Program Revisions Cost Less and Are
More Environmentally Friendly
July 16 2003
Nashville— The Tennessee Department of Transportation announced revisions to
one of the state’s most beloved programs, the Tennessee Wildflower Program. The change will cost taxpayers less
money, while making the program more environmentally friendly.
Today, TDOT Commissioner
Gerald Nicely said, “In keeping with our wide-ranging efforts to make better use of taxpayers money, we are
pleased to be able to make improvements to a program that is already so dear to many Tennesseans. We’ve
received the results of an on-going review of the wildflower program and are making a few changes. We are
eliminating the use of a chemical that will make the program more environmentally balanced and will also end up
costing less.”
The Tennessee Wildflower Program is paid for primarily with federal enhancement
money. Twenty percent of the program is funded by state money. The program is required by state law and began
in 1998. Many of the wildflower fields are designated areas honoring America’s veterans.
From 2002-2003, the program used approximately $87,000 in state funds. Under the
new model, that cost will be dramatically reduced to require only about $28,000 in state money…to grow 800
acres of flowers across Tennessee.
TDOT’s new Chief of Environment and Planning, appointed last spring by
Commissioner Nicely, is overseeing the wildflower revisions.
“We have decided to eliminate the use
of methyl bromide in our program,” said Cole. “It is a chemical that has been used in the past to fumigate…for
weed control. The Federal Environmental Protection Agency recommends phasing methyl bromide out by 2005,
but we’re eliminating it from our wildflower program now. It is an expensive chemical and not one we want to
continue adding to our environment.”
Cole said the program would be more environmentally friendly now, with more tilling
being done to eliminate weeds and another, less harmful substance being applied where necessary for weed control.
A combination of perennial and annual plants will be used, including Dames Rocket,
Blanketflower, Black Eyed Susan, and Red Corn Poppy, but TDOT is looking for suggestions on that as well.
“We get more positive responses from the public about our wildflower program than just
about anything we do,” Cole says. “We must use plants that are native to our region, but we are encouraging
garden clubs and community groups to give us suggestions about what they’d like to see planted.”
TDOT is conducting a new web site survey, giving Tennesseans a chance to comment
about the wildflower program. The address is www.tennessee.gov/tdot. Web visitors can look for the special survey
icon on the TDOT home page.
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