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Legislature Approves $82 Million for Innovative Cumberland Land Deal

TNC, State Partnering to Protect 124,000 Acres

Nashville, TN — June 14, 2007 — On June 12, the Tennessee legislature passed Governor Phil Bredesen’s $27.8 billion state budget proposal, which included $82 million to fund the protection of 124,000 acres on the Cumberland Plateau.

Governor Bredesen had first announced his administration’s interest in pursuing this “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” for conservation in Febuary 2007. The forested areas are located in Scott, Campbell, Anderson and Morgan counties. All told, the 124,000 acres — almost 200 square miles — constitute the largest current land protection project in the Southeast.

“This initiative will allow us to protect majestic woodlands on the northern Cumberland Plateau, which are some of the most important forests, mountains, streams and wildlife habitats left in North America,” Governor Bredesen has said.

To accomplish this enormous undertaking, the state of Tennessee has joined with The Nature Conservancy and two timber investment firms — Lyme Timber Company and Conservation Forestry LLC — in an innovative partnership combining private equity with state and nonprofit funding. The Nature Conservancy is expected to contribute more than $11 million to the project, while Lyme Timber and Conservation Forestry will contribute more than $50 million.

Both Lyme Timber Company and Conservation Forestry are New Hampshire timber investment firms that specialize in working with conservation and government agencies to conserve forested areas while practicing sustainable timber management. The Lyme company previously partnered with The Nature Conservancy and the state of New York in 2005 to acquire and protect 104,000 acres of forestland in the Adirondacks. In 2006, Conservation Forestry LLC assisted The Nature Conservancy in its historic acquisition of 218,000 acres of forestland in 10 states from International Paper.

The Cumberlands initiative is intended to connect the forestlands in Scott, Campbell, Anderson and Morgan counties with 165,000 acres of existing public lands, creating a protective corridor for wildlife as well as preserving a natural sanctuary for the public. The public landholdings involved in the project area are the Frozen Head State Natural Area, the Sundquist Wildlife Management Area and the Royal Blue Wildlife Management Area.

Scientists have ranked the Cumberland Plateau as globally significant for its diversity of plant and animal species. The area harbors increasingly rare species of bats, salamanders, fish and other creatures. Migratory songbirds in particular rely on these forestlands for habitat in spring and summer. In addition, large, wide-ranging mammals such as elk and bear are sheltered here.

With the support of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the Tucker Foundation, The Nature Conservancy has been focused on finding ways to protect this biologically rich and scenic area. Tennessee’s State Wildlife Action Plan — developed cooperatively by the Conservancy and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency in 2005-06 — clearly points to this northern Cumberland Plateau/Cumberland Mountains region as a priority for protecting at-risk wildlife species.
 
“This is the kind of opportunity that doesn’t occur very often,” said Scott Davis, director of the Tennessee Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. “We have to seize this moment to protect one of the last great places left in the Tennessee — not only for us, but for future generations.”

The plan involves a combination of outright purchase, working forest agreements, and conservation easements. When complete, the project will permit selective timbering (restricted by conservation easements monitored by the state), while allowing public access on all 124,000 acres.

Hunters, anglers, hikers, and campers will all benefit from access to the properties, as will the local communities whose workers will be hired for operations surrounding timber management. In addition, local communities will receive tax payments from the timber companies, and the state has set aside funds for annual in-lieu-of-tax payments for any properties the state purchases outright.

The preservation of water quality is another benefit of this project. The New River and Emory River run through the properties. Protection of these forests will help maintain water quality for some 30,000 people in local communities that depend upon these watersheds, and it will deter floods and erosion.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. 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. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.