Controlled burns of grassland areas are scheduled starting this week and continuing through April at East Tennessee Technology Park and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
The controlled burns were announced by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office.
Beginning this week and continuing through April, the controlled burns will take place, weather permitting, at:
- Upper First Creek Bottoms at ORNL—about 1.5 acres
- ORNL East Campus Native Grass Planting—about 7.1 acres
- Bethel Valley Delphinium Management—about three acres
- Bethel Valley Fields Native Grass Maintenance—about 44 acres in two separate plots
- Solway Bend Fields—about 62 acres in 10 adjoining plots
- Freels Bend Fields—about 143 acres in three adjoining plots
- Gallaher Bend Kudzu Infestation and Native Grass Maintenance—about 110 acres in three adjoining plots
- Hickory Creek Bend Kudzu Infestation—about 21 acres
- West Borrow Kudzu Infestation—about six acres
- Dyllis Orchard Road Field—about 22 acres
- Wheat Church Vista east of ETTP—about 5.5 acres
The planned burns are part of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and ORNL’s effort to restore native plant communities and ecosystems, wildlife habitat, and reduce the risk of wildfires, a press release said. They are conducted and overseen by the Tennessee Division of Forestry, which maintains fire control equipment, certified burn managers, and trained personnel at the burn area with the support of on-site TWRA personnel and the ORNL forester.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
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