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Tallgrass Prairie Center

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Starting a program

Native roadside vegetation

Roadside managerCounties choose to start a roadside program because they want cost-effective, responsible and sustainable roadsides. The county board of supervisors – often with input from a formal citizen committee – determines how to accomplish these goals.

The best way for a county to have leadership within the county is to hire a full-time roadside manager. This person oversees spraying, mowing, brush control, fire management, vegetation establishment and compliance with the Iowa Weed Law and other state and county regulations.

Long-term savings are expected through the establishment of permanent, competitive and well-adapted native vegetation. Immediate savings are realized through the use of county personnel with LRTF-funded, vegetation management equipment to conduct in-house operations.

County roadside programs can be operated successfully within the engineer’s office, the county conservation board or as an independent department. All three have advantages:

IRVM program organization

                                                                       Map showing which department each roadside manager is located in

Additional information about starting a county program is available by contacting the Iowa Roadside Management state wide coordinator, Kristine Nemec, at 319-273-2813 or kristine.nemec@uni.edu

 

Iowa Roadside Management Homepage