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14 THE DAVEY BULLETIN | November/December 2021 VISION ENVISIONING ROWS AS POLLINATOR HABITATS Utility rights-of-way (ROWs) are transforming into carefully managed pollinator habitats across the U.S. Davey Resource Group (DRG) Utility Vegetation Management (UVM) services are working with two utility clients, Oklahoma Gas and Electric (OG&E) and Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE), to manage sections of transmission ROWs on their grids as places for pollinators to thrive. FLOWERS ON THE PRAIRIE "Everybody knows how important pollinators are. So far, it's been a build it and they will come situation," said Quentin Stewart, project manager, DRG UVM. Stewart is part of the DRG team partnering with local vendors to install various pollinator-friendly plots for OG&E. The pollinator plot installation work started in 2019 at several sites, including at Sooner Lake reservoir in northern Oklahoma, and has developed to the point now that DRG can start to electronically inventory the sites. The Sooner Lake pollinator sites are part of a larger strategy by OG&E to transform the entire landscape back to more native wildlife through better conservation and management plans. There are over 6,000 acres of land surrounding the 4,000-acre lake all owned by OG&E. DRG partnered to install 23 acres of pollinator habitat to date and will help install an additional 30 acres in 2022. "The work has really come to fruition this blooming season," Stewart said. DRG partnered with local vendors Johnston Seed Company for the seed mix and Total Turf, Inc., to plant the plots. Stewart said habitat monitoring and invertebrate study are next steps they are hopeful to take as their partnership with OG&E continues to grow. "We're on the cusp of really doing some science on this," Stewart said. "It's great to get it to look like your grandmother's flower garden, but is it having any ecological effect? In terms of deliverables and serving client needs, the way we find out is through careful analysis." MONITORING IN MARYLAND DRG has partnered with the Davey Institute and BGE to help maintain four ROW sites' Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) Conservation Certification ® status. The WHC certification recognizes "meaningful wildlife habitat management" and helps companies "demonstrate a long-term commitment to managing quality habitat for wildlife, conservation education and community outreach initiatives," according to the WHC. Scott Eikenbary, project manager, DRG, said they are gathering data on the pollinator habitats within the BGE ROWs using MyROWKeeper, ResourceKeeper and Rover software. The data is being used for more than just the certification efforts. "We're also using data to show change over time of the ROWs to illustrate how you can transition from just mowing a ROW to better manage the habitat for wildlife benefits," Eikenbary said. "We can show that Below left: This BGE ROW in Mt. Vista Park is monitored by DRG to help maintain its Conservation Certification ® status with the Wildlife Habitat Council. Below right: Jeremy Cooper, facilities vegetation coordinator, and Michael Sultan, market manager, Southwest region, have helped client OG&E with pollinator habitat development in ROWs, including this substation near Washington Park in Oklahoma City.

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