Enhancing Nature Along Utility Right of Ways: A Guide to Integrated Vegetation Management
Integrated vegetation management (IVM) allows for the use of multiple methods of vegetation management, which can help to create healthy and diversified ecosystems to grow after right of way (ROW) land clearings. Balancing IVM with your company’s ROW clearings will help nature and ensure your ROW clearing standards are met.
Having overgrown and untreated vegetation on your easement not only impedes routine patrols but also your ability to respond to emergencies. However, you can also promote native grasses, wildflowers, and more to thrive in these areas. At Lanracorp, we offer various services, such as seeding wildflowers and native grasses after mowing and using herbicides to control invasive woody plants.
Benefits of Integrated Vegetation Management on Nature and Your Image
There are many benefits to incorporating integrated vegetation management and native grass plantings into your ROW Clearing plan, including a more sightly ROW, reducing your utility company’s economic costs, and having a positive public image.
Some of the most significant IVM and native plant establishment benefits include the following:
- Decreased ROW Maintenance cost, long term
- Positive public perception
- Increased native plants and animal populations
- Well-planned vegetation management program
- Minimized risk of fines
Utilizing IVM and native plant establishments in ROW clearings creates a credible and innovative image for your company’s brand. Vegetation that is not adequately managed can lead to wildfires, soil erosion, water quality issues, damaged infrastructures, and wildlife habitat fragmentation. Hiring a trusted company like Lanracorp to implement this shows your business cares about safety, responsibility, and the community.
Nature Conservation and Habitat Enhancement
Preserving local ecosystems and restoring biodiversity is an essential social responsibility that ROW clearing companies should uphold. At Lanracorp, we encourage other utility companies to use IVM and native establishments to promote and practice environmentally friendly techniques.
There is a range of environmental benefits for IVM, which include:
- An increased population of threatened and endangered species, such as bees, butterflies, birds, small mammals, deer, reptiles, amphibians, and beetles.
- Native plants are better able to thrive, introducing forage and habitat for wildlife on the ROW.
- Reduced wildlife habitat fragmentation.
- More geographically diverse species.
- Minimized invasive and exotic species.
When your business does this, you are minimizing the invasive and overpopulated plant species that overpower native vegetation and animals that live in recently cleared areas. Reducing these plant species allows for new growth and restoration of wildlife.
Cost Reduction and Efficiency
Aside from the numerous environmental benefits, your utility or pipeline company will also save money. According to the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), power outages cost the U.S. economy nearly $120 billion annually due to overgrown vegetation on ROW. In addition, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 fines utilities $1 million each day per outage. Integrating IVM with your ROW will help your company financially by reducing the risk of huge fines and creating more reliable power.
There are many different strategies that companies can use during IVM, but these are the strategies that we find the most financially sustainable and operationally efficient:
- Targeted pruning
- Selective herbicides
- Integrated pest management
- Establishment of native grasses to choke out unwanted woody vegetation growth
Public Perception and Community Engagement
Fostering a positive public image and community relationships helps increase your company’s visibility. One way your business can reach a broader audience is by incorporating environmentally friendly methods into your business model.
Our duty as a ROW clearing industry is to support and implement ways to better a site after we are finished with our work. Incorporating IVM and native plantings shows your customers that you care about their property and are giving back when you can. At Lanracorp, we are proud to integrate our ROW clearings and IVM to create a more sustainable environment.
Implementing Integrated Vegetation Management Strategies
The main difference between non-IVM and IVM-based strategies is that non-IVM solely relies on a physical control method. IVM-based strategies use a very targeted approach utilizing herbicides and biological, mechanical, and manual treatments to remove invasive vegetation. Along with that, it should include plantings of native plants to help reduce the regrowth of unwanted species.
Companies can implement IVM strategies through:
- Planning and assessment,
- Vegetation monitoring,
- Selective herbicides,
- Targeted pruning,
- Coordinating with local environmental agencies or organizations.
Planning and Assessment
Planning is a crucial first step when developing a comprehensive plan for integrated vegetation management and native plant establishments. During this process, including ROW assessments, identifying sensitive areas, and setting management objectives is helpful. Working with a company specializing in IVM provides an easy step-by-step process for optimizing IVM in your ROW clearings. Lanracorp is an IVM and ROW clearing expert and can help your company incorporate sustainability into its company. Our goal is to give you a very precise, detailed plan to keep your ROWs clear of unwanted vegetation and reduce future maintenance costs.
Vegetation Monitoring and Maintenance
Monitoring and maintaining vegetation alongside utilities is extremely important in ensuring effective ROW standards. When foliage is overgrown and overpopulated, electrical infrastructures like powerlines fail, and pipelines can accrue damage to their protective barrier.
Companies use many techniques, like drones, aerial surveys, and ground-based inspections. At Lanracorp, drones and GIS ensure the most success in IVM and ROW clearings. Drones allow accurate surveys and inspections. GIS software creates helpful and easily comprehendible geographic information for our clients and crewmembers.
Herbicide Selection and Application
Utility companies can manage nature in many ways, whether manually, mechanically, or chemically. One of the most significant aspects of IVM is that this technique combines all these approaches to provide environmentally sustainable vegetation management suited to your specific need.
Two standard methods used during IVM on ROW clearing areas are selective herbicides and targeted cutting. Selective herbicides kill invasive species and weeds without harming native and wanted plants. Select cutting only uses mechanical means where it’s really needed. These two methods allow native plants to flourish while killing invasive species overtaking an area.
Before you start using herbicides, knowing how to use them is crucial. Not every herbicide is the same and should not be used at the same rate. It is critical to read and follow the label directions before starting, as well as have a state license to apply. Also, assess factors such as soil type, plant species, density, and size of the ROW area because they can change the herbicide prescription.
Embrace Nature-Friendly ROW Management and Reap the Rewards
Using integrated vegetation management and native plantings on your ROW clearings will not only improve efficiency and safety around powered infrastructures but also helps sustain the surrounding nature and wildlife.
At Lanracorp, we pride ourselves in doing things the right and responsible way and are proud to provide environmentally friendly alternatives like IVM into our work. We are experienced and knowledgeable in IVM and would love to work with you. Contact us today to start incorporating integrated vegetation management into your ROW clearings.