Quick Facts

• Location: Sacramento, California
• Primary Function: Pollinator habitat
• Key Outcome: The project demonstrated that integrated vegetation management (IVM) in transmission corridors can nurture native plants and pollinator diversity across managed rights‑of‑way.

Selected by the Utility Arborist Association as a western demonstration site, the American River Parkway's diverse habitats and overlapping utility infrastructure created an ideal setting to evaluate IVM practices that balance wildfire risk reduction, invasive species management, and pollinator habitat enhancement. Through collaboration among Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), Sacramento County Regional Parks, and the Pollinator Partnership, the project established long‑term monitoring plots that compared traditional mowing with IVM treatments. Monitoring efforts demonstrated how IVM increased the abundance of native plants, the richness and abundance of bees, and bee nesting activity.  The project improved public education on habitat restoration and showed that transmission rights-of-way can serve as important conservation areas, especially for pollinators.

What are the Benefits of Integrated Vegetation Management?

Targeted treatments such as selective herbicide application and prescribed burns not only reduced wildfire risk but also encouraged the establishment of resilient early successional plant communities. Educational signage and demonstration gardens were used as opportunities to demonstrate the benefits of IVM while addressing concerns about tree removal and herbicide use. Long‑term monitoring strengthened the scientific basis for IVM by documenting multi‑year changes in habitat and pollinator response. These findings contributed to utilities receiving Right‑of‑Way Stewardship Council accreditation for sustainable practices. Overall, the project demonstrated how transmission corridors can simultaneously support grid reliability, ecological resilience, and public engagement. 

Who Was Involved?

Utilities

The primary concerns for both PG&E and SMUD were ensuring the safe and reliable delivery of affordable energy to their community member-owners in a responsible and environmentally sound way. Both utilities managed their respective transmission rights‑of‑way within the American River Parkway, where both utilities implemented IVM to promote low‑growing native plant communities compatible with safe grid operations. They collaborated with project partners on management approaches such as selective herbicide applications, prescribed burns, and invasive species control.

Sacramento County Department of Regional Parks

The Sacramento County Department of Regional Parks was primarily interested in recreational use, wildlife benefits, and wildfire risk reduction. Most of the American River Parkway is owned by Sacramento County, with the Sacramento County Parks managing the lower 23 miles and additional sections managed by state and federal agencies. The Parkway is governed by the American River Parkway Plan, a state‑approved framework that guides land use decisions, supports conservation goals, and coordinates recreation, flood management, and vegetation management activities across multiple entities, including flood control districts and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 

American River Parkway Foundation

The American River Parkway Foundation played a key stewardship role by supporting recreation, open-space use, wildlife benefits, and wildfire risk reduction within the Parkway. As a project partner, the Foundation helped address public concerns about vegetation management by promoting education and outreach, including communicating the ecological value of IVM. 

Key Project Takeaways

• Cross‑agency and multi‑utility collaboration is essential. Project success depended on continuous coordination among utilities, county parks, conservation groups, and federal/state regulators.
• Public education and outreach contribute to project success. Project partners established two-way communication with the community to address concerns around tree removal, herbicide use, and wildfire risk reduction. Demonstration gardens and signage helped build trust and understanding.
• Working in multi‑use and environmentally sensitive corridors added complexity. The project team contended with endangered species protections, wildfire hazards, and recreational pressures, which require adaptive management and careful planning.
• Long‑term monitoring is vital. Monitoring of habitat use is important for evaluating treatment outcomes and for informing best‑practice guidelines that can be applied to other rights‑of‑way and utility corridors nationwide.