Liberty Utilities Vegetation Management Program

About the Program 
Liberty Utilities' Kodiak Prairie Restoration Project consists of a 9.8 acres prairie restoration in a semi-industrialized area outside of Kodiak Missouri. Prior to restoration of the site in 2019, the site consisted primarily of turf grasses and invasive plant species. The intent of the Kodiak Prairie Restoration is to restore and manage a diverse native prairie community that is compatible with power transmission line maintenance and which is also pollinator friendly. Additionally, the site serves to educate both the public and Liberty employees in the importance of native species, pollinator survival and the Liberty Utilities Power to the Pollinator program. 

Practices and Impacts 

• Partnering with a volunteer fire department, the team conducted a prescribed burn of the future prairie site. The Missouri Department of Conservation provided technical advice for selecting a native flowering seed mix for use after the burn to transform the project area into a prairie. 
• Invasive species are managed by applying herbicide with backpack sprayers to limit the amount used and area affected, and monitoring is conducted annually to collect data on the plant species within the prairie. 
• Liberty Utilities entered into the Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA) with US Fish & Wildlife Service in support of the monarch butterfly. 
• Fifty employees participated in online and field classes to identify woody plants, herbaceous plants and invasive vegetation common to the area and were tested on their knowledge. The training program was supported through a partnership with Care of Trees employees, who planned and taught the classes.