Parks and Recreation System Master Plan Update (2016) parks_and_recreation_system_master_plan_update_oct | Page 494

A. A.B. Sawyer Park (47.3 ac)
Managed by: Operations Division
Located in central Jefferson County, A.B. Sawyer is the home of sports fields and is a
natural resource fragment. This park contains an eleven acre highly fragmented forest along the
middle fork of Beargrass Creek on the south boundary. It also contains a grassland/meadow
ecosystem below a utility easement, and a karst area. The grassland ecosystem appears to be
degraded. All three ecosystems could be improved by the removal of invasive species and
reintroduction of native plants. An expanded riparian buffer would improve water quality and
provide more habitats for fish, insects, and small mammals. The meadow ecosystem is not a
good candidate for prescribed fire, thus mowing, invasive plant removal, and reintroduction of
natives is the best course to rehabilitate this ecosystem. A.B. Sawyer is within the historic habitat
range of the Louisville Cave Beetle, though it is doubtful that the species lives in this park as
there are no caves.
The “Master Plan A.B. Sawyer Park Louisville, KY” (October 2012) addresses many of
the natural resource management concerns related to the park. This should be the guiding
document for future land management activity in the park.
i. Desired future condition
Metro Parks and Recreation should strive to develop a program to remove invasive plants
in the woodland along Beargrass Creek and carry out annual monitoring and treatment to prevent
re-infestation.
ii. Goals
1. To protect the Beargrass Creek riparian area by creating a native-dominated healthy
forest buffers.
iii. Standards
To achieve these goals, Metro Parks and Recreation must follow many of the natural
resource prescriptions spelled out in this document.
iv. Concerns
A sewer main runs along the south boundary of the park. Maintenance associated with
this feature will be a challenge as utility work will impact the forested corridor. Openings in the
forest canopy due to this disturbance will present a challenge as non-native invasive plants will
tend to populate these non-canopy areas.
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