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News
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July
1
Marks New Changes in Mowing/Haying in Right-of-Ways
Posted 25 June
2010
Struggling pheasant
populations will once again need a second nesting effort if numbers are
going to start a rebound this year and a modification of roadside
mowing requirements may help.
House File 2458, which takes effect July 1, prohibits mowing and/or
haying before July 15 in the right of way of state highways and
secondary county roads, with some exceptions. Previously, the Iowa
Department of Transportation (DOT) issued permits for haying as early
as July 1. The delayed mowing period is designed to maintain adequate
nesting areas for Iowa's native birds and pheasant populations.
Use of highway right of way by the public for haying or other
activities is granted through a state or county permitting process,
certain restrictions apply. Permit applications for access to work in
the state highway right of way are accepted by the Iowa DOT. The law
does grant specific mowing exceptions to adjacent landowners. Highway
agencies are also allowed to mow prior to July 15 as necessary for
safety and visibility reasons, to control noxious weeds and invasive
plant species, and promote growth of desired native and adaptable
vegetation.
"From the standpoint of pheasant production, this is a significant
change especially this year because of the weather conditions we
experienced during prime nesting season," said Todd Bogenschutz, upland
game biologist for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
Many hens that were unsuccessful in nesting in May or June will attempt
a second nest. For those birds, the first two weeks of July will be
critical because that would be about the time chicks would begin to
hatch from second nesting efforts, according to Bogenschutz.
"There's no doubt that pheasants readily use roadside ditches for
nesting. Roadsides also provide critical corridors for birds to
distribute themselves on the landscape. Ditches can provide excellent
nesting and brood rearing habitat not only for pheasants, but for many
songbird species," said Bogenschutz.
Bogenschutz said the combination of record snow the past winter
combined with the above average precipitation this spring does not
provide for confidence that pheasant populations can rebound
significantly this year."Many hens didn't survive last year's brutal
winter, and those that did survive didn't get much of a chance to nest
successfully with the weather conditions we've experienced this spring
," said Bogenschutz.
"That's why these mowing changes are so important," Bogenschutz added.
"With the overall pheasant populations so low, every opportunity to
increase potential nesting success helps."
Once again, a less than optimal - in other words, dismal - weather
pattern settled in over Iowa during prime nesting pheasant nesting
season this year of late May and early June. Optimal conditions for
successful pheasant nesting are dry, warm weather that increases
nesting success and chick survival.
Most of Iowa this spring experienced anywhere from 200 to 600 percent
of normal rainfall during the peak nesting season this spring. The
timing of this wet weather was terrible for nests and generally spells
doom for newly-hatched pheasant chicks.
This year's excess precipitation follows a four-year pattern for most
of Iowa of having above average rainfall during pheasant nesting season
and a staggering 20 years above average rainfall in the southern third
of the state.
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