General Assembly, Statement of Intent or Position - Urges TDOT to consider plight of monarch butterflies and provide habitat and no-mow areas on highway rights-of-ways. -

SJR 571 is a non-binding resolution urging the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) to create monarch butterfly habitat along highway rights-of-way. It specifically requests TDOT dedicate sections of road corridors for milkweed and native wildflowers - critical for monarch eggs and caterpillars - and stop mowing existing habitat areas. The resolution highlights that habitat loss from development and frequent mowing has endangered monarchs, while repurposing highway areas could aid their survival and potentially reduce mowing costs. Currently pending before the Senate Transportation Committee (as of February 2026), it does not create new law but formally requests TDOT action.