Why does the PA Turnpike have a Pollinator Habitat Initiative?
Pennsylvania is one of the top-five states in the nation in terms of public road miles (over 121,000 miles) in addition to the more than 100,000 acres of roadside land managed statewide. By developing pollinator plantings along roadsides, this initiative will provide habitat, food, egg laying, and travel corridors to larger habitats. By placing emphasis on a pollinator initiative, the PA Turnpike can showcase the importance of vegetation within Turnpike property to further enhance important species which may also use it as a transportation network.
Benefits
The key goals of the PA Turnpike Pollinator Initiative can be best summarized in three segments:
- Ecological benefits – pollinators, agriculture, food production
- Human benefits – opportunity for public education/awareness, aesthetically pleasing
- Lower maintenance – reduced costs due to reduced mowing, less maintenance
Pollinator plantings also help farmers significantly. For example, in Dauphin County, 25% of PA Turnpike property is adjacent to farmland. Having pollinator habitat adjacent to this farmland can increase agriculture production and save farmers money in pesticide costs.