Forestry officials will be conducting a controlled burn on close to 200 acres near Sugar Valley later in the spring.

The Tweedale Burn Unit consists of approximately 182 acres located 1.5 miles west of Old Dalton Road (Highway 482) and 2 miles west of Sugar Valley.

Controlled burns are a tool that Forest Service employees use to enhance wildlife habitat and the overall health of the forest, and to reduce heavy fuel loads within the forest, to protect nearby homes from uncontrolled wildfire.

The Tweedale controlled burn is one of several that the U.S. Forest Service plans to conduct on approximately 3,600 acres of National Forest System lands in Murray, Chattooga, Walker, and Gordon Counties between now and May 15.

According to the U.S. Forest Service:

Certain environmental conditions must be met before the Forest Service can conduct these burns. Months of planning are involved and certain weather conditions must be in place before guidelines will allow the controlled burns to occur.

Forest Service specialists look at factors such as wind direction, wind speed, temperature, humidity and ground moisture. When the correct weather indices are obtained, then and only then are the burns conducted.

Partner agencies which will be helping conduct these controlled burns include the Georgia Forestry Commission and Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

Other proposed burn areas in surrounding counties are:

- Mooneyham Burn Unit, 263 acres, Murray County —1 mile east of U.S. 411 near Cisco, Ga.

- Turkey Beard Burn Unit, 62 acres, Murray County — 3 miles east of U.S. 411 near Cisco, Ga.

- East Cowpen Burn Unit, 422 acres, Murray County — 6 miles east of U.S. 411 near Cisco, Ga

- Buffalo Burn Unit, 422 acres, Murray County —7 miles east of U.S. 411 near Cisco, Ga, east of the Alaculsy Valley area

- North Dick’s Creek Burn Unit, 204 acres, Walker County —approximately ½-mile north of Ga. 136 along North Dick’s Creek Road, 3 miles west of Villanow, Ga.

- Rocky Ridge Burn Unit, 228 acres, Walker County — approximately ½-mile north of Hwy 136 along Pond Creek Road, 4½ miles west of Villanow, Ga.

- Arthur Willie Burn Unit, 144 acres, Walker County — 2 miles east of East Armuchee Road along Forest Service Road 310, 6 miles south of Villanow, Ga.

- Keown Falls Burn Unit, 755 acres, Walker County — 3 miles east of East Armuchee Road along Pocket Road, 6 miles south of Villanow, Ga.

- Strawberry Burn Units, 1,358 acres, Walker and Chattooga counties — 1½ to 3 miles west of East Armuchee Road along The Pinhoti Trail, 9 miles south of Villanow, Ga.

For more information concerning these controlled burns, or to look at the maps for the proposed burn areas, contact the Conasauga Ranger District Fire Management Officer at 706-695-6736 Ext 116.