Native Plant Conservation Campaign News: Groundbreaking new law requires native plants for roadside landscaping
May 23, 2017
Thanks to a trailblazing new law, thousands of miles of New Jersey roadsides have the potential to be transformed into “Jersey-fresh gardens”.
This month, the state government adopted a bill that requires the Department of Transportation and other authorities to only use native plants to landscape roadways. The rule applies to any projects that break ground in and after late October.
The law is a response to failed revegetation following Hurricane Sandy. The non-native plants that were used required expensive care and eventually died. Subsequently, the state reviewed the accumulating evidence that restoration of native plant communities, particularly along waterways and coasts, provides valuable ecosystem services, including pollution control, water conservation, wildlife habitat and storm protection.
In addition, new research found that, where they existed, native coastal wetlands prevented more than $600 million in damage to Northeastern communities during Sandy.
