Bristol’s Parks and Recreation Department announced that the Tennessee Division of Forestry will be in Steele Creek Park on Thursday, March 10, 2016. Officials will be performing a controlled, or prescribed, burn in the grassland habitat beginning at 10 am. The entire process will take only 2 hours to complete.
“These types of controlled burns are done on a two to three year cycle to encourage new grass growth and inhibit tree growth in this threatened, but vitally important, wildlife habitat,” said Jeremy Stout the department’s Nature Center Manager.
During the grassland area burning, holes 5 and 6 of the disc golf course will be closed. The remainder of the course will be open for play.
“Fire is a natural part of both forest and grassland ecology, and controlled fire can be a tool for park land management. Controlled burning stimulates the germination of some of the desirable grasses in grassland areas,” continued Stout. The process will be conducted by experienced, qualified personnel who work as a team to ignite, monitor and ensure that the fire stays within the control lines.
For more information please contact Jeremy Stout at [email protected] or by calling 423-989-5616.
