Brush Control
Story County’s roadside program uses a systematic approach to control woody vegetation within the right-of-way. The purpose of this is to improving site distance around road signs and intersections, reducing snow traps, and improving conditions that might impede the maintenance of the right-of-way. This is accomplished by a combination of in-house, contract spraying and mechanical removal.
Story County's Brush Management Policy was adopted on August 13, 2002 and reads as follows:STORY COUNTY RIGHT-OF-WAY BRUSH MANAGEMENT POLICY
It is the policy of Story County that the vegetation of its roadsides to be preserved, planted, and maintained safe, visually attractive, and ecologically integrated and useful in many purposes (see Iowa Code section 314.22 for the full statement of the purpose of this policy).
The purpose of this policy is to control woody vegetation within Story County's road right-of-way. To meet this purpose, the County has authority, in its discretion, to:
- Cut and/or spray any woody vegetation in the right-of-way which creates a situation that threatens the safety of the traveling public such as:
B. Site distance problems in relation to road signs or intersections
C. Conditions that impede the maintenance or improvements to the right-of-way
D. Width or height restrictions of vehicles or equipment using the roadway.
- Leave woody materials which have been cut or sprayed to decompose in the right of way.
- Burn the roadside vegetation to destroy small brush and stimulate desirable vegetation.
Utilizing these methods, the following guidelines will be implemented:
Along all county roads, dirt, gravel and paved, our normal procedure will be to clear the entire right of way width, utilizing level cuts as low as possible, with the following exceptions:
- Tree and shrubs in house yards or residential acreages, whose bases are inside the right of way line by no more than five feet (5'), may remain, if desired, but limbs must be pruned back to the to the nearest lateral branch, so that they extend no further than eight feet (8') into the right of way. A written notice of our intended work will be sent or delivered to these properties a minimum of seven (7) days prior to the commencement of our work. This notice will provide the landowner an opportunity to arrange for his/her own trimming and/or to request any larger material for firewood. (Landowner will be responsible for cutting into lengths and removing from ditch.)
- Side trimming of limbs of trees will be done by pruning them back to no more than eight (8) feet from the right of way line when the tree base is actually outside the right of way.
The mechanical brush cutter will be used in rural non-residential areas with small scattered brush and trees where debris will be allowed to lay on slopes. Mechanically cut stumps, larger than eight (8) inches in diameter, as well as those larger trees that are cut totally with chain saws., will be cut flush to the ground, whenever possible. Large side branches will be trimmed to the main trunk or first lateral branch.
Brush control through cutting, spraying, and burning is an integrated approach to roadside vegetation management. Story County is committed to the wise use of herbicides on its roadsides and being consistent with employee and environmental safety and with regulations controlling the use of roadside application of pesticides in the state.Recommended Approval by:
Robert B. Sperry, P.E. Joseph F. Kooiker, Roadside Biologist
County Engineer Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management
Approved by:
Jane E. Halliburton, Chair
Story County Board of Supervisors
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