Portions of the Jim Rodgers Trail in the Southwest Williamson County Regional Park in Leander are closed weekdays from now through February due to a hazardous fuels reduction project.[/caption]

Portions of the Jim Rodgers Trail in Southwest Williamson County Regional Park have closed on weekdays through February due to a hazardous fuels reduction project initiated by the county.

The project is designed to reduce the chance of wildfires by removing vegetation along the boundaries of the park, which is located at 300 CR 175, Leander. Portions of the trail will be temporarily closed for visitor safety while the work is being conducted.

The work aims to limit the amount of wildfire fuel, or dead or diseased vegetation, adjacent to residential houses. According to a county news release, the project could help limit the movement of wildfire by creating a "fuel break" between the park and nearby neighborhoods.

The county evaluated the project in the summer of 2015, when it began crafting a hazard mitigation plan, which identifies and priorities specific hazards in the county. The fuels reduction project was included in the finalized plan, and funding for the project was obtained through a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Quality Tree and Lawn of Leander received a contract to complete the project for $193,000.

The project area is approximately 50 feet in width and four miles in length. Work started on the project Sept. 1 and will continue Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m., until Feb. 28.

Updates on the project can be found at http://parks.wilco.org.