[Pollinator] Scott's June 18 webinar about the work of Xerces and need for all to act

[Bonnie Harper-Lore]

Dear Scott,

	Nicely done presentation.
My only wish is that in the future you identify the species you show pictures of by adding scientific and common names 
in a small but readable font to the bottom right corner of the photos.  Some of the critters were really unknown to me,
a botany-based viewer:)  Thank you.

	Since I spent 17 years at FHWA/USDOT, you might expect I would have a comment about roadsides as pollinator habitat.
I totally agree that much of the 17M acres of ROW (that includes roadsides and medians of every interstate, state and federally-
funded roadside…likely most counties and many municipalities)  are conservation opportunity.

	And I said so in many presentations and training courses over that 17 years of being the only vegetation management
resource for 50 state roadside decision-makers  (some of whom had no botany let alone ecology or entomology training).  Most of the
decision-making occurred within Maintenance, landscape architecture, environmental services or turf and erosion control
sections of the state DOTs……and every State is different.  Within each state is the central office of the units I mentioned.
Some states have more influence than others.  In some states all the power sits within the District office run by an engineer
who knows nothing about vegetation.  He is interested in paving roads and repairing bridges, first and foremost.  
he orders the mowing of roadsides like he always has for “safety reasons” which can be challenged easily, but he does
not rock the boat because this is the way we’ve always done it.

	Any of this sound familiar?  This is what you are up against.  But within each of those bureaucracies are
people who care about the environment.  You just have to find them.  When I helped Jennifer with the survey design done
for FHWA after Obama wanted highway corridor buy-in for pollinators and especially monarchs, I helped her find
those environmental contacts.

	When you talk to groups about roadsides, please tell them there are contacts in each state.  Any person, NGO or 
local organization needs to contact the local District Engineer OR start at the top of the food chain, the State DOT
Commissioner or Secretary.  That latter approach normally gets results and lands on the desk of someone who will feel the public
pressure and do something.  Although I worked with roadside vegetation managers across the country, some were
unable to act until that kind of public pressure was applied.

	With your nationwide network you should be able to encourage groups to lean or put pressure on each State DOT via whatever
group is active in each State.  I highly recommend that pressure from pollinator supporters who are being listened
to at this time.  DOTs are also willing to listen to offers of new partnerships and I think you can be the connector 
in each state.

	I hope you are willing to push such an approach.  Let me know if I can be of help,

Bonnie

P.S.  I took part in a Transportation Research Board (TRB) webinar to all State DOTs last year.  We built the
case for “reduced mowing” for pollinator habitat, cost-savings, migratory birds, increased diversity, etc.   (Although
retired, I am a ‘friend’ to the TRB’s Operations/roadside subcommittee.  The members of that group are very
supportive of reduced mowing…..but expecting volunteer reduced mowing after decades of doing things the way we have always done it
is unrealistic.  Change will come only through public pressure and/or regulation OR both.  In the 2016 reauthorization bill, I worked with
the White House to add language that supports but does not require pollinator habitat increase on all federal-aid highways via : reduced mowing (the cheapest approach),
protection of existing native habitat, and or restoring a diversity of native plants on any new highway project or upgrade.  That is now the law
of the land - but only at the encouragement level.  (We opened the door.)  The public and NGOs need to walk through it by putting on pressure.
Good luck to you.