None The Nature Conservancy in Virginia Press Releases Search All Press Releases Matthew Crum Phone: (276) 676-2209 Daniel White Phone: (434) 951-0566

Nature Conservancy Acquires 4,836 acres on Brumley Mountain

Largest private tract in Washington County purchased for $3.5 million

Abingdon, Virginia—30 March 2004—The Nature Conservancy today announced the purchase of the largest privately-owned tract in Washington County. The Conservancy paid nearly $3.5 million for 4,836 acres on Brumley Mountain, protecting a key area of intact forest.

“This acquisition advances our goal of keeping large expanses of forest habitat from being fragmented,” said Matthew Crum, director of the Conservancy’s Clinch Valley Program. “Protecting Brumley Mountain means saving important habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife and preserving water quality.”

The ecological value of the property lies primarily in its interior forest habitat, which is critical to maintaining wildlife diversity. Many neotropical migratory songbirds, including warblers and vireos, depend upon large blocks of forest habitat for breeding and foraging. Unfragmented forests also provide corridors for roaming animals such as black bear and bobcat, and clean mountain streams are havens for fish, salamanders and other aquatic species.

The purchase area is located near Clinch Mountain and complements state-held conservation areas and other lands protected by the Conservancy in the area. Due to ranging elevations and varied topography, Brumley Mountain displays a rich mosaic of forest habitat. “Brumley Mountain is a large area with a high diversity of forest types,” said Crum. “This variety is inherently important to the area’s ecology. By protecting a wide range of natural communities, we are able to provide stable habitat for a large number of native species.”

The Conservancy first became interested in the Brumley Mountain property nearly 15 years ago. Since then, the land has changed hands several times and recently was slated for potential residential development.

“Opportunities to protect this much forestland are scarce,” said Land Protection Program Manager Don Gowan, who negotiated the transaction for the Conservancy. “The Conservancy has been interested for several years in trying to protect Brumley Mountain from the fragmentation that has had a severe impact on many other forestlands throughout the Southern Appalachians.”

Brumley Mountain is a well-known landmark in Washington County. On the property sits the decommissioned Clinch Mountain Firetower as well as a series of unusual rock crevices called the Great Channels of Virginia, which were formed by eroded sandstone believed to be 420 million years old.

Over the next several months, the Conservancy will develop a management plan to address potential public visitation and other issues. “Over time,” said Crum, “we are interested in working with the Commonwealth on a possible transfer of the property to a state agency, or we may try to find a private conservation buyer who would manage the property as a preserve. However, one of our first priorities is to raise the funds to pay off this purchase."