GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS (WVLT) - The National Park Service is planning to do a prescribed burn in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Tuesday.

Officials said crews will be burning about 89 acres across six fields in the Cataloochee Valley area of the park “to reduce hazardous fuels, restore native meadow habitats and maintain the historic landscape of the valley.”

Prescribed fires are a key took to prevent the encroachment of woody vegetation, promote the growth of native grasses and wildflowers, and support wildlife species such as elk, wild turkey and ground-nesting birds, NPS officials said. Without these fires, the open areas would transition to forest, reducing biodiversity and altering the valley’s historic character.

“Prescribed fire in November is also a tool for establishi

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