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TNC Buys Key Property on Cumberland Plateau

Skinner Mountain Important Bat and Bird Habitat

Nashville, TN—5 September 2006—The Nature Conservancy has purchased 4,208 acres in Fentress County, near Pickett State Forest. The property contains native hardwood forests, caves and sinks, and habitat for migratory birds and bats.

The property, which adjoins the East Fork of the Obey River, was slated for  development before the Conservancy obtained its purchase contract.

This summer, the Conservancy, in partnership with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, conducted bat surveys at the property and located the following species:  Eastern big-eared bat, Northern long-eared bat, Eastern small-footed bat, Eastern pipistrelle, and red bat. Both the Eastern big-eared and Eastern small-footed bats are recognized by state and federal officials as being species of special concern.  This winter, the Conservancy will survey the caves on the property for hibernating Indiana bats, which are federally endangered.

Rare trees on the property include big-toothed aspen and butternut.

“Protecting this area for wildlife habitat and outdoor recreation is vital to conserving Tennessee’s natural heritage. Skinner Mountain is an important part of the Northern Cumberland Plateau,” said Scott Davis, state director of TNC’s Tennessee Chapter.

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The Nature Conservancy is a leading international, nonprofit organization that preserves plants, animals and natural communities representing the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. In Tennessee, we have helped protect more than 220,000 acres.  Visit us on the Web at nature.org/Tennessee.