Vegetation Management Best Practices for Reliability and Ecosystem Management

Abstract

Utility rights-of-way corridors provide a means to convey energy to run the nation's economy and are vital links for national security. Utilities must control tall-growing vegetation to allow ready access for emergency repairs or routine maintenance and to prevent contact with high-voltage conductors. Many utilities control vegetation by routine cutting with mechanized mowers or chainsaws. This tends to encourage re-sprouting growth by the more aggressive plant species, many of which are non-native exotic plants. Integrated Vegetation Management (IVM) is a method of controlling vegetation by identifying problem species and a threshold level of when control is necessary, and then choosing from an assortment of methods to eliminate the problem plants and encourage the desirable species. A trained arborist should first inspect the site and schedule the appropriate management tool in a prescriptive fashion. The use of a GIS mapping program can merge land use and environmental information from government sources with the utility's facility locations and access points. Controlling incompatible trees and invasive plants allows more growing space for low-growing grasses, forbs and shrubs. This permits more selective and lower disturbance rates as natural competition between plant species and the activity of wildlife, result in cultural and biological controls. The result is a fairly stable meadow or shrubscrub community that provides excellent wildlife food and cover, streamside riparian buffers, and rare plant habitats. This has enabled some utilities to establish Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with government land management agencies to assist in the control of invasive plants and wildlife habitat improvements.