The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) today announced the acquisition of an additional 838 acres of land for Fall Creek Falls State Park from a purchase arranged by multiple partners, expanding the extensive conservation footprint in the region.
The acquisition is the result of collaboration between TennGreen Land Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy in Tennessee, and The Conservation Fund and purchased with the support of the Open Space Institute and the Lyndhurst Foundation. The park in Van Buren County is one of the largest and most visited state parks in Tennessee, already encompassing more than 29,800 acres on the Cumberland Plateau.
The property has shared nearly a mile of its border with the park and contains steep bluffs, rock houses, and caves that provide significant habitats for species threatened by climate change. The land lies within the Cradle of Southern Appalachia Initiative, a conservation blueprint adopted by the Thrive Regional Partnership’s Natural Treasures Alliance (of which TennGreen Land Conservancy is a partner). Although the tri-state region around Chattanooga is one of the most biodiverse areas in the world, only 15 percent of the area is currently protected. Acquisition of this property is the most recent step among decades of collaborative efforts to expand conservation work in the region.
“This is a magnificent addition to this popular state park,” said TDEC Deputy Commissioner Greer Tidwell. “We are grateful to the partners who put this acquisition together. They serve Tennesseans in outstanding ways, and we look forward to park visitors enjoying this expanded boundary of the park.”