AUGUSTA – The Maine Department of Transportation has begun its annual brush-control program along the highways, according to Bob Moosmann, senior landscape architect in charge of the Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management Program.

DOT contracts with several companies to perform powered brush-control spraying in each of the five regions. Roads to be sprayed are selected prior to the beginning of the spray season.

This year, the department will spray approximately 4,280 miles of state-maintained roads in 452 communities and townships around the state.

“This is a dramatic reduction in total road miles from previous spray seasons,” said Moosmann. “In recent years, total mileage was near 5,000.”

He said, “We can attribute this decrease in road-miles sprayed to several factors, including a steady reduction in stem density along Maine’s roadsides because of our yearly approach to brush control; increases in development, especially in southern Maine; and improved approaches to planning our roadside activities, including the department’s new region structure and the use of technologies such as geographic information systems.”

To locate a region office, visit http://www.maine.gov/mdot/utilities/regionsmap.php or call MaineDOT headquarters at 624-3000. For more information on schedules for a community, contact the region office. Technical information is available from the MaineDOT Environmental Office in Augusta by calling 624-3100.