Federal Highway Administration Recent Research Grants

HAWAII - In a State where control invasive plants are a priority, what to plant after control became critical. The State DOT requested support for the University of Hawaii at Manoa to study possible native seed mixes for Hawaii's dryland roadsides. Also the use of hydroseeding as the planting method will be explored. The findings will aid decision-makers in the DOT to specify, install, and maintain future native grass plantings as erosion control.

CALIFORNIA* - Due to emerging concern about the invasive plant, Sahara mustard, Brassica tournefortii, along Caltrans highways, funds were provided for an all day workshop about the plant, its impacts, its biology, and control. The Caltrans Maintenance Department partnered with the USGS, USFWS, NPS, BLM, California Invasive Plant Council, California Department of Agriculture, and the Desert Land Managers to put together this training day. The education and partnership will provide California a foundation to train mapping crews to further inventory the spread of Sahara mustard and then take management action. Adjacent States and agencies were involved.

ALASKA - This grant will allow the Alaska Department of Transportation and the Alaska Department of natural Resources to ground survey or inventory vegetation along the Richardson Highway between Valdez and Fairbanks, about 360 miles. The information gathered will be used in future vegetation management planning and use of herbicide application and/or other invasive plant control methods. This inventory will serve as a baseline for measurement of success.

WASHINGTON - Funding will allow Washington State and British Columbia to continue an unprecedented partnership. Their international coordinated weed management area will focus on weeds of mutual concern especially through highway corridor 97, Okanogan County. Part of their work includes shared training of crews, and increased public awareness efforts.

ARIZONA - This research grant is part two of a unique partnership between the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Arizona DOT, and Mexico to prevent the movement of Buffelgrass through U.S. Highway 85 corridor and Mexico's Highway 2. In order to control the invasive plant, a corridor survey on both sides of the border is necessary to plan mutual management of the weed infestation. The cost is a small investment to reduce the threat of Buffelgrass movement throughout the Southwest region. An extra bonus is that the results and management recommendations will be available in Spanish and English in a bilingual how-to manual to serve both sides of the border.

*NOTE: For more information about Sahara mustard, the Caltrans workshop, and future partnership goals, visit www.desertmuseum.org/invaders.