“Over the years I have watched the farms in our community disappear. I am thrilled to see Rippavilla protected.”

The conservation win protects active farmland, nearly 2,500 feet of riparian buffer along a tributary of the Duck River and expansive views of the home from Highway 31, a major transportation corridor.

“Over the years I have watched the farms in our communitydisappear. I am thrilled to know that Rippavilla is protected.”

In May 2017, Rippavilla transferred the protected 98-acre property to the City of Spring Hill with plans for the land to become a city park.

“The Board of Mayor and Aldermen has long strived to protect and enhance historically significant properties in Spring Hill, and this is a huge step forward,” said Spring Hill Alderman Matt Fitterer. “We’re excited and honored to partner with The Land Trust for Tennessee and Rippavilla Inc. to continue this work. The City will use the property to promote regional tourism and our history, as well as create passive recreational opportunities for Spring Hill citizens to enjoy.”

Now, future generations have the opportunity to study the past, enjoy the land and write their own chapters into the history books.

historic Spring hill property to remain for future generations

Protecting the land you love for Tennesseans of today and tomorrow

ON THE GROUNDSummer 2017

More than 150 years ago, the Civil War came to Rippavilla Plantation in Maury County.

During the war, both Union and Confederate soldiers occupied the home, which is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. As the story goes, on Nov. 30, 1864, Confederate officers gathered for breakfast in the antebellum home to discuss how Union troops slipped past their lines the night before en route to what would become the infamous Battle of Franklin. Over a century later, Rippavilla, a nonprofit that managed the property for many years, partnered with The Land Trust for Tennessee to protect the 98-acre landscape. As Rippavilla’s Chair Corrine Tomlinson notes, the effort ensures that stories of all who came before us can be told and studied for generations to come.

“Rippavilla’s Board of Directors are excited to have signed the conservation easement that will preserve the land, open space and our heritage,” said Corrine, who grew up in the developing area of Spring Hill.

To learn more, visit LandTrustTN.org/RippavillaPhoto: Representatives from The Land Trust for Tennessee, Rippavilla and attorneys Julian Bibb (right) and Bryan Echols (left) following the signing of the conservation easement in April 2017.

Liz McLaurinPresident & CEO

Emily ParishVice President of Conservation

Risa Klein HerzogVice President of External Affairs

Rachael BergmannConservation Project Manager, Southeast TN

Daniel BrownCommunications Manager

Matt CottamGlen Leven Farm Coordinator

Emma DavidsonDirector of Conservation Transactions

Luke IversonConservation GIS Manager

Stephen KirkDirector of Conservation, Southeast TN

Kayla McBrideAdministrative & Finance Coordinator

Alysia MercerDirector of Finance & Operations

Brickey NucholsMember Relations Coordinator

Katie O’BryanGlen Leven Farm Manager

Sarah O’Rear Director of Stewardship

Emily QuinlanConservation Project Manager, Middle TN

Noell RembertDirector of Outreach Programs

Mike SzymkowiczStewardship Coordinator

Chelsea WilsonConservation Coordinator

Sharayah WinklerDirector of Member Relations

Mark Manner, ChairLiz McLaurin, President Gentry BardenSam BelkRobert BrandtMartin Brown, Jr.Doug CameronKate Sherrard ChinnDavid DarstCharles ElcanKelly J. GillRandy L. Graves

Joe HodgsonKimberly KaegiLynn Lassiter KendrickJeff LipscombRosemary McIlhennyBrian TibbsVicki Pierce Turner

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

OUR TEAM

What do The Land Trust for Tennessee and U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) have in common? Each are on a mission to conserve open lands.

Since 2006, The Land Trust has partnered with the DoD to conserve more than 2,600 acres of working farms, open space and critical wildlife habitat surrounding Fort Campbell, one of the largest military installations in the country.

“The Army Compatible Use Buffer Program (ACUB) gives Fort Campbell the ability to work with conservation partners like The Land Trust for Tennessee to preserve the agricultural lands and open spaces surrounding our airfields and training areas,” said Fort Campbell Community Planner Chris Brown. “It also gives us the opportunity to protect off-post habitat that is beneficial to several listed bat species on Fort Campbell.”

At 105,000 acres, Fort Campbell sits on the Kentucky and Tennessee border. Brown says protecting land surrounding the installation is critical as it allows servicemen and women to train without restrictions that can impede their readiness, like light pollution or incompatible development. He says the program is also helping build relationships with local landowners.

“I had a local farmer tell me several months back that in his opinion, two of the most important things in this country are national defense and agriculture,” Brown said. “This conservation effort works hand in hand in protecting both of those.”

Through the voluntary ACUB program, landowners can realize financial and tax benefits whilepreserving their land and heritage.

The Land Trust has completed 12 projects near Fort Campbell in Tennessee, including most recently, Paul and Ramona McKinney’s 231-acre farm in Montgomery County.

“In view of the fact that much farmland in Montgomery County is being lost each year to development, we appreciate that we could partner with The Land Trust for Tennessee, Fort Campbell and Natural Resources Conservation Service to protect our farm for wildlife and for future generations,” said Ramona McKinney.

As of May 2017, 11,000 acres surrounding Fort Campbell in both Kentucky and Tennessee havebeen conserved through the work of conservation groups, including The Land Trust.

Across the nation, non-government organizations, state and local governments, and the DoD have conserved land surrounding 89 military locations in 30 states through the DoD Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration Program. As a result, more than 464,000 acres of working farms, forests and ranchlands have been conserved*.

ON A MISSION to COnserve land near fort campbell

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CROSS CREEKSNATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

Land Trust for TN Protected Lands

Dear Friends,

Since 1999, we at The Land Trust for Tennessee have conserved over 119,000 acres that create a patchwork of more than 350 special places that will never be lost.

These are sites that tell stories of our nation’s history; natural areas where we make memories with our friends and family; vast landscapes that provide

habitat for wildlife; and fertile fields where farmers grow the food that sustains us and generations to come.

Land is, of course, an essential ingredient of this work. But the human element is just as essential - the extraordinary landowners with a sense of the land beyond their own lives, a sense of community and a sense of purpose.

You’ll get to know more about some of these people in the pages ahead: landowners like the Nixons, who protected their 195-acre farm last year, and the visionary McEwen family, who were the first in Hickman County to partner with us to conserve the land they love.

During a record year in 2016, we completed 36 projects alongside our conservation colleagues, government partners and private landowners. The body of work from last year alone ensures that nearly 19,000 acres will provide future generations the chance to enjoy and use them as we do today.

On the heels of such a landmark year, we are not resting on our laurels. The time is now to accelerate the pace of conservation. We will seize the challenge to conserve precious open space in Middle Tennessee, protect vast landscapes in Southeast Tennessee and ensure the agricultural and wildlife legacy of West Tennessee.

Thank you for being a member of The Land Trust family – for fueling an active movement to protect the places we cannot afford to lose.

Have a wonderful summer,

Jack & Brenda NixonProtected their 195-acre Robertson Co. farm in 2016“I feel like a pioneer in a new land knowing that this will always be a farm. It warms my heart to look out on this land and know that its future will be for cattle or farms. Either will provide food for our family and neighbors. The world is only getting smaller and to know we’ve forever protected our land is a mighty big relief.” - Brenda Nixon

Letter from the president & CEO

Liz (left), Aubrey Preston, Marilyn Hinton, Emily Parish and Kem Hinton following the protection of 38-acres, including historic property, in Williamson County in 2016.

Liz McLaurinPresident & CEO

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SOUTHEAST TENNESSEE SNAPSHOT: CELEBRATING TEN YEARS IN CHATTANOOGA

Cumberland Trail

FIERY GIZZARD CONSERVATION PROJECTS1

HEre are a few highlights from the past ten years

*Special Thanks to Our Partners & Funders : Access Fund • Benwood Foundation • Chrysalis Foundation • Cumberland Trails Conference • Friends of South Cumberland State Park

Hiwassee River Blueway Committee • Lyndhurst Foundation • Merck Family Fund • Mountain Goat Trail Alliance Natural Resources Conservation Service • Open Space Institute • Riverview Foundation • Sewanee: The University of the South

Shield-Ayres Foundation • Southeastern Climbers Coalition • South Cumberland Regional Land Trust Tennessee Department of Agriculture • Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation • Tennessee River Gorge Trust

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency • The Conservation Alliance • The Conservation Fund • The Nature Conservancy • THRIVE 2055 Tucker Foundation • UT Chattanooga

The Land Trust has worked with the State of Tennessee to add approximately 4,000 acres, including 25 miles of trail corridor, to the Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail State Park, Tennessee’s first linear state park. When complete, the trail is expected to reach 330 miles from Cumberland Gap National Historical Park to Signal Point.

DENNY COVE & Castle rock

The Land Trust partnered with multiple conservation and climbing groups* to protect two climbing destinations, including Denny Cove, a 685-acre addition to South Cumberland State Park. The Land Trust also protects Castle Rock, a popular climbing destination in Marion County.

town of signal mountainIn 2014, The Land Trust worked in partnership with the Town of Signal Mountain to conserve 342 acres of public parkland owned by the town, ensuring the parks can be enjoyed forever.

6 Cunningham ForestlandThe Land Trust has worked with the Cunningham family to protect nearly 9,500 acres of private forestland in the region as they settled the estate of C.R. Cunningham, the owner of significant timberland on the plateau. In 2016, The Land Trust and Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency partnered with the family to add 2,600 acres to Bridgestone-Firestone Centennial Wilderness in White and Van Buren Counties, which connected tens of thousands of protected acres.

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The Land Trust has helped to protect 8,300 acres near the Fiery Gizzard Trail, which has been ranked as a top U.S. hiking destination. Most recently, The Land Trust and multiple partners* worked to add 1,058 acres to South Cumberland State Park near the Fiery Gizzard Trail.

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Facilitated Projects - The Land Trust played a critical role with other partners* to help bring land into public protection.

The Land Trust Conservation Easements - The Land Trust will protect and monitor these lands for future generations based on legal agreements reached with landowners.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR CONSERVATION PROJECTS, VISIT LANDTRUSTTN.ORG

It has been 10 years since The Land Trust for Tennessee opened its office in Chattanooga in April 2007.

A decade later, our work in the Southeast Tennessee region has expanded to more than 85 projects extending up the Cumberland Plateau to conserve approximately 49,000 acres in 16 counties.

As the map shows, much of our work has

partners given their diverse wildlife habitats, world-renowned hikingand climbing destinations, and culturaland historicsites.

been completed with private landowners to protect land for future generations; this dates back to our first conservation easements in the Chattanooga region with neighbors Greg Vital and David and Kathy Gooch in December 2006.

Thanks to strong, collaborative partnerships, The Land Trust has also worked to facilitate the transfer of approximately 20,000 acres of land into public ownership for recreation and habitat protection.

Southeast Tennessee and the Cumberland Plateau region continue to be a priority for The Land Trust and numerous conservation

Mayfield FARMThe Land Trust protects private farmland in the region, including 693 acres of the historic Mayfield Farm, the site of the first dairy where Southern staples Mayfield Milk and Ice Cream originated.

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View from the Cumberland Trail atop Signal Mountain

Castle Rock in Marion CountyPhoto: The Mountain Project

Bobby and Joy Cunningham

View from the Fiery Gizzard Trail

Along the tranquil Blue Creek Valley in Humphreys County sits “Pleasant Valley Farm,” a place Ken Scharabok cherished during his retirement years as a blacksmith, author and farmer.

Prior to his untimely passing in 2012, Ken decided to leave a gift to The Land Trust for Tennessee to ensure his farm would inspire and educate future generations of nature lovers. In his will, Ken donated the land to Humphreys County Soil Conservation District, with a conservation easement on the farm to The Land Trust, trusting each to complete his vision.

As a young man, Ken returned home to Wisconsin to find the farm where he grew up had been developed beyond recognition. Ken’s sister, Judy Humphries, says that experience inspired his decisions to protect his farm and dedicate funds to The Land Trust to help others in the county conserve their land.

“Gone was the farm with all that it offered: the apple orchard, the cherry trees, the open spaces where fields had been. This had happened to some of the surrounding farms, as well,” Judy said. “I do believe that is one thing that led to his wanting to preserve as much of the country life as he could.”

In a 2007 article in Tennessee Cooperator magazine, Ken was quoted as saying, “200 years from now, I want to be responsible for leaving people a place where they can study these trees, go hiking on the old logging trails in the woods and enjoy the land in its natural state.”

Today, Pleasant Valley Farm hosts educational opportunities for all ages, which Humphreys County Soil Conservation District Director Odell Poyner says was very important to Ken. Odell says Ken would be happy with the improvements already made on the land and all of the work his gift continues to make possible.

To learn more about creating your own legacy, call Risa Klein Herzog at (615) 244-LAND.

NEW STATENATURAL AREA

Window Cliffs State Natural Area is open to the public!

As a unit of Burgess Falls State Park, Window Cliffs opened in April 2017 as the State of Tennessee’s 85th natural area.The 275-acre landscape provides visitors with a 5.5- mile strenuous hike, multiple stream crossings and views of limestone “windows”, while also protecting natural habitats.

The Land Trust worked with private landowners to secure three parcels that the State then acquired for the area.

Learn more at LandTrustTN.orgPhoto: Chuck Sutherland

KEN SCHARABOK: LEAVING A LEGACY OF LAND

It has been more than a decade since Bill McEwen and his family made one of the defining decisions of their lifetimes. Looking back, Bill says the family’s choice to conserve their 170 acres in Hickman County was one of the easiest, and also one of the most important.

“I strongly believe as time goes on, places like I’ve got, and other places The Land Trust for Tennessee preserves, are going to be few and far between. In that respect, it was a huge decision to know that when I leave, future generations will have the opportunity to enjoy what I enjoyed,” Bill said.

The McEwen family roots run deep in the soil that The Land Trust now protects, dating back to the early 1800s. Today, Bill’s son farms the land, and his two daughters and grandchildren visit often. As Bill says, the land is a special place to his family and to many guests who visit.

“About four to five years ago, one visitor said something that I feel really sums up the experience. She said, ‘You can hear the sound of everything that does not matter disappear out here.’”

Continue reading at LandTrustTN.org/McEwenFarm

LOVE FOR THE LAND

Photo: Nancy Rhoda

Get your boots and jeans ready. Once in a Blue Moon, our

signature conservation celebration, will be held on Oct. 7 at The Land Trust for Tennessee’s Glen Leven Farm. This year’s event is co-chaired

by Stephanie Conner and Liz Willers, two advocates who love

Tennessee.

“I grew up in rural East Tennessee, and the land was sustenance to our farming community,” said Stephanie, who calls her family’s current farm in Dickson County their happy place. “To me, it’s a quality of life issue...[This] gives me an opportunity to help protect Tennessee’s happy places for generations to come.”

Once in a Blue Moon is an annual, tented field party that features a casual atmosphere, local food and

marshmallow roast under the stars. Special musical guest Boy Named Banjo will take the stage this year. Liz says she’s honored to be part of a stylish evening that supports the places she has come to love during her time at the Natchez Trace Parkway, the Fiery Gizzard Trail and Radnor Lake. In her words:

“As our city and state continue to grow at a rapid rate, I want to make sure the integration of green spaces, like Adelicia Park, become a standard for future urban development, while working to protect the Tennessee landscapes I have come to cherish!”

Interested in attending Once in a Blue Moon with Stephanie and Liz? Call (615) 244-LAND to request an invitation.

MEET ONCE IN A BLUE MOON C0-CHAIRS STEPHANIE CONNER & LIZ WILLERS

Tell us about yourself.I’m a lifelong Tennessean and proud to call it my home. I have enjoyed a 27-year career in development, and my wonderful husband, Drew, and I are proud parents of two daughters, Vivian and Tess. In my free time, I love to spend time in nature with family, friends and our dog, Milo.

What is your role?As Vice President of External Affairs, my role is to raise the necessary funds to ensure that the land across our beautiful state is conserved forever. Assisting donors in fulfilling their legacy is quite an honor.

What inspires you about this work? I am inspired by the juxtaposition of

the amazing growth in Nashville and throughout Tennessee against the importance of land conservation. Growth and development is exciting and positive as long as it is conducted strategically

and with sensitivity to our global home.

I believe conserving our land is an urgent issue for everyone, not just for those who

identify as “conservationists”. Our land is home to us all, and our efforts benefit everyone regardless of race, color, religion or socio-economic level. The air we breathe, the water we drink, and the plants and animals that live within are the grand unifier of us all.

FACES OF THE LAND TRUST: RISA KLEIN HERZOGVice President of External Affairs

Photos: Stephanie (left) and Liz (right)

Ken Scharabok (left) and Pleasant Valley Farm (right)

209 10th Avenue S., Suite 327Nashville, TN 37203RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Join usNATIONAL HONEY BEE DAYJoin us for our 2nd annual celebration of one of nature’s most important pollinators

EAT GREEN FOR TENNESSEEDine out at participating restaurants to support our work

ONCE IN A BLUE MOONGrab your boots and jeans for our annual signature fundraiser

FAMILY FARM DAY Bring your family and friends and enjoy an afternoon at Glen Leven Farm

Learn more at LandTrustTN.org/events

The Land Trust secured three key parcels that led the State of

Tennessee to open the 85th State Natural Area...

We’ve protected thousands of acres of farmland and wildlife

habitat buffering the U.S. Army’s Fort Campbell...

A Civil War site and working farm are now protected in Spring Hill for the community...

Visit LandTrustTN.org or call us at (615) 244-LAND Four Ways to Join the Movement Today

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