Hello, hello!
Here’s something to consider if you buy property along a state road: you may not be in charge of maintenance on your own property. You also might not be on the No Spray List. You need to find out!
My husband and I bought this farm that is right along a state road. Our small driveway has a guardrail that comes along the side of it. It “Ls” out onto the road that leads to a bridge.
We did have a whole schlew of raspberries growing along the guardrail that had a whole lot of fruit on. I won’t get to enjoy them this year. I didn’t even get to try one. And one lavender plant also got cut down. They were doing weed-eating along the highway where we live, and now they’re gone. Absolute devastation.
We do have some little shoots that are fine, but they shaved the lavender almost completely to the ground.
How to get maintenance of the guardrail
All that is to say, I called INDOT this morning. We live in Indiana, and INDOT (Indiana Department of Transportation) is the entity that maintains our roadways. You will need to find the entity that applies to you. Do not assume that just because it comes onto your property that it is yours to maintain. Because the state has an easement to the highway, they have every right to mow that.
We had lavender at the end of the road, mirrored on both sides of the driveway. We thought it would look really nice, plus it’s lavender so it would smell lovely, too. INDOT did say as long as there’s no visibility hindrance, the maintenance of that guardrail can be negotiated. So she put in all the paperwork on her end to get that into our maintenance.
No Spray List
It was a very nice conversation, and we got to talking about our property. I said, “This leads to the other side of the bridge, and I’m pretty sure there’s poison hemlock there. So feel free to weed-eat over there,” I said. She immediately stopped me. “I’m glad you said that. Even if you maintain the guardrail, if someone calls us and tells us there’s a noxious invasive, they will send someone out to weed-eat and spray.” she responded. She did say there are ways to do no-spray. To which I responded. “I’m glad you said that!” We just got bees and are trying to grow as organically as possible.
She then gave us all of the information we needed to get on the no-spray list through DriftWatch.
Here’s how to sign up for states who use DriftWatch to get on the no spray list.
INDOT and their herbicide application contractors utilize the website called “DriftWatch” when performing herbicide treatments. This site allows crop producers and beekeepers, to report areas of sensitivity, where certain pesticides may negatively impact the environment. This allows their herbicide applicators to work with the community to protect specialty crops and apiaries through use of mapping programs. They also urge that adjacent property owners register on this site those areas of sensitivity, so that they become aware of the locations. Additionally, the signs available through this organization can be used as physical markings that can be used to help the applicators know where these sensitive areas are. To register on DriftWatch, please visit their site at https://in.driftwatch.org/
You have to call your local transportation department to see what you need to do to get onto the no spray list if you live along a state or city maintained roadway.
All’s that to say:
I was naïve to think that nobody would come up to maintain the guardrail on our property. I should have considered that. So don’t let our mistake be your mistake!
The most important thing when you contact the people you need to contact is: be nice. The lady I spoke with didn’t personally come out and hack down my raspberries. It costs zero dollars to be polite. Plus it will get you farther with anyone than being rude and nasty will.
Here’s the video on this very topic!
So I hope that gives you something to think about, and we’ll see you next time.
Thanks for visiting!