SEAFWA 2015

Patricia D. Parr, J. William Johnston – Advocates for the Oak Ridge Reservation

The very deliberate and secretive siting of the World War II Manhattan Project in Oak Ridge, TN resulted in a significant, though unintended, ecological resource. Today approximately 20,000 acres of fairly undeveloped land, within the 34,000 acre Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), surround areas developed for federal mission work. With public access restricted, the land recovered from the pre-1940’s primarily agricultural land uses to become native vegetation communities, mostly hardwood forests. The ORR is unique and valuable within the region as the largest contiguous protected land ownership in the southern Valley and Ridge Physiographic Province. Management of ORR forests and associated ecosystems has evolved considerably over the past 70+ years. Building on past achievements in erosion control and timber marketing as early goals to current ones of managing a diverse, healthy forest ecosystem in support of Department of Energy research, sequestration of carbon, and other federal missions has widened the vision for management of the forest and created new opportunities. The overall goal of forest management for the ORR is to manage the forest resources of the ORR in support of current and potential future missions, while maintaining forest health, adaptability, and diversity. Present federal missions include operation of research, development, and production for national security efforts; research and development in support of national energy initiatives; and environmental restoration to address legacies of past research, development, and production activities. Additionally, compelling history combined with the significant biological resources provides the framework for creating the new Manhattan National Historic Park.