RSS-21: Sustainable Vegetation Management and Spatial Record Keeping on Kentucky Highway Rights-of-Way

ABSTRACT (Summary) Vegetation management along Kentucky roadsides encompasses several management strategies including, but not limited to, mechanical and chemical turf mowing, tree trimming and removal, chemical and other types of weed control, turf fertilization, and desirable plant establishment and maintenance. Each of the twelve districts across Kentucky deals with vegetation problems that are potentially unique to that district and, therefore, each uses different management techniques and has its own goals. A research program at the University of Kentucky will consider the different management goals for each district along with their unique vegetation management scenarios and assist the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Roadside Environment Branch to develop an efficient, effective, environmentally responsible, and nationally respected vegetation management program. Weed control is a prominent component of any vegetation management program. Weedy plant species, both herbaceous and woody, occur in the highway rights-of-way on all of Kentucky’s highways. Some of these weedy species are large, robust plants while others are smaller but just as problematic. Weedy species along the rights-of-ways inhibit vision along the road and may increase deterioration of the roadway. Other weedy plants, such as poison hemlock, musk thistle and johnsongrass, pose particular problems to farmlands adjacent to the right-of-way. Weed control applications have the potential to damage desirable grass and broadleaf plants while suppressing target vegetation. This project proposes to conduct research to provide information on control of these troublesome weeds while monitoring non-target plants where applicable and develop educational programs incorporating several facets of a vegetation management program for Kentucky Transportation Cabinet employees. An additional focus of this project is on spatial record keeping. An important aspect of roadside vegetation control is spatial record keeping of chemical applications. The ability to instantaneously create and store accurate digital records of when and where chemical treatments were applied is becoming a necessary component of a roadside vegetation management system. While the technology exists to spatially record chemical applications in agricultural field settings, a solution does not directly exist for logging herbicide applications along roadsides. This project will help KYTC develop a digitized spatial record keeping system.