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On Monday, February 9 Oklahoma Forestry Services (OFS) will conduct a prescribed burn on approximately 1890 acres in the McGee Creek Natural Scenic Recreation Area (NSRA) near Antlers, Oklahoma in southeastern Oklahoma.

The entire McGee Creek NSRA will be closed to the public Monday through Thursday. A determination of when to reopen the NSRA will be made Thursday evening.

???Preparation began for the burn this winter and weather and fuel conditions are ideal to conduct the burn next week,??? said Andy James, OFS Southeast Area Forester. ???We will continue to monitor weather conditions to determine if the burn is a go or no-go. Area residents should expect to see smoke from the burn.???

The reintroduction of fire into this popular backcountry recreation area will help restore the forest ecosystem by improving conditions for both plants and wildlife. By removing ???litter??? or fallen leaves and branches from the forest floor the regeneration and growth of the native understory plants is encouraged and the potential for a devastating, destructive wildfire is reduced.

For more information on prescribed burns and benefits to the forest, visit www.forestry.ok.gov/rxfire or call 800-299-2468. OFS, a division of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry is conducting the burn in cooperation with the US Bureau of Reclamation and the Oklahoma Departments of Tourism & Recreation and Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.