Crews will close part of the walking trail at Sutton Wilderness Park on Monday, Oct. 19 and Tuesday, Oct. 20 to remove invasive trees and shrubs from a 4-acre stretch along the lake's southern shore.
The City of Norman originally scheduled the habitat restoration work for Thursday, Oct. 15 and Friday, Oct. 16 but postponed it because of inclement weather, according to an update on the city's website. The update announced no other changes to the project.
Contractors will use forestry-mulchers and a brush-hog to clear Eastern Redcedar and Chinese Privet while leaving other trees and plants intact. The equipment can fling woody debris, the city said, so part of the trail will be closed for safety during the work. The city listed closure hours of 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the original dates but did not restate specific hours in the rescheduling update.
The project covers a 4-acre area on the southern shore of the lake at the George M. Sutton Urban Wilderness Area, located at 1920 12th Ave. NE. The park is commonly known as Sutton Wilderness Park.
"By removing these invasive species, Parks and Recreation will be converting this area closer to what it would have looked like before human interference," said Colin Zink, the city's forester. Zink said the goal is to restore an open-woodlands ecotype that will better support native plants and animals.
The restoration is part of ongoing work by the Norman Park Development Division. Residents with questions can call (405) 366-5472.
Upcoming
- Monday, Oct. 19 – Tuesday, Oct. 20: Sutton Wilderness Park trail closure for habitat restoration work
