News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Fall Creek Falls set to acquire some 838 acres of land as a result of a collaboration with Tennessee conservancy organizations.
TennGreen Director of Land Conservation Christie Henderson said the Fall Creek Falls addition is part of a series of acquisitions. She said the main goal is to protect and preserve natural resources across Tennessee.
“It is I believe the most visited state park that we have in Tennessee and it is also a really biodiverse area,” Henderson said. “So an area that has a lot of important species that are rare or threatened or endangered. So Fall Creek Falls to us and our partners has been a priority because of its immense conservation values.”
Henderson said the 838 acres most recently acquired will likely be used just for protecting the land. She said with many steep hills and cliffs in the area, it’s important to maintain it to ensure the streams on the property that flow into the park stay clean.
However, she said that eventually the land could potentially be developed for more hiking and trails.
“Our mission at TennGreen is to conserve land where people and nature can thrive,” Henderson said. “And this is an exact example of how conservation and acquisition work.”
The collaboration included TennGreen Land Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy in Tennessee, and The Conservation Fund and was purchased with the support of the Open Space Institute and the Lyndhurst Foundation.
