Conserved Property On Cumberland Plateau Expands

Photo Credit: David Johnston / The Conservation Fund

The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn] –

Two Tennessee state agencies and a nonprofit organization are responsible for expanding the protection of conserved property in the Cumberland Plateau. 

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, and The Conservation Fund announced the expansion of over 11,700 acres. 

In a news release issued by the three parties, they said the new property runs alongside Tennessee’s Skinner Mountain Wildlife Management Area. The expansion will protect vulnerable wildlife habitat, provide local timber jobs, and increase recreational access. 

According to the news release, the new property will continue to be privately owned. 

State Forester David Arnold said, “This project completes a three-phase effort to conserve wildlife and expand public access for outdoor recreation. Protecting environmentally important, working private forestlands threatened with conversion to non-forest uses while enhancing forest benefits such as wildlife habitat, clean water, and timber products through active forest management demonstrates a commitment to conservation by all involved.”

There are waterfalls, gorges, and cliffs on the property. The area along the East Fork Obey River will provide habitats for mussels, migratory songbirds and plants, according to the release. 

“Being able to conserve and protect the number of aquatic and terrestrial species that exist in this area is a big deal in itself,” TWRA Executive Director Bobby Wilson said in the press release. “But being able to allow the continued harvest of timber as well as allowing access to hunters, fishermen, and wildlife watchers makes it even more special.”

Part of the deal was funded when the U.S. Forest Service awarded $5.6 million from the Forest Legacy Program through the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to the effort in 2019. 

Ken Arney, Regional Forester said, “The Forest Service is pleased to collaborate with state and nonprofit partners to deliver the Forest Legacy Program in Tennessee and conserve places like Skinner Mountain WMA for future generations to enjoy. The process of applying for, being selected, receiving funding, and conducting due diligence can take several years and requires a high degree of commitment from partners and landowners. We applaud the amount of work that goes into making this happen.” 

The expansion deal will conserve 50 of the state’s caves as well. According to the release, these caves are an important habitat for the Indiana bat and six other species. 

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Ralph Knoll, The Conservation Fund’s Tennessee State Director, said conservation work should benefit nature and communities. 

“Conservation works best when it provides positive outcomes for both nature and communities. Here in the Cumberland Plateau, working together with the state, we were able to strike a successful balance between securing ecologically sensitive forestland and continued private management that supports the state’s timber industry, more than 100 jobs and the local economy,” Knoll said in the release. “We are grateful to our partners at the U.S. Forest Service and funding from the LWCF that have once again helped protect a critical working forest landscape so it can continue to provide important climate, economic and ecological benefits.”

The project’s use of LWCF funding was supported by U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn, U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty, and U.S. Representative John W. Rose.