Photo: Washington State DOT, courtesy of Ray Willard.
Ray Willard: Washington State Department of Transportation
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 360-705-7865
Dr. Delena Norris-Tull conducted a telephone interview with Ray Willard, Sept. 2, 2020. Interviewed approved 12/21/2020.
Ray Willard is the Maintenance Landscape Architect for the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). He is also a member and current Chair of the Washington Invasive Species Council. He has been working in the field of roadside vegetation management and landscape design for over 30 years.
Ray provided the following insights into management of noxious weeds in the State of Washington, particularly within the WSDOT.
The Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board develops and annually updates the legal list of noxious weeds for Washington. They analyze data to determine in which Counties specific weed species need to be a priority for control. County Weed Control Boards can also designate species to the list of weeds to be controlled for that County.
The Washington Invasive Species Council coordinates activities between all land management interests throughout the state, including Federal Agencies, to ensure all types of invasive species, including plants, animals, aquatic species, and pathogens are monitored and managed throughout the State, including on Federal lands. The Council relies on its team of Federal and State Agency subject matter experts, tribal, local government, and industry representatives to implement a coordinated and unified approach to emerging and ongoing issues. The Council also provides public education and outreach on invasive species.
Washington Department of Transportation has about 100,000 acres of unpaved right-of-way to manage. The WSDOT estimates that 25,000 of those acres are currently dominated by non-native invasive species as a result of reduced maintenance funding levels over time. The biggest challenge the agency has is attaining enough funding to manage those acres, as well as enough funding to maintain the rest of the highway infrastructure.
The Washington State Department of Transportation prioritizes noxious weed management and is able to control noxious weeds, even some of those that are not required by the State or County noxious weed lists. If they locate a small infestation, they are able to tackle it quickly, to prevent further spread. The vegetation maintenance plans include details of how herbicides are used in each location.
WSDOT currently spends about $2.5 million annually on management of noxious weeds. About 80% of that funding pays for herbicides and application of herbicides, the rest is in mowing to prevent seed spread, and manual weed removal. WSDOT’s total annual budget for all vegetation maintenance activities is currently about $12 million.
WSDOT projects include provisions for roadside restoration with desirable native species, but project funding only typically covers three years of plant establishment and weed control. Full plant establishment in these areas requires 10 to 12 years of supplemental weed control. As a result, some of the roadsides restored by construction projects become overrun with weeds once they are turned over the maintenance division without additional funding to complete plant establishment.
The agency has recently developed a proposal for native restoration of the 25,000 weed infested acres throughout the state. The estimated cost of labor, equipment, materials and overhead to accomplish this restoration is $5 million per year over the next 10 years. Under this proposal, after 10 years, the cost of vegetation management would decrease as roadsides become fully established with desirable native vegetation.
The WSDOT works with a toxicologist to conduct roadside specific risk assessment on the herbicides it uses in vegetation maintenance. Reports on each herbicide in use is located at
The WSDOT does not routinely distribute biocontrol agents, and any releases are coordinated with the County Weed Control Coordinators, as part of regional biocontrol operations.
He commented that the there are two schools of thought with regard to the design and maintenance of the roadsides throughout the US. There is a national research project currently being finalized to analyze the benefits and costs of long-term management between the approach of routine mowing vs. establishment of self-sustaining native vegetation along the wider freeway corridors through the country. Pollinator habitat and forage is a big part of this discussion, as well as the value of other ecosystem services provided by native roadside vegetation.
The WSDOT maintains annually updated Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management (IRVM) plans and construction project reports on the agency website. The WSDOT recently (about three years ago) implemented a statewide maintenance management and mapping system that assists them greatly in planning and conducting work activities. They can include photos within the geographically referenced activity reports, to have a visual record of progress. The IRVM plans include a list of which noxious weeds are a priority in that area of the State, and the location of infestation sites are mapped in the system.
Links to additional interviews:
Ray Willard: Washington State Department of Transportation
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 360-705-7865
Dr. Delena Norris-Tull conducted a telephone interview with Ray Willard, Sept. 2, 2020. Interviewed approved 12/21/2020.
Ray Willard is the Maintenance Landscape Architect for the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). He is also a member and current Chair of the Washington Invasive Species Council. He has been working in the field of roadside vegetation management and landscape design for over 30 years.
Ray provided the following insights into management of noxious weeds in the State of Washington, particularly within the WSDOT.
The Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board develops and annually updates the legal list of noxious weeds for Washington. They analyze data to determine in which Counties specific weed species need to be a priority for control. County Weed Control Boards can also designate species to the list of weeds to be controlled for that County.
The Washington Invasive Species Council coordinates activities between all land management interests throughout the state, including Federal Agencies, to ensure all types of invasive species, including plants, animals, aquatic species, and pathogens are monitored and managed throughout the State, including on Federal lands. The Council relies on its team of Federal and State Agency subject matter experts, tribal, local government, and industry representatives to implement a coordinated and unified approach to emerging and ongoing issues. The Council also provides public education and outreach on invasive species.
Washington Department of Transportation has about 100,000 acres of unpaved right-of-way to manage. The WSDOT estimates that 25,000 of those acres are currently dominated by non-native invasive species as a result of reduced maintenance funding levels over time. The biggest challenge the agency has is attaining enough funding to manage those acres, as well as enough funding to maintain the rest of the highway infrastructure.
The Washington State Department of Transportation prioritizes noxious weed management and is able to control noxious weeds, even some of those that are not required by the State or County noxious weed lists. If they locate a small infestation, they are able to tackle it quickly, to prevent further spread. The vegetation maintenance plans include details of how herbicides are used in each location.
WSDOT currently spends about $2.5 million annually on management of noxious weeds. About 80% of that funding pays for herbicides and application of herbicides, the rest is in mowing to prevent seed spread, and manual weed removal. WSDOT’s total annual budget for all vegetation maintenance activities is currently about $12 million.
WSDOT projects include provisions for roadside restoration with desirable native species, but project funding only typically covers three years of plant establishment and weed control. Full plant establishment in these areas requires 10 to 12 years of supplemental weed control. As a result, some of the roadsides restored by construction projects become overrun with weeds once they are turned over the maintenance division without additional funding to complete plant establishment.
The agency has recently developed a proposal for native restoration of the 25,000 weed infested acres throughout the state. The estimated cost of labor, equipment, materials and overhead to accomplish this restoration is $5 million per year over the next 10 years. Under this proposal, after 10 years, the cost of vegetation management would decrease as roadsides become fully established with desirable native vegetation.
The WSDOT works with a toxicologist to conduct roadside specific risk assessment on the herbicides it uses in vegetation maintenance. Reports on each herbicide in use is located at
The WSDOT does not routinely distribute biocontrol agents, and any releases are coordinated with the County Weed Control Coordinators, as part of regional biocontrol operations.
He commented that the there are two schools of thought with regard to the design and maintenance of the roadsides throughout the US. There is a national research project currently being finalized to analyze the benefits and costs of long-term management between the approach of routine mowing vs. establishment of self-sustaining native vegetation along the wider freeway corridors through the country. Pollinator habitat and forage is a big part of this discussion, as well as the value of other ecosystem services provided by native roadside vegetation.
The WSDOT maintains annually updated Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management (IRVM) plans and construction project reports on the agency website. The WSDOT recently (about three years ago) implemented a statewide maintenance management and mapping system that assists them greatly in planning and conducting work activities. They can include photos within the geographically referenced activity reports, to have a visual record of progress. The IRVM plans include a list of which noxious weeds are a priority in that area of the State, and the location of infestation sites are mapped in the system.
Links to additional interviews: