Description: Monarch Habitat Ranks identifies high value areas for creating, preserving, or enhancing monarch habitat on WSDOT owned lands along the state highway system. It is based on habitat suitability index models from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for monarch and two milkweed species that occur in Washington. Monarch butterfly populations are in a steep decline nationwide and the species is being considered for Endangered Species Act listing. While monarchs will utilize a wide variety of flowering plants as nectar sources, it is dependent on milkweed as the sole source of food for its larval stages. This specialization and its limited abundance and distribution in Washington State, resulted in the need to develop a separate habitat rank for the species.
Description: Pollinator Habitat Ranks identifies high value areas for creating, preserving, or enhancing pollinator habitat on WSDOT owned lands along the state highway system. High value habitat areas were identified to be beneficial to all pollinators but especially for those that pollinate food crops. The factors considered in this rank included highway segments in close proximity to pollinator dependent crops and areas that support native plant populations that are pollinator dependent.
Description: Urban Gateway Habitat Ranks identifies high value areas for creating, preserving, or enhancing pollinator habitat on WSDOT owned lands along the state highway system that are within urban and urbanizing areas and where natural pollinator habitat is present nearby. Once restored, these highway segments can be used to educate the traveling public about pollinators and will then serve as corridors for pollinators moving between natural habitats and urban gardens.