ITC Midwest - Beverly Park

About the Program
ITC Holdings Transmission Line Corridor project is located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. This grassland project within the right-of-way (ROW) is surrounded by forest habitat and also functions as the north border for most of Beverly Park. The conservation objective of this six-acre grassland project is to enhance wildlife habitat on the site by controlling invasive species and restoring native prairie grasses.

Practices and Impacts

• The project area is surveyed annually to determine the native and invasive plant species present. Almost 70% of the species identified are native.
• Data collected during monitoring is used to guide the invasive species management practices. In an effort to encourage native species growth, invasive species including poison hemlock and reed canary grass were spot treated with herbicide.
• The team partners with the City of Cedar Rapids Parks and Recreation Department to coordinate management of the ROW.
• This project supports the goals of the 1,000-acre Pollinator Initiative that was started by the Monarch Research Project to use urban public land to increase pollinator habitat.