Limestone County is the only county in the nation to be awarded the 2018 Turney J. Hernandez Award of Excellence for outstanding integrated roadside vegetation management programs.

The program is responsible for spraying herbicide along the roadsides in Limestone County, reducing the appearance of tall grasses and weeds that can block a driver’s view, while also promoting the growth of Bermudagrass and the like. Limestone County Assistant Engineer Marc Massey credits the county’s decision to bring in Roadside Inc. as a consulting service as one of the reasons Limestone County is now winning awards for its herbicide program.

“Prior to that, we just used the (Alabama Department of Transportation) standard mix for roadside spraying,” Massey said. Choosing a mix that is unique to Limestone County and a company whose chief executive officer is a former Limestone County resident seemed like the right place to go.

Three years later, the program is not only winning awards but also saving taxpayer money, Massey said.

“It’s been a cost saver for the county,” he said. “We didn’t start mowing this year until July, where in years past we had to start in early spring. You’re talking diesel fuel and bush hogs and all those things that cost taxpayer dollars.”

The herbicide used isn’t any more expensive than the DOT-recommended version, Massey said, and they’ve even been able to cut out one spray cycle per year.

“I think just the fact that we saw the need and recruited those who had the knowledge to assist us (set us apart),” Massey said. “Every county has its own issues and types of growth and things. We just realized that Limestone County had its unique problems and we needed some assistance in creating a good mix that would meet our needs.”

The National Roadside Vegetation Management Association will present the award to Limestone County at its 35th annual conference on Sept. 11–13 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Limestone County is one of five programs that will receive an award this year.

The other four programs are the Alabama Department of Transportation, the Mississippi Department of Transportation, the Texas Department of Transportation and the Missouri Department of Transportation.