Little base on the prairie: Natural Resources team restoring some base land back to natural state

Published April 1, 2016
By Kimberley Woodruff
Staff Writer

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- According to Tinker's Natural Resources manager, the area Tinker Air Force Base occupies was once all prairie land at times roamed by bison, wolves and wild horses.

Today, plans are underway to restore some of the land back to its original state.
When the homes in the old base housing were demolished, there were 40 acres of land in the 500-year flood plain. John Krupovage, who is with the 72nd Air Base Wing Civil Engineering Directorate, said the base is restoring that land back to prairie for three reasons: to meet the federal requirement to restore floodplain functions and values; to reduce mowing, saving approximately $25,000 annually; and to meet the mitigation requirement to replace wildlife habitat to be lost by construction of the new KC-46A site north of the Tinker Aerospace Complex.

To lessen the effects of habitat loss, Mr. Krupovage said the base is responsibly creating new habitat. This balanced approach to land development will ensure a greener, more livable community in the years to come.

Wildlife will not be harmed in the process.

"As we clear the land, most wildlife will move," said Mr. Krupovage. "At the restoration site at housing, we will create new, higher quality habitat meeting wildlife needs of food, cover, water, and space. If we build it, they will come."

A good example of that occurred a few years ago when beavers built a dam flooding 10 acres in the Glenwood area. Mr. Krupovage said the flooding killed a lot of the trees. With all the dead trees, there was then an influx of red-headed woodpeckers, which prefer dead trees for foraging and nesting. And, with the expansion of wetland habitat, red-shouldered hawks, which favor wetland and creek areas, were sighted regularly -- Tinker didn't usually have either of those birds.

Bringing the land back to natural prairie is going to be a process, Mr. Krupovage said. They've been using herbicides periodically since last summer to kill the turf grasses, like Bermuda grass. There are also a lot of ornamental trees and shrubs that are being removed.

"Non-native turf grass and ornamental trees, such as arborvitaes, provide little attraction to native insects, which are a primary food source for native wildlife. Few native insects translates to few native wildlife," said Mr. Krupovage. "We'll be planting things that will reverse this."

Trees aren't just going to be shredded. In fact, Mr. Krupovage said bids are being solicited to sell wood for carving, furniture-making, and firewood.

As for the grasses, herbicides will be used for a while longer, but Mr. Krupovage said the plan isn't to use them long term.

"It's a nightmare to kill these very aggressive turf grasses," he said, "and the only thing that works for a project of this scale is herbicides."

After spraying the area, the plan is to use a turf broom to remove thatch, and then seed the area with native grass seed.

Mr. Krupovage says that it will take a few years to see a true prairie, as native plants are not instantaneous. The first year the plants sleep, the second year they creep, and the third year they leap, so basically, it will take the first two years for the plants to establish supporting roots systems before they take on fuller form in their third year.

"In three years we'll have the foundation of prairie with grasses," said Mr. Krupovage. "The ultimate long term vision is of a beautiful, self-sustaining, ecologically healthy prairie with wildflowers, but we can't plant the wildflowers at the same time as the grasses. If we do, we would not be able to control broadleaf weeds without killing the wildflowers."

Though it will take several years to get back to the prairie - which will include an occasional prescribed burning to kill off the remaining aggressive grasses and sustain prairie vigor -- Mr. Krupovage believes the efforts will result in a rich, balanced urban ecosystem providing wildlife habitat, recreational benefits, enhanced water quality and aesthetic appeal.

"It will be a beautiful place," he said.