Oak Ridge Cedar Barrens

"Oak Ridge Barrens (the Barrens) is a registered state natural area preserved in 1988 by agreement of the City of Oak Ridge (the City), Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), and Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning (TCWP). TCWP has managed the Barrens for 26 years. In 2003, TCWP prepared a management plan for the Oak Ridge Barrens that described how it became a natural area, its educational and scientific values, and the steps necessary to enhance the ecological integrity of the plant communities and to provide continuing protection for the entire site (TCWP 2003)."

The Tennessee Citizen for Wilderness Planning maintains the Oak Ridge Cedar Barrens. TCWP is dedicated to protecting natural lands and waters by means of public ownership, legislation, or cooperation of the private sector. Our efforts focus on the Cumberland and Appalachian regions of East Tennessee, but may extend to the rest of the state and the nation. Click the button below to access their website

The Cedar Barrens is a very crucial environment. And it is also a rare one, as Cedar Barrens are most commonly found in the eastern United States in places like Tennessee and the Ozark Mountains. Cedar Barrens like the one in Oak Ridge also are some of the only places that endangered plant species call home. As seen to the left, the Tennessee coneflower is one of these plants. It is critically endangered. But, organizations like the TCWP can help these isolated plants. Cleaning the Barrens and removing invasive species that are harmful to plants like the Tennessee coneflower can go great things for the survival of these rare plants. If we can protect places like the Oak Ridge cedar barrens, we can let endangered plants thrive in their natural habitat.