“ITC is committed to improving monarch habitat through the enhancement of pre-existing habitat and the establishment of new habitat on the company’s landholdings. Regular vegetation management within the transmission corridors is required to ensure the safe transmission of electricity to homes and businesses. ITC uses an Integrated Vegetation Management (IVM) approach in many of its corridors which limits the growth of trees and non-native species while promoting native plant diversity including milkweed species. Flora and fauna surveys are conducted annually in several of these managed corridors to document the success of the IVM program and increased diversity of plant species critical to monarchs and other pollinator species.

Over 100 acres [40 hectares] in Iowa and approximately 275 acres [111 hectares] in Michigan are monitored for monarchs through the IVM program. In addition to promoting existing milkweed and other native plant populations within the IVM monitored transmission corridors, ITC is also actively establishing new milkweed populations within the company’s landholdings” (Weiskotten 2016).

• Chip Weiskotten. 2016. Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders. Personal communication.

Keywords: milkweed, restoration, Rights of way