SB 1608: Native Plants for Transit Landscaping (2006)
Share this pageSummary
SB 1608 (2006) would have required that all transit and transportation-related landscaping projects that receive state funds use only regionally appropriate native plants. Where the use of native plants is not feasible, other regionally appropriate, low-water-using, noninvasive, low-maintenance and pest-resistant plants must be used.
Final Status and Text
SB 1608 is no longer active. Its final status was:Did not pass the Legislature
You can read its final text on the Legislature's Bill Information site.
Background Information
Water quality and water conservation are increasingly important as California continues to grow. Studies conducted in Nevada and Wisconsin indicate that significant water usage reductions result from planting with native and other water-saving plants. The Nevada study, in a residential setting, in which turf lawns were replaced with native plants and rock landscaping, found that water usage could be reduced by as much as 76%. The Wisconsin study, more applicable to transit landscaping, again found that seeding native prairie or wetland plants in public areas previously covered by seeded or sodded turf grass, can save substantially not only in maintenance and irrigation costs, but can actually result in significantly lower installation costs as well.