Phase II: EcoSod An Alternative Native Sod Solution for Highway Construction

The Surface Transportation and Uniform Relocation Assistance Act requires the use of native grasses and wildflowers within highway corridors. A major problem for the revegetation industry has been the ability to predictably establish native vegetation from seed. The production of native sods would allow for the most sensitive period of establishment-germination and initial seedling growth-to be bypassed in order to meet FHWA requirements for erosion control and weed suppression. Traditional sod production techniques, however, are geographically limited, environmentally problematic, and may act as a vector for the introduction of weed species. Bitterroot Restoration Inc., proposes to develop "EcoSod", a lighweight, highly transportable native sod designed for short duration growing cycles. EcoSod will be constructed from weed-free geotextiles, which increase the transportablity of materials and field survival of installed sods. Phase II research will result in: 1) establishment of field trails in Washington, California, and Wyoming; 2) development of propagation protocols for regional facilities; and 3) substantial cost and weight reductions from Phase I prototype.