Roadside Maintenance and Enhancement

• Approximately 216,300 acres of roadside right-of-way are managed and maintained by the state. (2005)
• The Living Roadway Trust Fund (LRTF) was established by the Iowa General Assembly in July 1989. This fund was created to implement integrated roadside vegetation management programs on city, county or state right-of-way or areas adjacent to traveled roadways. The LRTF is funded from $250,000 from the Road Use Tax Fund, 3 percent of REAP funding, 3 percent of Resource Enhancement and Protection license plate revenue, and fees obtained from utility easements along interstate and other divided four-lane, access-controlled highways. (2009)
• In fiscal year 2009, $959,000 was awarded to 70 projects.
• The LRTF funds are used to support the purchase of special equipment, roadside inventories, gateway plantings, media programs, native grass and forb seed, tree and shrub plantings, and research and education programs. See www.iowalivingroadway.com for more details about the program. (2009)
• Approximately 47,800 acres of Iowa's roadsides have been enhanced or revegetated with native grasses and wildflowers, with that number increasing by approximately 1,000 acres each year. (July 2009)
• Over 1.6 million trees/shrubs have been planted in Iowa roadsides since 1990. (2009)
• In FY 2009, the DOT planted over 113,000 trees and shrubs.