Phragmites australis plant growth and rapid expansion causes negative impacts including public safety and interference with New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) maintenance operations. More broadly, the growth and expansion of Phragmites australis interferes with NYSDOT’s Landscape Stewardship Policy to promote biodiversity. Current practices to control Phragmites australis include the application of herbicides followed by burning or mechanical removal of dead stalks. Success of eradication using herbicides has only been achieved for small infestations covering less than 1 acre. For larger areas, eradication has not been successful; plants re-grow and require re-treatment with herbicide application at a 3-5 year rotation. These practices pose problems to the maintenance budget and can cause negative ecological side effects for non-target plants.