Environmental practitioners must understand those they collaborate with to implement programs that are both socially and ecologically effective. Practitioners who understand decision-makers’ perspectives are better able to collaborate to lower political, financial, and cultural obstacles. In this study, we surveyed decision-makers involved with a voluntary environmental program in Iowa, USA. Iowa counties can choose to manage their roadside vegetation using an ecological approach, called integrated roadside vegetation management. Key decision-makers who decide whether a county has a roadside program are the county board of supervisors and the county conservation board. We used a mixed-mode design to survey the conservation board directors and chairs of the board of supervisors in each county. Our main goals were to understand the decision-makers’ perceived benefits and barriers to having a roadside program in their counties, as well as the key factors influencing their decisions about roadside vegetation management. Safety, maintenance cost savings, and erosion control were the main factors that influenced decision-making, while pollinators and other wildlife received the least consideration. However, decision-makers in counties with a roadside vegetation manager were more influenced by pollinators and other wildlife compared to their counterparts in counties without a roadside vegetation manager. The main barriers to having a program include a lack of resources or other concerns being a higher priority. Emphasizing safety, cost savings, and erosion control benefits of roadside programs, and identifying ways to lower startup costs may increase buy-in with county decision-makers.

环境从业者必须了解与他们合作的人，以实施对社会和生态都有效的计划。了解决策者观点的从业者能够更好地合作以降低政治、财务和文化障碍。在这项研究中，我们调查了美国爱荷华州参与自愿环境计划的决策者。爱荷华州可以选择使用生态方法管理路边植被，称为综合路边植被管理。决定一个县是否有路边计划的主要决策者是县监督委员会和县保护委员会。我们使用混合模式设计来调查每个县的保护委员会董事和监事会主席。我们的主要目标是了解决策者在其所在县开展路边计划的感知利益和障碍，以及影响他们对路边植被管理决策的关键因素。安全、维护成本节约和侵蚀控制是影响决策的主要因素，而传粉媒介和其他野生动物得到的考虑最少。然而，与没有路边植被管理者的县相比，拥有路边植被管理者的县的决策者受传粉媒介和其他野生动物的影响更大。制定计划的主要障碍包括缺乏资源或其他优先考虑的问题。强调路边计划的安全性、成本节约和侵蚀控制优势，