The MDOT Adopt-A-Landscape Program provides an avenue for individuals,
organizations, or businesses to help maintain sections of roadside
within Michigan’s State Highway System. In addition to the
aesthetic benefits of cleaner and more beautiful roadsides,
participants help to prevent potential pollutants from entering our
waterways and save countless Michigan taxpayer dollars every year.
The Adopt-A-Landscape Program provides a great opportunity to promote
civic responsibility, community pride, and camaraderie within
organizations. And, even though the Adopt-A-Landscape Program may not
be used as a forum for advertising or public discourse,
Adopt-A-Landscape courtesy signs provide prominent recognition for its
participants.
FAQs
What
is required to
participate?
Your time and effort, it’s that easy! Participants may choose
to do perform one or
more of the following activities:
Planting and
establishing
landscaping within interchanges, boulevards, rest areas, roadside
parks, etc.
Planting and establishing
trees, shrubs, and/or flowers along state highways
Planting and establishing
wildflowers
Removing graffiti as
needed from one or more highway structures
Controlling weeds on
Right-of-Way
Ancillary mowing
Tree trimming and or
removal
Are you planning to use
the
Adopt-A-Landscape location for a future Commercial Billboard location?
If vegetation exists that would now or through normal growth in the
future obstruct the face of a Commercial Billboard, the permit
applicant and the adjacent property owner(s) must agree in writing that
a commercial billboard will not be placed on property adjacent to or
impacted by the Adopt-a-Landscape location for a period of 20
years. Specifically the Adopt-a-Landscape program can not be
used to create locations for or improve the visibility of Commercial
Billboards.
Is there a fee?
Yes, there is a minimal permit fee based on the size and scale of the
area being adopted. Volunteer groups/organizations may perform
Adopt-a-Landscape activities and be charged a discounted permit fee or
even have the fee waived in some cases. Participating groups generally
provide for all costs, materials, labor, and equipment necessary for
the project.
MDOT will supply the following items free of charge:
Safety
vests for volunteer participants
Safety-training materials
for
group use
Manufacture and
installation
of Adopt-a-Landscape signs when the appropriate distance is landscaped
as follows:
On roadways where the
speed
limit is 45 miles per hour or less, one mile of landscaping is required
for an Adopt-a-Landscape sign.
On roadways where the
speed
limit is greater than 45 miles per hour, two miles of landscaping are
required for an Adopt-a-Landscape sign.
Who is eligible?
Just about any group, business or individual may perform the work with
your own volunteers or hire a contractor to perform the work on your
behalf. There are limitations to the types of work and locations where
volunteers may work.
If volunteers are to be used, the application must include a list
identifying sufficient numbers of volunteers to complete the scope of
work within an acceptable time period.
Depending on the adoption site and subject to MDOT approval, minors
aged 16 and older may participate. Groups including minors must have at
least one adult supervisor aged 21 or older for every 3 minors aged 16
and above.
Note: Commercial sign owners are prohibited from participating in the
Adopt-A-Landscape Program and must comply with Public Act 106 of 1972.
How long do adoptions
last?
Adoptions for locations inside of Rest Areas require a one year
commitment. However, adoptions for locations outside of Rest Areas
require a five year commitment. You may extend the agreement
provided that you (or your contractor) have satisfactorily met the
terms of the permit and the site remains suitable for adoption. You may
not transfer your permit to another organization.
How do I adopt a
landscape?
Decide on the general
location you
want.
Submit the
Adopt-A-Landscape Interest
Form (Form 3748) to your local MDOT Transportation Service Center (TSC)
Manager or Lansing Real Estate Central Office. The local TSC contact
information is located on our website at: www.michigan.gov/mdot
under
Permits at the bottom of the page under Contact information or you may
contact the Lansing Real Estate Central Office at (517) 241-3028.
The local TSC Manager
will contact the
applicant.
Submit the Individual
Permit
Application and all other required documents.
Receive your issued
permit in the
mail. This may take several weeks.
What if the section of
land I want is
already adopted?
Permits are issued on a first-come, first-served basis. You may wish to
contact your TSC Construction Permit Agent or consider adopting another
location.
How do I get my
group’s
name on an Adopt-A-Landscape sign?
Adopt-A-Landscape acknowledgement signs may be provided by MDOT to
recognize an adopting group’s contributions.
The sign's wording, size, color, font style, placement, and any
subsequent modifications shall be solely determined and approved by
MDOT. All signs must adhere to Federal Highway Administration
Guidelines.
Signs may not be provided for various types of projects. Examples where
signs will not be provided include, but are not limited to:
Activities where only
roadside
mowing is performed
Landscaping distances
less
than 1 mile and the speed limit is equal to or less than 45;
landscaping distances less than 2 miles and the speed limit greater
than 45
Locations where the sign
would
interfere with existing traffic control devices or distract the
driver’s attention
Although there is inherent advertising value in Adopt-A-Landscape
signs, the sign is not intended to be an advertising medium. The
purpose of the sign is to recognize who is providing the adoption
service, not what sponsors do or where they are located. Product names,
logos, slogans, phone or FAX numbers, e-mail or Internet addresses, or
directions are not permitted on recognition panels.
What is the Individual
Application
& Permit-Use of State Trunkline ROW, (Form 2205) Permit?
The Individual Application & Permit-Use of State Trunkline ROW,
(Form 2205) and Special Provisions is your contract with MDOT. The
permit authorizes you to perform specific tasks on a designated section
of the State's Right-of-Way for a one-year period. The permit
also includes safety measures that must be adhered to.
Could my permit ever be
revoked?
Yes. Violation of any of the provisions of your permit could result in
its cancellation. You, or MDOT, may cancel the permit anytime you are
unable to meet the permit requirements. MDOT may cancel or
temporarily suspend permits for safety reasons, such as construction in
your adopted area or lack of maintenance.
Will MDOT issue permits
for multiple locations?
Yes. However, permits will be issued on a first-come, first-served
basis. First-time permit applicants may be restricted in the
number of permits issued. Once a permit applicant has an excellent
performance history, there will be no restrictions on the number of
permits issued.
How does MDOT approve
Adopt-A-Landscape requests, (Form 2205)?
Most roadside locations within Michigan’s State Highway
System have potential for being adopted. MDOT personnel carefully
review permit applications and requested locations in order to
determine whether, or not, they are suitable.
Typical questions asked during a review are:
Is maintenance of the
area
currently being performed by another group?
Is future construction
planned
for the location?
Is there
community/stakeholder
support for the proposed activities?
Is there safe access to
and
from the site?
What are the working
conditions at the site?
What work frequency will
be
required?
Will the use of
motorized
equipment be required to accomplish the planting/maintenance work?
Once a site is reviewed, it shall be classified as either suitable or
not suitable for adoption.
An important note about
safety
Safety is our number-one concern at MDOT. Participants must attend a
safety meeting and each group must have a safety leader. Unless
otherwise notified, MDOT considers the person who signed the
Adopt-A-Landscape Permit Application to be the group's designated
safety leader. For a full list of safety-related concerns, see the
Adopt-a-Landscape Safety Requirements, (Form 3735). Participants must
realize that they will be working in a potentially hazardous
environment and agree to follow all safety requirements. Copies of the
safety requirements and safety handouts can be downloaded from our MDOT
Web site at www.michigan.gov/mdot.
Does adopting a landscape
involve any insurance
requirements?
Yes. A valid Certificate of Insurance, (Form 2020) shall be on file
with MDOT for the duration of the permit and license agreement.
Does adopting a landscape
involve
performance surety/bond requirements?
Depending on the scale of the project, a bond may be required.
What Is CSS?
In 2005, The Michigan State Transportation Commission formally adopted
a Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) process as an integrated part of
the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) mission to provide the
highest quality integrated transportation services for economic benefit
and improved quality of life. Under CSS, MDOT solicits dialogue with
local governments, road commissions, industry groups, land use
advocates, and state agencies early in a project's planning phase. This
dialogue helps to ensure that interchanges bridges, bike paths and
other transportation projects “fit” into their
communities. The CSS approach results in projects that respect a
community's scenic, aesthetic, historic, economic, and environmental
character.
It is necessary that Adopt-A-Landscape applicants notify, and if
necessary engage property owners/stakeholders who are impacted by the
proposed site adoption. The level of engagement and type of
information required for each application will vary with the size,
location, and level of adoption activity. The TSC
Construction Permit Staff can help determine the necessary level of
engagement and documentation needed to permit the adoption of the
landscape area.
After I receive approval
from my
city’s offices, can I use the same site plan documents when
applying for the MDOT permit?
Yes, we encourage you to use the same site plan documents - as approved
by your city - along with the city’s approval letter, when
applying for the MDOT permit. This will save you time and
costs and will reduce MDOT’s review and approval time.
What options do I have if
the area I
wish to adopt has already been adopted?
There are two options available for the applicant in this situation.
MDOT permit personnel
may help with
the selection of a nearby site that may meet the intent and proximity
desired for your adoption. The alternate location would be
subject to the same approval processes and requirements as the
originally desired location. This may mean an increase in the
stakeholder engagement activity necessary to comply with the CSS
portion of the application, depending on the proximity and type of
adjacent land use, who owns the property and how many stakeholders are
involved. MDOT permit personnel can help with this
determination.
MDOT can place your
application for adoption on a waiting list. This would allow
you the next opportunity to adopt this location when the current permit
or license agreement expires and is not renewed. The next opportunity
to adopt this location can also occur when MDOT revokes the permit or
license agreement because the original applicant fails to comply with
the requirements of the permit or license agreement.
Are
hardscape items allowed?
MDOT
only issues Adopt-A-Landscape permits to municipalities when
hardscape items or high maintenance items are included in the permit
application. Rest areas are under the jurisdiction of MDOT,
therefore MDOT acts as the municipality in this instance.
Do
volunteer groups have to go
through this program?
Volunteer
groups may participate in this program just like any other
agency or group. They also have the option of working
directly with a Local governmental maintenance agency (under their
contract/agreement) if they are undertaking a regular maintenance
activity.
Examples
of regular maintenance activities
are flowers in a rest area
or flowers behind the curb in a city along a state highway.
What
if a Master Gardener’s
group wants to landscape within MDOT’s rest areas?
The
following are the requirements when a Master Gardener’s
club is the applicant:
All planting areas will
be
selected and agreed upon by the MDOT Maintenance Coordinator, Region
Resource Specialist, and the Master Gardener Representative.
Irrigations
shall be provided
by MDOT prior to any purchase of planting material. Caution will be
taken to insure the size of the area of responsibility will not exceed
the ability of the Master Gardener’s Group.
Most
work areas shall be
located close to the rest area building or in a safe location selected
by MDOT away from highway traffic.
No
work shall be located near
the right of way fence.
No
heavy equipment shall be
used for the installation.
Master
Gardener’s
shall provide their requested plant list (Wish List) in advance for
MDOT approval and to insure that plant material vendors will be able to
provide the approved selection.
To initiate the process, Master Gardener Clubs need to submit the
following documents:
An
Individual Application
& Permit-Use of State Trunkline ROW, (Form 2205),
Site
Plan Checklist, (Form
3737), not needed for volunteer groups or organizations unless a
significant area is adopted (i.e. larger than a few plant beds),
however a plant species list is required.
Maintenance
Plan Checklist,
(Form 3740), not needed for volunteer groups or organizations unless a
significant area is adopted (i.e. larger than a few plant beds),
however a plant species list is required.
Note:
If a Master Gardener’s Club proposes to
Adopt-a-Landscape outside MDOT’s Rest Areas then the
following forms will be required along with the documents mentioned
above:
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