The Nature Conservancy in July 2002 created a unique agreement to protect critical habitat and ensure ecologically sustainable forestry on 5,750 acres of southwestern Virginia forest.

The Stuart Land & Cattle Company, which owns the oldest continuously operated ranch in the United States, enrolled the forested property on its Rich Mountain Farm in The Nature Conservancy's Conservation Forestry Program. Under this permanent forest management easement, the Conservancy will make annual payments earned from sustainable timber harvesting on the property, while protecting critical habitat for migratory songbirds and threatened aquatic species.

Rich Mountain Farm

Ecological Importance: The forest on Rich Mountain Farm provides a haven for imperiled migratory songbirds. The property also drains primarily into the Clinch River, which harbors one of the world's most diverse populations of rare fish and endangered freshwater mussels. Maintaining the property's forest cover will preserve the river's water quality. The presence of spruce-fir forest this far south is also very rare.

Preservation Impact: This Stuart Land & Cattle property borders the 25,000-acre Clinch Mountain Wildlife Management Area, which is managed by the Commonwealth of Virginia for wildlife habitat.

Partners/Funders: The Stuart Land & Cattle Company, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Tennessee Valley Authority, Appalachian Regional Commission

Plans: Under the agreement, The Nature Conservancy will make annual payments to Stuart Land & Cattle based on a percentage of the appraised timber value. The Conservancy will conduct ecologically sustainable timber harvesting to generate funds for the payments while managing the property to protect wildlife habitat. The easement will be in perpetuity; the payments will be reevaluated every 10 years to account for inflation and market fluctuations.

Rich Mountain Facts

• Location: Virginia's Clinch Valley, Russell and Washington Counties
• Size: 5,750 acres
• Species: spruce, fir, hermit thrush, magnolia warbler, Swainson's warbler

The Nature Conservancy's Conservation Forestry Program is designed to foster partnerships with private landowners to promote the economic productivity of working forests while protecting both their ecological health and natural diversity.

Rhododendron

Learn More

• About this agreement with Stuart Land & Cattle
• About the Conservancy's work in Virginia
• About The Nature Conservancy's success stories worldwide
• About how The Nature Conservancy works to achieve conservation results