Best Management Practices and Integrated Vegetation Management

Regulatory stakeholder interest to address potential impacts from vegetation management activities along Vermont Electric Power Company (VELCO) and Green Mountain Power (GMP) electric transmission infrastructure spurred the development of uniform Best Management Practices (BMPs) for integrated vegetation management and operations and maintenance of their electric transmission lines. Specific stakeholder concerns were raised over the ecological impacts of herbicide use and disturbances from management activities within more than 20,000 acres of transmission line corridors throughout Vermont.

TRC provided stakeholder outreach, strategic guidance, biological surveying, GIS data analysis and management, and cross-functional planning to develop comprehensive, practical and effective BMPs protecting threatened and endangered (T&E) species during vegetation management and operations and maintenance activities by VELCO and GMP. These BMPs also created stable plant communities improving the potential for general wildlife habitat and plant biodiversity, and promoted conditions for T&E species to develop pioneer populations.

The development of systematic BMPs has resulted in a cost-effective and practical approach to T&E species protection that satisfies regulatory stakeholder interests, ensures protection of valuable ecological resources, and provides our clients with much-needed flexibility during transmission line management.

 

Client
Vermont Electric Power Company and Green Mountain Power

Project Location
Vermont