12-20-2006, 07:10 PM
Outdoor Column Tom Conroy Information & Education Officer
Fixing a flat and roadside habitat
There was plenty of time to ponder as my Labrador Charlie and I sat in my SUV on a dark, quiet country road the other night. Not much else to do, actually, when stranded by a flat tire that won't come off the axle.
One of the thoughts that curiously occurred to me was the similarity between my flat tire and a meeting I had attended that day in Owatonna. Teamwork was the common denominator.
The meeting involved a mix of public agency types and private citizens. The topic was the DNR Roadsides for Wildlife program. The purpose was to try to figure out how to better manage Minnesota's roadsides- ditches, in the popular vernacular. Representatives from the DNR, local, county and state road authorities, organizations such as Pheasants Forever, Minnesota Pheasants, Inc., Ducks Unlimited, Minnesota Farm Bureau, the state legislature and others were among the invited guests.
When compared to Iowa, Minnesota's roadsides don't match up very well. Ours are often disturbed by mowing, spraying and other activities, thus providing considerably less nesting cover for ducks, pheasants, songbirds and other critters than do those in Iowa. Iowa roadsides, overall, also have more visual appeal, thanks to the extensive native vegetation growing along them, and provide more widespread water quality benefits.
In 1988, the Iowa legislature created the Living Roadway Trust Fund (LRTF), an annual, competitive grant program that provides funding for integrated roadside vegetation management activities. The Iowa legislature declared it to be "in the general welfare of Iowa and a highway purpose for the vegetation of Iowa's roadsides to be preserved, planted, and maintained to be safe, visually interesting, ecologically integrated, and useful for many purposes." (See www.iowalivingroadway.com/LRTF.asp.)
Minnesota has lagged behind Iowa in its roadside management but there is growing interest in ramping up our state's roadside program. That was evident by the discussion at the recent meeting in Owatonna. In addition to the aforementioned wildlife and water quality benefits and visual appeal, tax dollars can be saved as a result of a decrease in ditch mowing and spraying. There is also growing evidence that roadside vegetation limits snow drifting, thus improving safety and decreasing snowplowing expenses.
Later on the day of the meeting, a group of participants gathered for a short pheasant hunt south of Waseca. As the group prepared to enter a complex of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land for a 45-minute hunt to end what had been a productive and encouraging day, someone tapped me on the shoulder and pointed to my left rear tire.
Two bagged roosters later, we were back at the road. In a NASCAR-like effort, one person worked on the lug nuts, another removed the spare, and another handled the jack. Others simply offered advice. In no time the tire was off the ground and ready to be replaced. Just one problem - the aluminum wheel was rusted against the brake drum and wouldn/t come off, try as we might. It was then that a fellow named Tom Bauman came to the rescue.
A habitat specialist for Pheasants Forever, Inc., Tom lives just a few miles away. As the others climbed into their vehicles and headed for home, Tom left for his farm to pick up a floor jack and other tools. And so here we sat, Charlie and I, watching the silhouette of a windmill disappear into the darkening sky.
An hour and a half later, Tom had the flat off and the spare on. As I drove home through the country night, I began to ponder anew the similarities between the meeting and the flat tire episode. This, I thought, is always how things get done. People come together and pitch in positive ideas and efforts. And then someone steps forward to lead the charge.
There is much more that can be done to improve the quality and appearance of Minnesota's roadsides. Many are already working to make that happen and the invitation is out for others to join the cause. Naysayers need not apply.
Fixing a flat and roadside habitat
There was plenty of time to ponder as my Labrador Charlie and I sat in my SUV on a dark, quiet country road the other night. Not much else to do, actually, when stranded by a flat tire that won't come off the axle.
One of the thoughts that curiously occurred to me was the similarity between my flat tire and a meeting I had attended that day in Owatonna. Teamwork was the common denominator.
The meeting involved a mix of public agency types and private citizens. The topic was the DNR Roadsides for Wildlife program. The purpose was to try to figure out how to better manage Minnesota's roadsides- ditches, in the popular vernacular. Representatives from the DNR, local, county and state road authorities, organizations such as Pheasants Forever, Minnesota Pheasants, Inc., Ducks Unlimited, Minnesota Farm Bureau, the state legislature and others were among the invited guests.
When compared to Iowa, Minnesota's roadsides don't match up very well. Ours are often disturbed by mowing, spraying and other activities, thus providing considerably less nesting cover for ducks, pheasants, songbirds and other critters than do those in Iowa. Iowa roadsides, overall, also have more visual appeal, thanks to the extensive native vegetation growing along them, and provide more widespread water quality benefits.
In 1988, the Iowa legislature created the Living Roadway Trust Fund (LRTF), an annual, competitive grant program that provides funding for integrated roadside vegetation management activities. The Iowa legislature declared it to be "in the general welfare of Iowa and a highway purpose for the vegetation of Iowa's roadsides to be preserved, planted, and maintained to be safe, visually interesting, ecologically integrated, and useful for many purposes." (See www.iowalivingroadway.com/LRTF.asp.)
Minnesota has lagged behind Iowa in its roadside management but there is growing interest in ramping up our state's roadside program. That was evident by the discussion at the recent meeting in Owatonna. In addition to the aforementioned wildlife and water quality benefits and visual appeal, tax dollars can be saved as a result of a decrease in ditch mowing and spraying. There is also growing evidence that roadside vegetation limits snow drifting, thus improving safety and decreasing snowplowing expenses.
Later on the day of the meeting, a group of participants gathered for a short pheasant hunt south of Waseca. As the group prepared to enter a complex of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land for a 45-minute hunt to end what had been a productive and encouraging day, someone tapped me on the shoulder and pointed to my left rear tire.
Two bagged roosters later, we were back at the road. In a NASCAR-like effort, one person worked on the lug nuts, another removed the spare, and another handled the jack. Others simply offered advice. In no time the tire was off the ground and ready to be replaced. Just one problem - the aluminum wheel was rusted against the brake drum and wouldn/t come off, try as we might. It was then that a fellow named Tom Bauman came to the rescue.
A habitat specialist for Pheasants Forever, Inc., Tom lives just a few miles away. As the others climbed into their vehicles and headed for home, Tom left for his farm to pick up a floor jack and other tools. And so here we sat, Charlie and I, watching the silhouette of a windmill disappear into the darkening sky.
An hour and a half later, Tom had the flat off and the spare on. As I drove home through the country night, I began to ponder anew the similarities between the meeting and the flat tire episode. This, I thought, is always how things get done. People come together and pitch in positive ideas and efforts. And then someone steps forward to lead the charge.
There is much more that can be done to improve the quality and appearance of Minnesota's roadsides. Many are already working to make that happen and the invitation is out for others to join the cause. Naysayers need not apply.