SKAMANIA COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS VEGETATION MANAGEMENT

April is the month for the Road Division to begin Vegetation Management along the county road rights-of-way, bridges, and ditches. The objective of the vegetation management program is to enhance safety, reduce maintenance costs, reduce fire potential, and maintain environmental protection. The Road Division’s vegetation management plan is site-specific to accommodate for the variation in county roads and surrounding environment throughout the County. The road division is able to accomplish vegetation management on 495 miles of rights-of-way through a mixture of chemical and mechanical methods.

The chemical method is the most cost effective method for vegetation management and used when other options are ineffective, unfeasible, or cost-prohibitive. Using strict guidelines to select and apply the chemicals, the road division is able to ensure the least amount of risk to the ecosystem. Some of these guidelines include the use of only EPA approved herbicides, minimized spray drift, no application within ten feet of any body of water, and the use of licensed applicators. Skamania County’s licensed applicators receive continual education and training on environmental protection measures and the proper use of the chemicals once a year. In areas where the chemical application is undesirable, the road division uses mechanical methods to maintain vegetation control.

The mechanical methods used consist of mowing, brush cutting, tree trimming, and grading. It is the policy of Skamania County to apply mechanical methods in riparian areas and in areas that are prone to soil erosion and areas in need of bank stabilization. No matter which method is used, vegetation management is a necessary and vital service the road division provides.

Vegetation management is vital for safety as it improves adequate sight distance at intersections, corners, and reduces driver monotony. Vegetation management is also a vital element to soil erosion control, slope stabilization, wetland area protection, water quality, and noxious weed control. As an aid to determine which method to use and to what extent, the rights-of-way are divided into three different zones each with its own set of vegetation management objectives.