Invasive species project planned on Clay WMA

A portion of Clay Wildlife Management Area in Nicholas County will be closed to the public for one day between Nov. 7 and Nov. 23 to facilitate an extensive habitat improvement project.

A 600-acre tract near Cassidy Creek Road will receive treatment for invasive plant species, primarily bush honeysuckle, that displace native flora and degrade wildlife habitat.

Project leaders are monitoring short- and long-range weather forecasts and will select a work date with favorable conditions to achieve optimal results on the wildlife management area (WMA).

Kentucky Fish and Wildlife will announce the work date through an update on its website (fw.ky.gov) and Twitter (@kyfishwildlife). Signs also will be posted and gates closed at all access points to the project location. Access to all other tracts of the 8,979-acre WMA will not be affected and will remain open for public use.

The project is a joint effort between the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) and the University of Kentucky. The NWTF is supporting the project through its Hunting Heritage Super Fund program, and researchers from the University of Kentucky will be collecting vegetation data before and after the project. The data will provide wildlife biologists with better information to evaluate effectiveness of the project and create plans for future invasive species eradication.