Madison, Wisconsin: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Summary
Roadside vegetation management through selective removal of undesirable plants was practiced on 15 miles of south central Wisconsin roadsides during 1960-77. Intensive management and measurement were conducted on 3 of these miles comprising 11 segments. The management objective was to restore and/or enhance the quality of the existing roadside cover at a lower cost than that of conventional maintenance for natural resource conservation purposes, with emphasis on wildlife but also including soils, plant and animal diversity, esthetics, and noxious weed control. Plants found to be objectionable or whose anticipated growth would be objectionable on the roadsides, including most trees, were killed or inhibited by cutting, herbicide application, or both. Herbicide use was discontinued in 1969.