Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management (IRVM)
IRVM is an approach to roadside vegetation management using a combination of techniques. These include: planting native tallgrass prairie grasses and wildflowers, mowing weeds to prevent seed development, controlled burning, brush removal, and spot spraying herbicides on weeds and brush.IRVM goals:
- Establish diverse stands of native plants in the roadside rights of way
- Reduce erosion
- Enhance rainfall infiltration
- Create habitat for pollinators, nesting birds, and other wildlife
- Provide more aesthetically pleasing roadsides
- Maintain a safe travel environment on the county roadsides
- Reduce roadside maintenance by establishing a strong plant community using Iowa’s native vegetation
