Pollinator Habitat the Focus of First-of-its-kind Rights-of-Way Sustainability Summit
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Pollinator Habitat the Focus of First-of-its-kind Rights-of-Way Sustainability Summit
Key Utility Industry Stakeholders Gather in State College to Collaborate on Ways to Help Revive Pollinator Species
INDIANAPOLIS — There’s an estimated 9 million acres of utility rights-of-way crisscrossing the U.S. While these lands serve a vital purpose in delivering the nation’s electricity, when managed properly, they may also be the answer to turning the tide on declining populations of bird and pollinator species.
This opportunity brought about the inaugural Rights-of-Way Sustainability Summit, which took place June 5-6 in State College, Pennsylvania, presented by Corteva Agriscience, First Energy, Penn State University, PECO Energy Company and Asplundh. Attendees included organizations like the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Utility Arborist Association and the ROW Habitat Group. The summit consisted of research presentations and working sessions, as well as a field tour of the Pennsylvania State Game Lands 33 (SGL 33) research project.
“This gathering was an opportunity to see firsthand the impressive research being done at State Game Lands 33, but more importantly to collaborate with other industry leaders on applying its learnings to rights-of-way across the country,” says Damon Palmer, U.S. Business Leader, Pasture & Land Management, Corteva Agriscience. “What’s been established at SGL 33 over more than 60 years proves that when managed using Integrated Vegetation Management (IVM) principles, rights-of-way can play a critical role in helping preserve wildlife habitat, including pollinator species.”
The State Game Lands 33 (SGL33) is the longest continuous research of its kind. It started in 1952 when hunters expressed concerns over the impact vegetation management practices might have on wildlife habitat within electric transmission rights-of-way (ROW). Since its inception, SGL 33 has established valuable management principles for electric ROW, including Integrated Vegetation Management (IVM) using herbicides as a best management practice for ROW.
“The key with IVM using herbicides is the selectivity it provides — you can use herbicides to target only particular non-compatible species and let the native vegetation grow,” says Dr. Carolyn Mahan, Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies at Penn State University and SGL 33 Principal Investigator. “We’ve also found that over time as we use herbicides selectively, we need fewer and fewer of them as we start to develop a stable plant community that is dominated by forbs, herbaceous vegetation and compatible shrubs, which is excellent native habitat for wildlife and pollinators.”
In recent years, SGL 33 has turned its attention to pollinators, as global populations continue to decline. Researchers have found the use of selective herbicide applications to be especially effective in establishing and maintaining early successional plant species on ROW, making these areas highly desirable to important wildlife, such as amphibians, reptiles, birds, deer and pollinators.
“It was eye-opening to see the abundance of pollinators present on the SGL 33 rights-of-way — everything from butterflies to bees to beetles,” Palmer says. “SGL 33 serves as a proving ground for how herbicides can be a key tool to maintain critical habitat, while at the same time helping keep the power flowing.”
Those in attendance also previewed the new Pollinator Habitat Scorecard, developed by the ROW Habitat Group to help guide vegetation managers in the assessing, developing and maintaining a pollinator habitat program on managed ROW. The scorecard is especially timely as the monarch butterfly is currently under review for addition to the Endangered Species List, with a decision now expected in the next 18 months.
In addition to sponsoring the Rights-of-Way Sustainability Summit, Corteva has supported the SGL 33 research project for more than 40 years.
Dr. Carolyn Mahan talks about the importance of pollinator habitat within rights-of-way. (Control+Click image to view video or click here.)
An estimated 1/3 of all foods and beverages produced are delivered by pollinators.
About Corteva Agriscience
Corteva Agriscience provides farmers around the world with the most complete input portfolio in the industry to enable them to maximize yield and profitability — including some of the most recognized brands in agriculture: Pioneer®, Granular®, Brevant™ seeds, as well as award-winning Crop Protection products — while bringing new products to market through its robust pipeline of active chemistry and technologies. The company is committed to working with stakeholders throughout the food system as it fulfills its promise to enrich the lives of those who produce and those who consume, ensuring progress for generations to come. Corteva Agriscience became an independent public company on June 1, 2019, and was previously the Agriculture Division of DowDuPont. More information can be found at www.corteva.com.
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Kacey Birchmier
Corteva Agriscience
515-535-6149
Luke Kujath
Bader Rutter
262-751-5109