Chewing trees

John Krupovage, left, the 72nd Air Base Wing Civil Engineering Directorate natural resources manager, inspects the heavy rotating blade attachment on a skid steer with operator Amando Lujan. Mr. Lujan uses the machine, below, to remove and mulch wild cedars. A 15-foot cedar can be mulched in about two minutes. About 10 acres of cedars have been removed on Tinker this month with another 18 acres to follow. (Air Force photo by Margo Wright)

Chewing up ‘Space Invaders’

Published Nov. 30, 2012
Tinker Public Affairs

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Cedar trees spring up quickly in unmowed areas of Tinker, becoming a fire hazard and negatively impacting the ecological balance by choking out native grasslands and the species that live there, according to John Krupovage, 72nd Civil Engineering Directorate natural resources manager. In Glenwood Training Area, contractor Amando Lujan masticates trees quickly using a skid steer with a rotating, front attachment blade that chews through trees from the top down, leaving only a mulch bed.

Mr. Krupovage invited Midwest City, Oklahoma City and county leaders to the site Nov. 27 to encourage local cooperation in clearing areas surrounding Tinker and beyond, areas growing with dense brush and trees and spreading cedars. Left uncontrolled, these invasive trees, combined with dry weather and high winds, could lead to catastrophic wildfires threatening lives and property on and off base. These types of fires are a preventable burden on the military and local communities, so a small investment today will result in a huge pay off down the road, he said.

As tree removal continues across base, various sections of the base Urban Greenway trail will be intermittently closed over the next two months to ensure user safety while tree mastication is accomplished near the trails.