Turkey Mountain wildfire mitigation project
18 February 2023
Published by: https://www.kjrh.com
USA – A portion of the park to be closed for several weeks
TULSA, Okla. — A portion of Turkey Mountain in Tulsa is closed to visitors right now to help protect it and you.
Turkey Mountain is a heavily wooded forest sitting on hundreds of acres rising just above the Arkansas River.
It’s an area that could be prime for an explosive and highly spreadable wildfire. Now a project is underway to lessen that risk.
“We’re implementing a hazardous fuels reduction plan and also an invasive species reduction plan,” said Brian Ryles, Forest Ranger for Oklahoma Forestry Services.
Crews from Oklahoma Forestry Services are in the process of greatly thinning 40 acres in the southwest corner of the park. Ryles explained excessive vegetation near the ground would assist a fire in becoming catastrophic.
“A heavy fuel load or the ladder fuels that will carry the fire from the ground to the canopy,” he described.
Ladder fuels are defined as low-lying tree branches, shrubs, and small trees under the main canopy of larger trees.
Also being removed are two invasive species that thrive at the mountain, Eastern Redcedar and Chinese Privet.
The machine cleaning up the area is a skid steer, which has a mulching head attached.
“Basically what is does is that it chews up the trees and any of the fuels that we deem necessary that we need to address,” Ryles stated.
All of that fresh mulch is actually great for the Turkey Mountain Ecosystem because it adds nutrients to the soil for the trees that are left after the job is complete.
Another plus is that these efforts will enhance the park for every visitor.
“You’re going to be able to see a lot clearer through the trails and the network of really woods that we have here,” said Jeff Edwards, Executive Director and CEO of The River Parks Authority.
The River Parks Authority tells 2 News that the work is expected to take approximately 6-8 weeks with possibly prescribed burns to follow.
