IRVM

1
IRVM

• Part 3
• Developing Implementing the Local IRVM Plan

2
Developing Implementing the Local IRVM Plan

• Framework for plan at local level
• What is the local level?
• County
• Local plans best
• Adapted to fit local cultural, natural heritage,
  political concerns
• Implemented
• If accepted by public
• Accepted by roadside personnel
• Communication between local steering committees

3
Steering Committee Selection

• Form committee with professionals
• Involve people possessing knowledge
• Smaller is better
• 8-12 members sufficient
• Include members whose interest sparked initial
  interest in IRVM
• Monthly meetings

4
Steering Committee

• Agency Staff
• Industry Representative
• Federal
• Natural Resources

• Habitat Groups
• University Staff/Educators
• Agriculture
• Joint Right-of-Way Occupants
• Miscellaneous

5
Agency Staff

• Administrator/Policy Maker
• Design
• Construction
• Maintenance

6
Industry Representative

• Herbicide
• Equipment
• Seed
• Erosion Control

7
Federal

• FHWA
• U.S. Forest Service
• Bureau of Land Management
• Natural Resource Conservation Service
• U.S. Fish Wildlife Service
• Dept. of Defense
• Plant Materials Center

8
Natural Resources

• Soil Conservationist
• Forester or Arborist
• Landscape Architect
• Horticulturist
• Biologist
• Botanist
• Ecologist

9
Habitat Groups

• Ducks Unlimited
• Pheasants Forever
• Beekeepers Association
• North Am. Wildlife Federation
• Garden Club
• Native Plant Society
• The Nature Conservancy

10
University

• Educators
• Staff
• Researchers
• Extension Agents

11
Agriculture

• Agronomist
• Farm Bureau Member
• Farmer
• Rancher
• Agronomy Society
• Society for Range Management
• Forage Grassland Council

12
Joint Right-of-Way Occupants

• Electrical Power
• Gas
• Phone
• Cable
• Drainage Districts

13
Miscellaneous

• Regulatory Agencies
• Agriculture Inspector
• Soil Water Conservation District
• Weed Commissioner
• Concerned Citizens

14
Empowerment Support

• Managers set clear expectations
• Support Steering Committee
• Willing to make this a priority project
• Allow committee members time to accomplish
  objectives
• Investigate others best practices

15
Steering Committee Responsibilities

• Develops IRVM program and plan
• Provides direction/guidance on how program is run
• Key responsibilities
• Writing long-range plan
• Reviewing annual work plan
• Implementation of long-range plan
• Writing annual report
• Determines if program results in improved
  roadsides
• Determines if cost-effective

16
Effective Meetings

• Select Committee Officers
• Leader, recorder, professional facilitator if
  needed
• Establish roles of each committee member
• Include in agenda one-sentence meeting objective
• Prioritize items to be covered
• Announce meeting duration
• Give credit, support, encouragement for ideas and
  participation
• Bring items to closure by consensus or
  parliamentary procedure

17
Writing the Long-Range Plan

• Chapter 3
• Part B

18
Writing the Long-Range Plan

• Outlines the direction the IRVM program will go
• Typically cover 5 years or more
• Can be specific to general
• Serve as yardstick to measure program success at
  a later date

19
Long-Range Plan

• Generally accepted in developing long-range
  plans
• Bringing steering committee together for
  brainstorming and identifying plan elements
• Writing vision and mission statements
• Collecting pertinent data
• Records, inventories, mapping
• Establishing goals and objectives for the program
• Analyzing and prioritizing goals and objectives
• Assigning duties and responsibilities for program
  participants
• Discussing and planning for budget considerations
• Providing opportunity for research and innovation
• Determining methods for evaluating program
  successes or shortcomings

20
Vision Mission Statements

• Vision
• Picture of your roadsides 10-20 years in the
  future
• Idealistic highest aspirations
• Mission
• Broad statement of purpose or ends to be
  achieved
• Programs ultimate reason for existence
• Describes your products, services, and customers

21
Collect Pertinent Data

• Prior to deciding what direction to take
• First must know what has been done in past
• Review past records
• Maintenance operations, methods and
  responsibilities
• Roadside inventories
• Vegetation inventory
• Native vegetation
• Invasive species
• Natural heritage program

22
Goals Objectives

• Goals
• Intention to act
• Targets of accomplishment
• Generally longer lasting
• Provide guide for decision makers
• Objective
• Measurable result to be achieved by specific time
• Several objectives may be necessary to achieve a
  goal

23
Goals Objectives

• Principles to consider
• Safety for the traveling public and the employee
• Maintenance of infrastructure and highway
  integrity
• Cost-effective use of public resources in both
  long and short term
• Environmentally sound decision making
• Being a good neighbor to adjacent landowners and
  traveling public

24
Analyzing Prioritizing

• Adopt goals and objectives
• Give priority ranking to each
• Identifying which elements most important allows
  problem areas to be dealt with first
• Makes program more of a success
• Making other goals and objectives easier to reach

25
Finalizing the Plan

• Spell out each necessary action
• Assign duties and responsibilities
• Review plan whole steering committee
• Resources for each program element
• New resources
• Implementation phasing in new equipment
• Reallocating existing resources if no new
  resources
• Research opportunities
• resulting in innovations
• improving quality
• Reducing costs
• Improving working conditions for roadside workers

26
Evaluating Program Success

• Have benchmarks
• Short term goals and objectives
• Reached and documented
• Records of implementation activities
• Periodic evaluations by program principals
• Review and rerank goals and objectives

27
Implementing the Long-Range Plan

• Procedures for putting the plan to work
• Annual Work Plan
• Method Identification Application
• Training
• Recordkeeping
• Program Evaluation

28
Annual Work Plan

• Annual Work Plan
• First stage in IRVM implementation
• Details
• Spells out what will be done
• Who will be responsible for accomplishing the
  task
• Schedule for achieving the end result
• Identifies what to do this year to accomplish the
  overall goals and objectives of the long-range
  plan
• Should address each element of the IRVM plan

29
Method Identification Application

• Variety of methods
• Timing or scope of operation may change
• Terrain features will determine extent of mowing
• Use or non-use of chemicals will decide
  life-cycle frequency of brush cutting
• New methods emerge
• Mechanical
• Biological
• Cultural
• Hands off
• Preservation conservation

30
Mechanical

• Mowing
• Brushing
• Blading

31
Biological

• Using natural processes or living organisms to
  control a pest or problem
• Aphids for leafy spurge
• Ladybugs for gardens

32
Cultural

• Seed selection
• Planting
• Mulching
• Controlled burning
• Crop rotation

33
Chemical

• Pesticides
• Primarily herbicides
• Control pests or problems

34
Hands-off Approach

• Conscious decision not to act and allow natural
  plant succession to take place with minimal or no
  intervention

35
Preservation Conservation

• Caring for existing populations of threatened,
  rare, and endangered plants and plant communities
  through avoiding disturbances and assuring
  judicious application of IRVM methods

36
Training

• Training program essential
• Untrained workers cost time and money
• Possible topics
• Plant identification and planting techniques
• Chemical, cultural, biological and methcnial
  methods of pest control
• Safe and accurate equipment use
• Employee safety
• Clothing
• Emergency procedures
• Recordkeeping
• Public relations

37
Recordkeeping

• Maintain timely records
• Essential for future planning
• Evaluation of effectiveness
• Components
• Project location
• Project description
• Weather conditions
• Acres or miles completed
• Amount of materials used
• Worker equipment hours devoted to project
• Person responsible for activity
• Follow-up observations

38
Program Evaluation

• Evaluate program goals and objectives.
• Was adequate time allocated?
• Were adequate staff and resources available?
• Did weather or seasonal changes influence
  completion?
• Were goals unattainable?
• Were roadsides safer?