I 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4790 

To amend title 23, United States Code, to encourage and facilitate efforts 

by States and other transportation rights-of-way managers to adopt 

integrated vegetation management practices, including enhancing plantings of native forbs and grasses that provide habitats and forage for 

Monarch butterflies and other native pollinators and honey bees, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 30, 2014 

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida (for himself and Mr. DENHAM) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and 

Infrastructure 

A BILL 

To amend title 23, United States Code, to encourage and 

facilitate efforts by States and other transportation 

rights-of-way managers to adopt integrated vegetation 

management practices, including enhancing plantings of 

native forbs and grasses that provide habitats and forage 

for Monarch butterflies and other native pollinators and 

honey bees, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Highways Bettering 

3 the Economy and Environment Pollinator Protection 

4 Act’’. 

5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

6 Congress finds the following: 

7 (1) The roadside vegetation management prac8 tices of both State governments and the Federal 

9 Government aim to secure motorist safety, reduce 

10 the presence of noxious weeds, and stabilize the soil. 

11 (2) Federal and State highway departments are 

12 facing severe budget shortfalls. 

13 (3) Native forbs and grasses are less likely to 

14 encroach onto roads than invasive species, such as 

15 kudzu. 

16 (4) Integrated vegetation management practices 

17 will reduce the cost of maintaining roadside vegeta18 tion. 

19 (5) Native forbs and grasses are best adapted 

20 to local conditions and thus require less active man21 agement, reducing the need to replant, weed, and 

22 mow the areas adjacent to the road. 

23 (6) Pollinators, such as native bees, honey bees, 

24 birds, bats, Monarch butterflies, and other butter25 flies, are suffering drastic population loss due in 

26 part to loss of habitat and forage. 


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1 (7) Pollinators are vital for American agri2 culture. Responsible for 1 out of every 3 bites of 

3 food we eat, a diverse pollinator population is nec4 essary for maintaining the diversity of our plant life 

5 and food supply. 

6 (8) Studies have shown supporting native forbs 

7 and grasses along the roadside can be beneficial to 

8 the pollinator population by providing migratory cor9 ridors and habitat and forage connectivity and by 

10 helping such populations adapt to climate change. 

11 (9) Plantings of noninvasive, locally appropriate 

12 milkweed species can create migratory way stations 

13 for the endangered Monarch butterfly and to facili14 tate migrations of other pollinators. 

15 (10) Enhancing pollinator populations on 

16 rights-of-way can result in improved pollination serv17 ices for neighboring lands, including agriculture and 

18 wildlife ecosystems. 

19 (11) Highway rights-of-way managed by States 

20 represent 17 million acres of pollinator habitat con21 servation opportunity, and similar opportunities and 

22 benefits exist on other transportation rights-of-way. 


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1 SEC. 3. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS TO ENCOURAGE 

2 POLLINATOR HABITAT AND FORAGE ON 

3 TRANSPORTATION RIGHTS-OF-WAY. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 319 of title 23, United 

5 States Code, is amended— 

6 (1) in subsection (a) by striking ‘‘beauty adja7 cent’’ and inserting ‘‘beauty (including the enhance8 ment of habitat and forage for pollinators) adja9 cent’’; and 

10 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

11 ‘‘(c) ENCOURAGEMENT OF POLLINATOR HABITAT

12 AND FORAGE DEVELOPMENT AND PROTECTION ON

13 TRANSPORTATION RIGHTS-OF-WAY.—In carrying out any 

14 program administered by the Secretary, the Secretary 

15 shall, in conjunction with willing States, as appropriate— 

16 ‘‘(1) conduct or encourage integrated vegetation 

17 management practices on roadsides and other trans18 portation rights-of-way, including reduced mowing; 

19 ‘‘(2) enhance the development of habitat and 

20 forage for Monarch butterflies, other native polli21 nators, and honey bees through plantings of native 

22 forbs and grasses, including noninvasive, native 

23 milkweed species that can serve as migratory way 

24 stations for the endangered Monarch butterfly and 

25 to facilitate migrations of other pollinators. 


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1 ‘‘(3) encourage leveraging through partnerships 

2 and coordination with stakeholders in support of pol3 linators and plantings of native forbs and grasses, 

4 such as environmental groups, research institutions, 

5 other agencies, businesses, and community organiza6 tions; and 

7 ‘‘(4) conduct or facilitate research and dem8 onstration projects on the economic and environ9 mental benefits and best practices for integrated 

10 vegetation management, reduced mowing, and plant11 ings of native forbs and grasses for pollinator habi12 tat, forage, and migratory way stations for Monarch 

13 butterflies and other migrating pollinators.’’. 

14 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after the 

15 date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transpor16 tation shall transmit to Congress a report that includes— 

17 (1) an analysis of current programs and au18 thorities available to carry out section 319(c) of title 

19 23, United States Code; 

20 (2) a summary of programs and authorities 

21 being used to implement such section; 

22 (3) an assessment of actions being taken by 

23 willing State transportation departments and other 

24 managers of transportation rights-of-way to imple25 ment integrated vegetation management practices, 


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1 reduce mowing, and enhance habitat and forage for 

2 Monarch butterflies, other native pollinators, and 

3 honey bees through plantings of native forbs and 

4 grasses and migratory way stations for Monarch 

5 butterflies and other migrating pollinators; and 

6 (4) any recommendations for further action. 

7 SEC. 4. PROVISION OF HABITAT, FORAGE, AND MIGRATORY 

8 WAY STATIONS FOR MONARCH BUTTERFLIES, 

9 OTHER NATIVE POLLINATORS, AND HONEY 

10 BEES. 

11 Section 329(a)(1) of title 23, United States Code, is 

12 amended by inserting ‘‘provision of habitat, forage, and 

13 migratory way stations for Monarch butterflies, other na14 tive pollinators, and honey bees,’’ before ‘‘and aesthetic 

15 enhancement’’. 

Æ 


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