Nashville -- The Nature Conservancy’s Tennessee chapter has a contract to purchase 1,541 acres of northern Cumberland Plateau hardwood forest known as Horseshoe Cliff (also known as the Jim Creek tract). The property, located in Fentress and Pickett Counties, is significant because it divides Pickett State Forest in half.

Based on terms of the contract, the non-profit conservation group has only three weeks to raise $1.1 million to purchase the property and protect the area from development.

"We want to protect this area but we only have a limited time to find the funds. We are going to commit all our resources and energy to raise the money because this is forest that should be preserved for generations to come. This situation brings into focus the need for a dedicated public funding mechanism that can be used to protect important natural areas such as the Jim Creek property," said Scott Davis, the chapter’s state director.

Davis noted that the property protects habitat for the federally endangered Indiana bat. "Development would fragment the forest and undermine the biological integrity of this unique natural area. We believe the loss of this property would diminish the biological and aesthetic quality of the forest," Davis said.

The property is surrounded by public lands including Pickett State Park, Pickett State Forest and almost 2,000 acres of private conservation lands held by The Nature Conservancy. The Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area and Daniel Boone National Forest are also significant public holdings in the area.

"This whole area is an ecological jewel on the Cumberland Plateau. The Conservancy views this area as a top priority for conservation work," said Gabby Call, the chapter’s director of protection.

Because Jim Creek runs through the 1,541 acre tract, Call said such an intact watershed is rare to find. The site provides habitat for a wide variety of rare plants and animals as well as aquatic species.