Bredesen Announces Heritage Conservation Trust Fund Grants

Nashville, Tenn. – Governor Phil Bredesen and the members of the Heritage Conservation Trust Fund Board announced today that nine projects, protecting more than 14,455 acres, have been approved for $7.1 million in grant funding.

“I am very pleased with the continued focus and dedication of the Heritage Conservation Trust,” said Bredesen. “The ability of the trust fund to effectively leverage resources with other public and private partners is helping us protect thousands of acres of priority land for future generations of Tennesseans.”

Since its inception in 2005, the Heritage Conservation Trust Fund has approved more than $28 million in grant funding for projects with an estimated total cost of $108 million to protect 37,000 acres across Tennessee.

The projects recently approved for grants from the Heritage Conservation Trust Fund include:

• The Land Trust for Tennessee Lost Cove Acquisition, Franklin County – A $750,000 grant, supporting a previous Heritage Conservation Trust Fund grant, to assist in the acquisition of 2,987 acres that will connect the Franklin/Marion State Forest, the University of the South Domain and Carter State Natural Area. Project partners include The Nature Conservancy, the Benwood Foundation, Lyndhurst Foundation and the University of the South.
• The Nature Conservancy Butler-Jones Tract Acquisition, Franklin County – A $470,450 grant to assist in the acquisition of 1,011 acres of native hardwood forest on the southern Cumberland Plateau. This site lies just south of the David Carter tracts that were purchased by The Nature Conservancy and subsequently gifted to TWRA in 2005. Partners include the Benwood Foundation.
• The Nature Conservancy Thompson Tract Acquisition, Franklin County – A $400,000 grant to assist in the acquisition and protection of a forest and watershed that is critical for aquatic biodiversity. The tract encompasses more than a mile of Estill Fork watershed, and it is adjacent to the Walls of Jericho, also known as the Bear Hollow Mountain Wildlife Management Area. This area also lies near the David Carter tracts. Partners include the Lyndhurst Foundation and the Wild Turkey Federation.
• Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation Scotts Gulf, White County - An $811,936 grant to acquire 643 acres that will continue efforts to create a 60,000-acre wilderness area connecting the Bridgestone/Firestone Centennial Wilderness Area and Fall Creek Falls State Park. The tract is critical to protecting the scenic beauty of Scott’s Gulf, boasting three miles of bluff line.
• South Cumberland State Park and Natural Area’s Savage Gulf Project, Grundy County – A $2 million grant supporting a previous Heritage Conservation Trust Fund grant to protect the view sheds of Savage Gulf, an established state natural area. The 4,400-acre project will permanently preserve scenic vistas of the Big Creek Gulf and protect the Collins State Scenic River, which The Nature Conservancy has listed among the U.S. watershed hot spots with 10 or more at-risk imperiled aquatic species and 11 at-risk fish and mussel species, including four listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Savage Gulf is an officially recognized National Natural Landmark, and its trails have National Recreation Trail System status. The stage road in Savage Gulf is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the virgin timber tract has been described as the best and largest virgin forest left in the mixed mesophytic region of the Eastern deciduous forest.
• Tennessee Wars Commission Davis Bridge, Hardeman and McNairy Counties – A $864,500 grant to assist in the preservation of the Davis Bridge Battlefield, one of Tennessee’s most significant Civil War battlefields. The 643 acres constitutes more than half of the existing National Register/National Landmark battlefield boundary. The forested and agricultural landscape retains much of its original appearance, as it would have looked during the Oct. 5, 1862, battle. This acquisition will add to the more than 200 acres of battlefield the state currently owns, and its close proximity to State Highway 57, Big Hill State Pond Park and Shiloh National Military Park make it an ideal location for attracting Civil War heritage tourism. Partners include the American Battlefield Protection Association, the Civil War Preservation Trust and the Davis Bridge Memorial Foundation.
• Tennessee Wars Commission Parker’s Crossroads, Henderson County – A $300,000 grant to assist in the preservation of 86 acres of core battlefield at Parker’s Crossroads. The acquisition will protect another of the state’s 38 most significant and endangered battlefields. A portion of the property, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, will include pedestrian trails, incorporating it into the existing interpretive program. Partners include the city of Parker’s Crossroads, the Civil War Preservation Trust and Parker’s Crossroads Battlefield Association.
• Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Escanaba Tract, Lake and Dyer Counties – A $563,200 grant to assist in the acquisition of land for wetland restoration. The Escanaba tract will be added to TWRA’s Tumbleweed Wildlife Management Area and will be allowed to recover to hardwood, creating optimal habitat for interior forest birds. Acquisition of the tract will also provide fishery habitat protection on the Mississippi River. The tract is near Blaker Towheard, a river feature containing backwater habitat for game fish and the federally endangered pallid sturgeon. Partners include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
• Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Shaw Tract, Lake County – A $953,344 grant to assist in the acquisition of land for wetland restoration. Located adjacent to the Escanaba tract, the Shaw tract will be added to TWRA’s Tumbleweed Wildlife Management Area. Once conserved, the tract will be allowed to recover to its natural, pristine state of hardwood forest to provide optimal habitat for interior forest birds. The Shaw tract is part of TWRA’s larger acquisition program in the Lower Obion watershed and will be used as match to leverage future funding from the North American Wetland Conservation Fund. Partners include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The projects approved for grant awards must meet certain criteria before the funds are provided, including property surveys and appraisals, environmental assessments and enactment of mechanisms, such as conservation easements, to guarantee the permanent protection of the properties.

“Greater prioritization of funding is given to projects that involve partnerships, leverage state funds, and enhance or connect existing public lands,” said Trust Fund Chair Drew Goddard. “This round of grants will help protect more than 14,455 acres, with an estimated total value of more than $25.7 million. By leveraging available funding for priority projects, we’re able to provide the maximum benefit for Tennesseans.”

Eligible projects range from the preservation of tracts for the purposes of tourism and recreation to projects focused on protecting or restoring the state’s physical, cultural, archaeological, historical and environmental resources.

The application deadline for the next grant funding cycle will be March 1, 2008, with grants to be announced in June 2008. Projects demonstrating a level of urgency for threatened lands also may be considered by the Heritage Conservation Trust Fund Board at any time. Pre-application instructions and forms and additional information about the Heritage Conservation Trust Fund is available at http://www.tdec.net/trustfund.