SPR 20-590: Economic and Environmental Benefits of a Reduced Roadside Mowing Program for Kentucky HIghways

As part of their vegetation management programs, a growing number of state transportation agencies are reducing mowing frequencies. Agencies typically cite the economic and environmental benefits in their decisions to mow less often. For example, in 2010 the Rhode Island Department of Transportation adopted new mowing practices - including a reduction in frequencies - to decrease maintenance costs and improve natural habitats. The Illinois Department of Transportation, in 2017, adopted new mowing policies with the aim of preserving valuable habitat for monarch butterflies and other pollinators. Studies have found that reducing mowing frequencies can enhance plant biodiversity, ameliorate habitat fragmentation, and improve the health of native plants. While discussions have occurred at the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) about cutting back on mowing, the prospect of doing so has elicited resistance for a variety of reasons. The pmpose of this study is to document current mowing practices at KYTC, collect and analyze data on the economic and environmental benefits other state transportation have realized from reducing their mowing frequencies, and forecast benefits the Cabinet could potentially harvest from mowing less often.