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The Nature Conservancy in West Virginia Home Contact Places We Protect News Room Science & Stewardship Volunteer Ways of Giving Events |
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Like many things these days, conservation is moving at an ever faster pace. As the scale of The Nature Conservancy’s work increases and our conservation goals become more ambitious, we need to be able to act quickly, even when we don’t have money in hand. Often, that means looking beyond traditional methods of protecting land.
An exciting new project in the Central Appalachians highlights the new ways we are protecting this extraordinary landscape, which was recently named a global priority for The Nature Conservancy. Working with the Sustainable Land Fund (SLF), a private capital investment firm that provides opportunities for investment in ecosystem services, we are protecting 2,000 acres of ecologically important red spruce-high bush cranberry forest on Mount Porte Crayon. Without the help of SLF, this tract of land— now known as the Thunderstruck Conservation property— would likely have been sold to be developed for second homes and condominiums.
Instead, the tract will remain intact. The property, which includes most of Spruce Run valley and numerous caves, is home to one of the best remaining examples of red spruce high bush cranberry forests, habitat for the federally threatened Cheat Mountain salamander. Protection of the tract ties it to the nearly 50,000 acres of adjacent U.S. Forest Service lands, which contain large swaths of red spruce forests.
“This tract is important not only because of its own ecological significance, but also because it serves as a buffer to this large core area of high-quality U.S. Forest Service lands,” says West Virginia director of conservation Thomas Minney.
Working in Partnership
The Conservancy knew about this ecological gem long before the land was for sale. MeadWestvaco Corporation, one of West Virginia’s largest landowners and a strong partner of the Conservancy, allowed the Conservancy to survey its extensive landholdings for areas of ecological significance. With red spruce forest, unique limestone caves and springs, and an entire watershed within it, the 2,000 acre Thunderstruck tract became a top priority for protection.
Getting it protected, however, meant finding partners. That is where SLF came in. The Sustainable Land Fund brings large-scale private capital to conservation and ecosystem restoration. Under its affiliate—Thunderstruck Conservation, LLC—SLF bought the property and will work to create a habitat conservation bank of approximately 800 acres to restore critical red spruce habitat. It will conserve another 1,000 acres through sustainable forest management, while limited development will be permitted on less than 10 percent of the property. The Conservancy has a nine-year option to purchase a conservation easement on the property.
“This deal really bought us time and gave us the ability to start working with a partner to put together a deal that we can afford and that is pushing conservation forward,” says Minney.
One of the chapter’s primary goals, in addition to securing large core areas of existing red spruce habitat, is to see that restoration takes place in appropriate areas. Extensive cutting during West Virginia’s timber boom and the associated fires destroyed large areas of red spruce habitat—from nearly 500,000 before the boom to approximately 50,000 today. As SLF begins restoration of portions of the Thunderstruck tract, the Conservancy will provide technical expertise and knowledge.
Looking Ahead
State director Rodney Bartgis anticipates more deals like this in the future if the Conservancy is to achieve its conservation goals. He says that at this point, philanthropic giving and public funding are not providing enough funds to achieve conservation on the scale the Conservancy is working at. “Adding private investment capital to the mix provides us an opportunity to protect lands and habitats we otherwise could not,” he says.
So we will continue to do whatever it takes—building new paths and partnering with new and different entities—to protect what remains of West Virginia’s most precious natural treasures. This innovative deal helped secure the protection of an entire mountaintop in the Central Appalachians. Who knows what else is possible?
Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): © Rodney Bartgis/TNC (Bear Rocks); © Kent Mason (Cheat Mountain salamander); © Harold E. Malde (Greenland Gap Preserve in the Central Appalachians).
