News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Nearly 1,000 acres of karst forest at Cumberland County’s Grassy Cove will be dedicated to the Cumberland Trail Friday.
Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation has donated the land to the state.
Doctor Chuck Womack serves as board chairman of the foundation.
“950 plus acres are safe for posterity,” Womack said. “It’s part of the Cumberland Trail now and this is a big nature preserve. The timber on the land is very old and there are caves, trails, and springs. It’s just a beautiful place to walk and hike.”
Visible from outer space, Grassy Cove is the largest sinkhole in North America and home to a number of rare species including the federally-threatened Northern Long-Eared Bat.
In July of 2014, Tenn Green entered into a purchase agreement to buy the 1,000 acre property at $2,000 per acre. The foundation raised $2.23 million to purchase the property and decided to donate the land to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation in December 2017.
“When we raise the money, we always have an end game,” Womack said. “We don’t like to acquire land and hold it indefinitely. We like to donate it to an agency involved in state government, such as the TDEC or the TWRA.”
A dedication ceremony will be held 1:00 p.m. Friday at the Grassy Cove Community Center in Crossville. That ceremony will include a guided hike through the are.
