In the summer of 1995, Foothills Land Conservancy, along with many individual supporters and organizational partners, raised almost $1.4 million to secure a 4,700-acre tract called the Abrams Creek – Chilhowee Bear Reserve. The land reaches from Abrams Creek to the western foothills of Chilhowee Mountain.

The Abrams Creek Campaign, chaired by Senator Lamar Alexander and Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam, raised $1.2 million to make this possible. Most of these acres were donated to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) with approximately 400 acres transferred to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park (GSMNP). In the summer of 1997, FLC worked with the community to raise $500,000 to purchase 1,500 adjoining acres along the south end of Chilhowee Mountain. This project was known as the Cochran Creek Campaign. The acreage was also transferred to the State of Tennessee for management by TWRA and became part of what is now the Foothills Wildlife Management Area (FWMA).

Over the years, the FWMA has grown to 10,000+ acres, providing a significant wildlife corridor with GSMNP and the Cherokee National Forest. FLC now has over 30 conservation easement partnerships, protecting thousands of acres, within a 20-mile radius of this natural area. It is a true representation of biodiversity in the Southern Appalachians – home to black bears, antlerless deer, turkeys, 300 other vertebrate species and 950 plant species. Currently, a shortleaf pine and oak mix savanna restoration is underway. Research being conducted in partnership with the University of Tennessee involves burning shortleaf pine stands to study fire return intervals, intensity, and timing during the year.

In our 40-year history, Foothills Land Conservancy has been a part of conservation projects that come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some are smaller. Some begin and conclude in a fairly short time frame. Still others, like the FWMA, grow and evolve over the span of years (or decades), made possible by the involvement of inspiring individuals and organizations who share a vision for special lands and how they can be conserved forever.