Roadside Vegetation Management

Guardrail Herbicide Program

The Pollution Prevention and Compliance Program oversees compliance on VTrans’ herbicide permit. The management of weeds and unwanted vegetation is an important element of roadside maintenance. The Vermont Agency of Transportation’s decision to manage vegetation on, under, and behind guardrail using herbicides is truly one of economics. When you compare the time and resources necessary to address this vegetation control issue with mowers and hand labor the costs far outweigh that resulting from the use of herbicides. VTrans has approximately 1,000 miles of guardrail (year 2011 estimate) which needs constant inspection, replacement, repair and maintenance. For more information on our herbicide program please read: Why We Spray Guardrail.

VTrans Pesticide Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)

For more information and to submit a "No Spray Request" near you, please see the 2024 VTrans Public Notice.

The VTrans Herbicide permit is administered by the VT Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets Pesticide Program.

Fore more information on Glyphosate you can read the VT Agency of Agriculture's publication "Glyphosate: Farming, Health & The Environment"

Additional state resources on invasive species

Invasive Plant Species

The “VTrans State Highway System Roadside Terrestrial Invasive Plants Best Management Practices” is a document explaining best management practices (BMP) for VTrans maintenance on roadside terrestrial invasive plants.

VTrans State Highway System Roadside Terrestrial Invasive BMP

Roadside Vegetation Concerns

For roadside vegetation concerns near your home, please contact your local district maintenance office. This list can be found at the Maintenance Districts page.

VTrans Maintenance Districts

VTrans Landscape and Vegetation Policy and Design

For more information on VTrans landscape and vegetation related policy and design issues you can visit the VTrans Landscape Architect web page.

VTrans Landscape Architect

Roadside Mowing

The "VTrans State highway System Mowing Best Management Practices BMP" is a document we use as a guide to maintain a consistent mowing practice throughout the state.

Mowing BMP