A portion of Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness will be closed to the public in part of February and March.
The River Parks Authority and Oklahoma Forestry Services are working to address nearly 40 acres of hazardous fuels.
Starting in February, OFS crews will begin treatment of wildland fuels to lower the threat of catastrophic wildlife.
Equipment will be used to remove "ladder fuels" and invasive species in the treatment area seen below.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to team with OFS and receive the benefit of their expertise,” said Ryan Howell, Turkey Mountain Project Manager for River Parks. “The OFS mission ‘to conserve, enhance and protect Oklahoma's forests and natural resources for present and future generations’ represents River Parks’ own vision for Turkey Mountain.”
Eastern Redcedar will be removed near 71st and Elwood where extreme fire danger could be caused to residents and commercial properties in the area.
“When we manage our forests, we leave only the best, native trees; that is important to us. We get rid of the vegetation that only works to raise the risk of wildfire,” said Aaron Williams, Hazard Mitigation Coordinator for OFS. “What we leave is a stand of healthy, vigorous trees with branches high enough off the ground to prevent any wildfire from climbing.”
For the safety of visitors, this area will be closed while restoration projects are active. The project is expected to take six to eight weeks.