Past Meetings

Working Group Meeting #9 (September 9-10, 2019)

The ninth meeting of the Rights-of-Way as Habitat Working Group was co-located with the 2019 Trees and Utilities in Cincinnati, Ohio on September 9-10, 2019. The focus of the meeting included: developing a communications toolkit for habitat on ROW, working with contractors to establish habitat-oriented specifications, and peer exchanges by sector on the monarch butterfly listing, CCAA implementation, pollinator habitat monitoring, and other lessons from 2019.

See the list of meeting attendees here.

Copies of presentations are posted below as they are available. The full meeting agenda can be found here.

Case Studies from Local Ohio Partners
Habitat Conservation on ODOT Right of Way
Joel Hunt, Ohio Department of Transportation

Better Seed Mixes – How Hard Can it Be?
Tim Lohner, AEP
Video Presentation

Panel: Utilizing Contracts to Enhance Habitat Conservation
Moderator: Gabe Karns, The Ohio State University
Andy Olson, East Central Energy
Tom Hillstrom, Xcel Energy
Matt Kraushar, Indiana DOT
Tim Moritz, RES
Amy Murray, Davey Resource Group
Video Presentation

USFWS Updates: What’s Next?
Sergio Pierliussi, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Video Presentation

Habitat in Action: Updates from the Working Group
Monarch CCAA
Dan Salas, Cardno

Pollinator Habitat Scorecard
Erik Anderson, Environmental Incentives

Geospatial Habitat Database Presentation Slides
Mark Johnston & Karen Klinger, Field Museum
Video Presentation

Lightning Rounds:

UAA Updates/ROW Stewardship Accreditation
Philip Charlton, Utility Arborist Association
Video Presentation

Environmental Social Governance Reporting/ UAA Maturity Model Update
Stan Vera-Art, Grow With Trees
Video Presentation

Electric Power Companies to Support Monarch Butterflies
Jessica Fox, Electric Power Research Institute
Video Presentation

Partnering Across Industries
Ellen Mullins, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
Video Presentation

MJV Roadside Habitat Tools
Alison Cariveau, Monarch Joint Venture
Video Presentation

Habitat Educational Tools
Orville McLean, ArborMetrics
Video Presentations

Green Competence
Jarod Cassada, Trees and Utilities
Video Presentation

Illinois DOT Pollinator Mowing Communications
Stephanie Dobbs, Illinois DOT
Featured Video: IDOT Protects Pollinators

Breakout Sessions:

Working with Contractors: Habitat-Oriented RFPs and Specifications
Communications and Outreach: Building Buy-In for Habitat
- Presentation
- Notes

Industry Peer-to-Peer Exchange Notes:

Working Group Meeting #8 (February 20 – 21, 2019)

The eighth meeting of the Rights-of-Way as Habitat Working Group was co-located with the 2019 National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic in Schaumburg, IL on February 20-21, 2019. The focus of the meeting was on the big year ahead for monarchs and pollinators and the practical information needed to make pollinator habitat programs successful.

See the list of meeting attendees here.

Copies of presentations are posted below as they are available. The full meeting agenda can be found here.

Keynote Presentation
Dr. Chip Taylor, Monarch Watch
Video Presentation

USFWS & Monarch CCAA Update
Lori Nordstrom, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Dan Salas, Cardno

Functional Landscapes and Regional Habitat Restoration: A Case Study with AEP on Seeding Native Prairie in Utility Right-of-Ways at The Dawes Arboretum
Shana Byrd, Dawes Arboretum
Video Presentation

An Integrated Approach to Revegetation: New Online Resources for Practitioners
Matt Horning, U.S. Forest Service
Video Presentation

Post-Construction Groundcover on Highway Rights of Way: Designing Seed Mixes that Meet Erosion and Sediment Controls while Benefiting Pollinators
Joel Hunt, Ohio DOT
Video Presentation

The Art & Science of Pollinator Seed Mixture Design
Pete Berthelsen, The Bee & Butterfly Habitat Fund
Video Presentation

Lightning Talks:

Pollinator Habitat on Rights-of-Way in Texas: A Case Study
Amy Snelgrove, Texan by Nature
Video Presentation

ATC’s Pollinator Grant Program
Johanna Sievewright, ATC
Video Presentation

Monarch Butterfly Habitat Restoration in Eastern Ontario
Carolyn Callaghan, Canadian Wildlife Federation
Video Presentation

Wildfires and Habitat Management for Utilities: Postcards from the (ROW) Edge
Dan Williams & Jack McCabe, Davey Resource Group
Video Presentation

Growing vs Building: Why is it so Hard to Grow Roadsides While Building Roads?
Ken Graeve, Minnesota DOT
Video Presentation

IVM Case Study & ANSI Standard
Bill Rees, W Trees Utility Vegetation Management Consulting, LLC
Video Presentation

Fire, Smoke, and High-Speed Traffic
Ken Graeve, Minnesota DOT
Video Presentation

BMPS for Mowing, Grazing and Brush Removal
Dr. Ray Moranz, Xerces Society
Video Presentation

NYPA’s Bee Survey
Lewis Payne, NYPA
Video Presentation

ArcGIS Online Tracking System
Johanna Sievewright, ATC
Video Presentation

Rights-of-Way Geospatial Database Demo
Mark Johnston, Field Museum
Video Presentation

Working Group Pollinator Habitat Scorecard
Iris Caldwell, UIC
Video Presentation

Panel: Considerations for the Use of Herbicides as a Habitat Establishment and Maintenance Tool
Dr. Evan Sivesind, Iowa State University
Travis Rogers, Corteva Argiscience
Dr. Jason Belcher, Bayer
Mike Maine, Nutrien Solutions
Ryan Alltop, ENCAP, Inc.
Video Presentation

Implementing a Pollinator Program at Your Company: Xcel Energy’s Experience
Pam Rasmussen, Xcel Energy
Video Presentation

Framing the Case for Rights-of-Way Habitat to the Public and Decision Makers
Dr. Kristine Nemec, UNI Tallgrass Prairie Center
Video Presentation

NiSource Case Study
Brian Kortum, NiSource
Video Presentation

Working Group Meeting #7 (October 24 – 25, 2018)

The seventh meeting of the Rights-of-Way as Habitat Working Group was hosted by the Energy Resources Center at the University of Illinois-Chicago on October 24 and 25, 2018. See the list of meeting attendees here.

Copies of presentations are posted below as they are available. The full meeting agenda can be found here.

Transportation Sector Update
Kris Gade, Arizona Department of Transportation
Video Presentation

Agricultural Sector Update
Leslie Holloway, Missouri Farm Bureau
Video Presentation

AEP Vegetation R&D Video Presentation
Tim Lohner, American Electric Power
Featured Video: Dawes Arboretum Right of Way Project

EPRI Program Updates
Jessica Fox, EPRI Program
Video Presentation

UAA Managing Thriving Ecosystems
Stan Vera-Art, Grow With Trees
Video Presentation
Featured Video: ROW Environmental Stewardship

Pollinator Habitat Toolkit
Olivia Eskew, Cypress Creek Renewables
Video Presentation

NFWF Program Update
Crystal Boyd, National Fish & Wildlife Foundation
Video Presentation

Pollinator Friendly Herbicide Practices
Aaron Feggestad, Stantec
Video Presentation

Metrics & Targets Task Force
Alison Cariveau, Monarch Joint Venture
Video Presentation

Communications and Outreach
Lizzy Kreindler, Bluestem Communications
Video Presentation

Geospatial Habitat Database
Mark Johnstone, Field Museum
Video Presentation

CCAA Task Force
Dan Salas, Cardno
Video Presentation

Monarch Conservation Updates
Laurel Hill & Sergio Pierlussi, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Video Presentation

Rights-of-Way Strategies for Monarch Butterflies
Claire Beck, Midwest Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
Video Presentation

Working Group Meeting #6 (April 25 – 26, 2018)

The sixth meeting of the Rights-of-Way as Habitat Working Group was held as a part of the 2018 Pollinator Habitat Workshop hosted by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Edison Electric Institute, and the Energy Resources Center at the University of Illinois-Chicago on April 25 and 26, 2018. See the list of meeting attendees here.

Copies of presentations are posted below as they are available. The full meeting agenda can be found here.

Overcoming Organizational/Institutional Challenges
Josiane Bonneau, Wildlife Habitat Council
Video Presentation

Overcoming Implementation Challenges
Marla Westerhold, Commonwealth Edison
Sara Race, Commonwealth Edison
Aaron Feggestad, Stantec

Industry Case Studies Panel:

Railroad case study
Shannon Bard, Hemmera
Video Presentation

TransCanada – Save Our Monarchs case study
Randall Gilbert, Save Our Monarchs
Video Presentation

New York Power Authority case study
Kathleen Law, Pollinator Partnership
Lewis Payne, New York Power Authority
Video Presentation

Illinois DOT case study
Stephanie Dobbs, Illinois DOT
Video Presentation

USFWS Program Updates
Sergio Pierluissi, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Video Presentation

EPRI Program Updates
Jessica Fox, Electric Power Research Institute
Video Presentation

Rights-of-Way as Habitat Working Group Program Updates
Iris Caldwell, University of Illinois-Chicago
Video Presentation

Lightning Talks:

SAGE Model
John Steelman, Grow With Trees
Video Presentation

Software for Mapping, Reporting, and Communication
Chris Kelly, Clearion Software
Video Presentation

High Quality Habitat – It’s Simple Until We Complicate It
Jason Bleich, Pheasants Forever
Video Presentation

Monarch Joint Venture Tools & Resources
Alison Cariveau, Monarch Joint Venture
Video Presentation

Pollinator Conservation Tools and Resources
Jennifer Hopwood, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
Video Presentation

Working Group Meeting #5 (October 26 – 27, 2017)

The fifth meeting of the Rights-of-Way as Habitat Working Group was hosted by the Energy Resources Center at the University of Illinois-Chicago on October 26 and 27, 2017. See the list of meeting attendees here.

The focus for the fifth meeting was Creating the Business Case for Habitat Programs. Working Group participants have contributed to a DETAILED OUTLINE of benefits and challenges to restoring and managing habitat on rights-of-way and other energy and transportation landscapes. Ultimately, this white paper is intended to provide organizations with resources and information to streamline the identification, demonstration, and strengthening of business case arguments for habitat programs. However, additional information is needed in a number of areas, both in the benefits and challenges sections.

We welcome any information (e.g., comments, case studies, resources, feedback) to include or reference in the white paper. Please send suggestions or comments to Iris Caldwell at iriscald@uic.edu.

Copies of presentations are posted below as they are available. The full meeting agenda can be found here.

Pollinators and People
André Copeland, Chicago Zoological Society
Video Presentation

White Paper: Creating the Business Case for Habitat on Rights-of-Way
Kristine Nemec, UNI Tallgrass Prairie Center
Iris Caldwell, UIC Energy Resource Center
Business Case Handout
Video Presentation

The Business Case for IVM on Electric Transmission ROW
John Goodfellow, BioCompliance Consulting
Video Presentation

Vegetation Economics: Herbicides vs Mowing
Matt Kraushar, Indiana DOT
Video Presentation

Panel: Addressing Regulatory Uncertainty
Video Presentation

Reducing Uncertainty by Increasing Conservation
Parker Moore, Beveridge and Diamond

Assurance Options and Innovative Ways to Get Them Faster
Timothy Male, Environmental Policy Innovation Center

Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances
Lori Nordstrom, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Mitigating for Species and Resource Impacts: Traditional Options and New Approaches
Randy Wilgis, Resource Environmental Solutions
Video Presentation

Potential Agricultural Benefits of Pollinator Habitat at Utility-Scale Solar Facilities
Lee Walston, Argonne National Laboratory
Video Presentation

Wetland Restoration for Multiple Benefits: Harvesting Cattail for Biodiversity
Andrew Monks, Loyola University Chicago

Opportunities and Challenges in Supporting Invasive Plant Activities
Mark Renz, University of Wisconsin-Madison & Midwest Invasive Plant Network
Video Presentation

North Central Integrated Pest Management Center – Program/Resources
Lynnae Jess, Michigan State University
Video Presentation

Ohio DOT Case Study
Joel Hunt, Ohio DOT
Video Presentation

The ROI and Sweet PR of Pollinator Habitat at Utility-Scale Solar Facilities
Rob Davis, Fresh Energy
Video Presentation

IVM to Improve Access, Reliability, Habitat, Economics, and Public Relations
Rick Johnstone, IVM Partners
Video Presentation

Working Group Meeting #4 (May 3 – 4, 2017)

The fourth meeting of the Rights-of-Way as Habitat Working Group was hosted by the Energy Resources Center at the University of Illinois-Chicago on May 3 and 4, 2017. See the list of meeting attendees here.

Copies of presentations are posted below as they are available. The full meeting agenda can be found here.

Pre-Meeting Science Roundtable
Multiple Presenters and Open Discussion

U.S. FWS Regulatory/Technical Updates
Louise Clemency, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Video Presentation

Roads, Rare Species, and Regulations
Christopher Smith, Minnesota Department of Transportation
Video Presentation

Working Group Updates
Iris Caldwell, University of Illinois at Chicago
Video Presentation

American Transmission Company’s POWR Model for Prioritizing Habitat Conservation
Dan Salas, Cardno
Johanna Sievewright, American Transmission Company
Video Presentation

Lightning Talk Round: Updates from Working Group Participants
Multiple Presenters
Video Presentation
Featured Video: Texas DOT

Effective Partnerships: Goals, Relationships, Work, and Party
Brent Haglund, Sand County Foundation
Video Presentation

U.S. 45 Red Bison Project: A Habitat Reconstruction Collaboration
Stephanie Dobbs, Illinois Department of Transportation
Michelle Henderson, Ameren
Erin Holmes, Pheasants Forever
Video Presentation
Featured Video

Industry Panel: What Potential Partners Should Know
Dennis Markwardt, Texas Department of Transportation
Christopher Vera, Michigan Department of Transportation
Thomas Hillstrom, Xcel Energy
Sara Race, Commonwealth Edison
Bob Toy, Union Pacific

Building Partnerships in the Agricultural Sector
Pam Bachman, Monsanto
David Spak, Bayer
Handout
Featured Video

The Art and Science of Partnering with Landowners
Peter Berthelsen, Pheasants Forever
Video Presentation

Introduction to Measuring Success
Josiane Bonneau, Wildlife Habit Council

Looking Ahead: 30-year Sustainable Right-of-Way Care
Stan Vera-Art, Grow With Trees
Brian Kortum, NiSource
Video Presentation

U.S. FWS Measuring Success
Kristen Voorhies, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Video Presentation

EPRI’s Pollinator Research Program: Protecting & Promoting Pollinators on Electric Utility Lands
John Goodrich-Mahoney, Electric Power Research Institute
Video Presentation

Ohio Pollinator Habitat Initiative
Gabriel Karns, The Ohio State University
Video Presentation

Working Group Meeting #3 (July 27 – 28, 2016)

The third meeting of the Rights-of-Way as Habitat Working Group was hosted by the Energy Resources Center at the University of Illinois-Chicago on July 27 and 28, 2016. See the list of meeting attendees here.

Copies of presentations are posted below as they are available. The full meeting agenda can be found here.

Keynote Presentation: Networks for Life – Your Role in Stitching the Natural World Together
Doug Tallamy, University of Delaware and author of Bringing Nature Home

Roadside Views – Stakeholder Perspectives of Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management
Kristine Nemec, University of Northern Iowa Tallgrass Prairie Center
Carole Teator, Trees Forever
Video Presentation

Union Pacific’s Habitat Program Exploration
Bob Toy, Union Pacific Railroad
Video Presentation

Working Group Update
Iris Caldwell, University of Illinois-Chicago Energy Resources Center

Constraints, Obstacles, and Best Management Practices to Enhance Pollinator Habitat in Rights-of-Way
Bonnie Harper-Lore, Retired from Federal Highway Administration
Video Presentation

Pollinator Habitat – Art & Science of Managing for High Quality and Cost Effectiveness
Pete Berthelsen, Pheasants Forever
Video Presentation

Overview of Interstate 35 Monarch Highway Engagement
Lekha Knuffman, National Wildlife Federation
Video Presentation

A National Monarch Monitoring Framework: Tracking Monarchs and Evaluating Available Habitat
Holly Holt, Monarch Joint Venture
Video Presentation

Integrated Vegetation Management 101
Philip Charlton, Right-of-Way Stewardship Council
Video Presentation

Working Group Meeting #2 (January 19, 2016)

The second meeting of the Rights-of-Way as Habitat Working Group was hosted by the Energy Resources Center at the University of Illinois-Chicago and The Chicago Region Trees Initiative on January 19, 2016. See the list of meeting attendees here.

Copies of presentations are posted below as they are available. The full meeting agenda can be found here.

Welcome and Working Group Update
Iris Caldwell, Energy Resources Center at the University of Illinois-Chicago

Chicago Region Trees Initiative Update
Lydia Scott, Chicago Region Trees Initiative

Illinois Tollway Pollinator Habitat Program
Bryan Wagner, Illinois Tollway

AEP Transmission Right-of-Way Vegetation Demonstration Project
Lindsey Forhan, American Electric Power

Illinois State Nursery Products, Availability, and Resources
Dave Horvath, Illinois State Nursery

Site Preparation and Soils Issues in Rights-of-Way:
Biosolids: A Local and Renewable Resource
Lakhwinder Hundal and Dominic Brose, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago

Urban Soil Primer
Pat Kelsey, WBK Engineering

Prescribed Burning and ComEd’s Prairie Program
Sara Race, ComEd

Long-Term Maintenance of Rights-of-Way Habitat Projects
Jack Pizzo, The Pizzo Group

Economic Benefits of Sustainable Vegetation Management Practices on Roadside Rights-of-Way
Jeff Norcini, Florida Department of Transportation

Working Group Meeting #1: (July 23, 2015)

The initial working group meeting held on July 23, 2015 at the University of Illinois-Chicago campus was attended by more than 80 organizations. The meeting consisted of informational presentations and small group break-out discussions covering a variety of topics. The full meeting agenda can be found here.

Welcome and Introduction
Steffen Mueller and Iris Caldwell, Energy Resources Center at the University of Illinois-Chicago

Opportunities for Pollinators Along Rights-of-Way
Jennifer Hopwood, The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

Iowa Roadside Management Successes and What Could Be Better
Joy Williams, Roadside Development Section, Office of Design, Iowa Department of Transportation

First Steps for Development a Habitat Program
Sara Barnas, Wildlife Habitat Council

ROW for Pollinators & Birds
Rick Johnstone, IVM Partners

Federal Pollinator Initiative Updates
Donita Cotter and Michael Gale, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Closing Remarks
Kelsey Musich, Illinois Tollway

Past Meetings

Working Group Meeting #9 (September 9-10, 2019)

Working Group Meeting #8 (February 20 – 21, 2019)

Working Group Meeting #7 (October 24 – 25, 2018)

Working Group Meeting #6 (April 25 – 26, 2018)

Working Group Meeting #5 (October 26 – 27, 2017)

Working Group Meeting #4 (May 3 – 4, 2017)

Working Group Meeting #3 (July 27 – 28, 2016)

Working Group Meeting #2 (January 19, 2016)

Working Group Meeting #1: (July 23, 2015)

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