research in establishing modest-sized wildflower plantings. Components include: pre-planting concerns; planting and maintenance; wildflower dividends; and wildflower establishment recommendations.

This guideline developed by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation provides recommendations for managing existing monarch breeding and migratory habitat and where/when to restore new habitat in the western U.S. Included are BMPsfor mowing roadsides and other rights-of-way as well as prescribed fire, pesticides, invasive and noxious plant management, and other restoration practices.

This guideline developed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources provides an overview of the steps necessary to successfully establish native prairie species.

The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation developed this guideline to help landowners with site selection, site preparation, plant selection, planting techniques, and ongoing management of sites up to an acre in size.

The Federal Highway Administration issued these guidelines for vegetation management and enhancing native vegetation along roadsides to improve pollinator habitat. This document includes case studies, tools, and recommendations.

This brochure developed by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture provides Best Management Practices to reduce negative impacts on pollinator habitat from current management practices, improve existing habitat, and create new habitat near, adjacent to, or in roadsides and other rights-of-way.

This draft document prepared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior provides general information about practices and procedures to use when considering pollinator needs, particularly for project development and management on Federal lands.

This literature review was prepared by ICF International and the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation on behalf of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration. It represents a first step in an effort to provide practicable BMPs that FHWA can offer transportation agencies to develop pollinator programs in their jurisdictions and enhance these programs where they already exist.

The University of Northern Iowa Tallgrass Prairie Center developed this pamphlet on bee and butterfly habitat along roadsides. The pamphlet addresses concerns with vehicle collisions, describes how Integrated Vegetation Management using native wildflowers and grasses can help pollinators, and provides additional resources for more information.

Prepared by Chicago Wilderness’s Native Landscape & Restoration Contractor Selection Guide Working Group with the primary purpose of providing assistance to organizations in the selection and oversight of appropriate contractors and consultants for native landscaping and ecological restoration work.

This manual written by the National Wildlife Federation offers case studies and shares innovative best practices that can be used by municipalities across the nation to conserve monarch butterflies.

This article by Natural Resources Conservation Service provides Conservation Practice Standard for establishing and maintaining permanent vegetative cover.

This resource was developed by Hydro-Québec. This is an information sheet for native plants that support pollinators. The reference guide highlights plants that are compatible with transmission systems, and specifies which plants support specific pollinators.

This resource developed by Trees Forever is lists the tree and shrub species that are native to the Midwest and provide many habitat benefits for pollinators.

This document prepared by Native Plants helps to make intelligent choices in the marketplace and to helps customers have a working understanding of the diversity of products that are available in the seed trade; how they move in the market; how they are regulated for purity and germination; how they are certified to assure genetic identity; and how they are legally protected as intellectual property

This website provides search tools and information on all aspects of native seed. It includes a database for searching the availability of native seeds to purchase from seed vendors. Also includes a vendor search.

This spreadsheet developed by Roadside Revegetation lists plant species and their attributes for the I-35 Corridor. The I-35 Corridor is a multi-state effort that serves as a national model of cooperation to enhance pollinator habitat along transportation rights-of-way. The six states involved in the strategy have agreed to coordinate efforts to establish best practices and promote monarch butterfly and pollinator conservation.

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.
Roadside managers could become leaders in increasing native habitat in Maine with a better understanding of the life cycle and growing needs of these plants.

This guide developed by Pheasants and Quail Forever’s Conservation Seed Program focuses on increasing pollinator habitat along rights-of-way by using appropriate seed mixes and suitable establishment and management guidelines.

Native Browser is an online tool developed by Cardno Native Plant Nursery, that allows you to determine which plant species will likely succeed based on your site conditions.

This guideline developed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources provides an overview of the steps necessary to successfully establish native prairie species.

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Delaware Conservation Practice Standard talks about the best management practices regarding Hedgerow planting

This guideline developed by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation provides guidelines to establish pollinator meadows in small to large areas. Information on site selection, plant selection, site preparation, several planting techniques and ongoing management is made available

The Conservation Foundation partnered with The Pizzo Group, Applied Ecological Services, and Cardno JFNew to develop this low profile meadow seed mix as a pollinator-friendly and cost-saving alternative to mowed turf grass.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Regional Integrated Pest Management Centers prepared this alert for Palmer Amaranth, which has posed concerns with landowners related to wildflower and pollinator seed mixes.

The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation developed regional native plant lists recommended to attract pollinators such as native bees, honey bees, butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds. They are well-suited for small-scale plantings in gardens, on business and school campuses, in urban greenspaces, and in farm field borders. 

This quick guide developed by the Ohio Department of Transportation – District 9 includes site preparation, schedule, and seed mix recommendations.

Pollinator Partnership developed 24 ecoregional planting guides for pollinators, each tailored to specific areas of the United States and Canada. You can search your ecoregion by zip code on their website.

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Xerces – Develop custom region-specific conservation seed mix for pollinator and beneficial insect habitat using this seed rate calculator with the Zerces Pollinator Habitat Installation Guide and the Xerces Pollinator Plant List applicable to your region.

The NCHRP 14-40 project provides guidance for roadside vegetation management to identify the cost, safety, and environmental impacts of routine mowing compared with managed succession of vegetation for areas outside the safety clear zone. Departments of Transportation (DOTs) are re-evaluating their roadside management practices regarding costs and environmental concerns
versus benefits. The ecosystem services provided by minimizing roadside vegetation maintenance practices can include ecosystem diversity, stormwater quantity and quality management, carbon sequestration, conservation and/or restoration of pollinator and/or wildlife habitat, and aesthetics. A key safety benefit comes from reducing maintenance personnel exposure to traffic hazards, equipment, and chemical treatments. This provides both short-term and long-term cost savings and benefits. Overall, managing the roadside as a valued transportation asset consists of taking advantage of the natural ecosystem services that modified
mowing regimes and/or managed succession can provide to see the return in cost/benefit.

The Canadian Wildlife Federation prepared this handout providing recommended time frames by region during which mowing practices may be less detrimental to local monarch populations in Canada.

Site preparation is one of the most important and often inadequately addressed components for successfully installing pollinator habitat. These guidelines provide step-by-step instructions, helpful suggestions, and regional timelines & checklists for preparing both small and large sites using:

• Solarization
• Smother cropping
• Repeated shallow cultivation
• Sheet mulching
• Soil inversion
• Organic herbicide applications
• Sod removal

Use this document with the timeline(s) & checklist(s) applicable to your region, available at right.

Organic Site Preparation Methods: A Comparative Overview provides a brief overview of these site preparation methods and is intended to help you quickly assess the suitability of each method for a given site.

Click here to see the full list of region-and state-specific Habitat Installation Guides.

This guideline, developed by the Utility Arborist Association Environmental Stewardship Committee, assists utilities in developing contractor scopes of work for promoting compatible vegetation and addressing objectives related to biodiversity and target species.

Missourians for Monarchs developed this guide for integrating pollinator habitat into agricultural grazing operations, which may be applicable on managed rights-of-way.

This guideline, developed by the Utility Arborist Association Environmental Stewardship Committee, provides a primer on how to incorporate the management of compatible vegetation for target species and biodiversity into Integrated Vegetation Management programs.

The Iowa Living Roadway Trust Fund provides detailed information about integrated roadside vegetation management (IRVM) and IRVM plans on their website.

This report from the Maryland Department of Transportation determines ideal vegetation management tactics. The goal of this study is to identify which tactics maximize quality floral resources for pollinators in the Northeast and to assess how those different regimes affect regional bee populations. 

This manual is prepared by California Invasive Plant Council to present voluntary guidelines that help those managing transportation and utility corridors in California to prevent the accidental introduction and spread of terrestrial invasive plants. 

This guidebook prepared by the Idaho Department of Transportation will summarize the characteristics and preferred environments of commonly used grass, grass-like, forb, legume, shrub, and tree species for roadside reclamation in Idaho.

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.

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.

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.

An integrated approach to establishing native plants and pollinator habitat.

This study conducted by the University of Florida focuses to find the effects of competition and mowing on native wildflower establishment on right-of-ways dominated by bahiagrass.

This technical update prepared by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) describes interactions between wildlife and electric transmission rights-of-way vegetation management activities and includes step-wise considerations for managing for wildlife on these landscapes.

Rights-of-way (ROWs) impact habitat primarily through fragmentation and edge effects and also act as vectors for invasive species (weeds). Other potential environmental impacts from ROWs include increased erosion, impacts to stream morphology, etc. Vegetation management can often create conditions that favor weeds and trees! However, ROWs also have the potential to benefit habitat as some plant and animal species need the open areas offered by ROWs and thrive in the edge habitat.

This technical note was developed in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. It was designed to help conservation planners prevent or mitigate pest management risks to pollinators and pollinator habitat, particularly in agriculture settings.

Monarch Joint Venture prepared this handout providing recommended time frames by region during which mowing or other management practices may be less detrimental to local monarch populations.

Highway rights-of-way are the most visible of all public lands and likely the least understood. This manual is especially written for those decision-makers in maintenance, landscape, environmental services, and turf and erosion control to share what we know about managing this land.

These best management practices developed by the Federal Highway Adminsitration identify key steps that State Departments of Transportation can take to improve the quality of roadside habitat for pollinators, including 1) adjusting roadside vegetation management techniques, 2) enhancing and restoring native roadside vegetation to include plant materials that improve pollinator habitat, and 3) incorporating native plants and pollinator habitat needs into roadside landscape design.