Public Perception and Sustainable Management Strategies for Roadside Vegetation

Sustainable management strategies for roadside vegetation limit the amount of nonnative turf grass and include masses of native shrubs and trees and meadows of native, warm season grasses, flowering perennials, or both. Sustainably managed roadsides can contribute to a matrix of economically conservative, environmentally responsible, and aesthetically pleasing landscapes. Implementation of sustainable strategies may result in cost savings, better water quality and hydraulic conductivity, improved safety measures, increased biodiversity, benefits to the socioeconomic health of the state, and adherence to state and federal policy. Sustainable strategies provide optimal cost savings and enhancement of environmental stewardship only when implemented consistently. Aesthetically, sustainable landscapes often represent a departure from the traditional expectation of how a roadside landscape should appear. Lacking an awareness of the inherent values present in sustainably managed roadsides, the public is often hesitant to accept this atypical and often less-manicured aesthetic; the public reaction causes many departments of transportation (DOTs) to revert to traditional management regimes. Many state DOTs maintain active ties to the public and political communities of their state and acquiesce to the wishes of these communities when appropriate. Because they are often called on to defend their design, management, and operating procedures, DOTs have a new role in raising awareness, assessing perception, and informing the public about the benefits associated with management strategies for sustainable roadside vegetation. This paper examines the evolution of the roadside landscape and various approaches to vegetation management from the birth of the road network to today's strategies, which include benchmarks for sustainability.