Educating our communities and raising awareness about land conservation issues are critical parts of our work and mission. FLC staff always welcomes the opportunity to talk with groups and individuals about what the organization does (exactly), properties we’ve protected, public projects we’ve helped facilitate, and ways the intricacies of our daily activities are tied to a much larger picture.
On a chilly day back in February of 2017, Bill Clabough (FLC’s Executive Director) spoke to an audience at Asbury Place, a retirement community in Blount County, TN. One gentleman in the front row seemed to have a particular interest in land preservation. His name was Don Fourman and, unbeknownst to anyone at FLC, he had quite a large preservation project of his own in mind. Mr. Fourman owned close to 1,000 acres of natural lands in Roane County – a beautiful property with creeks, woodlands, scenic views along with a unique history – and he had been considering how best to preserve this property for future generations.
After a few initial conversations, and subsequent visits with staff and Board members, Don Fourman deeded the property to FLC in March of 2017. This one presentation in Blount County resulted in nearly a thousand acres of protected land in Roane County just a short time later – land that will never be negatively impacted by development or future land transfers.
The property adjoins the 11,000-acre Mount Roosevelt State Wildlife Management Area (WMA). Walden Ridge traverses the entire length of the Fourman tract, forming steep forested slopes on both sides with uplifted escarpment rock outcrops on the south-facing slope. Along with the Mt. Roosevelt WMA, this tract also runs along the edge of the Cumberland Plateau and offers magnificent views of the valley, Watts Bar Lake, and even the Smoky Mountains. In turn, the Fourman property and the entire Cumberland Escarpment can be viewed from Gregory Bald and Look Rock, and other high points in the Smokies.
Eleven butterfly species were noted during one visit, including the rare goldenbanded skipper. This species is ranked by the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation (TDEC) as rare and uncommon in the state. Thirty-six species of birds were spotted – mostly closed forest dwellers, since the property doesn’t contain openings beyond a few narrow roads, waterways and rock outcrops. The Appalachian Mountains Joint Venture, which coordinates and implements all-bird conservation plans within the Appalachian Mountains Bird Conservation Region, has deemed many of these as Highest Priority species. The ridgeline on the property is also a documented migratory flyway for raptors, including the TN S1 ranked Golden Eagle. This threatened-status raptor depends on large, forested blocks like those found on the property for passage between its breeding grounds in northeastern Canada and its wintering grounds in the Southeast U.S.
Portions of White’s Creek and Piney Creek, located on the property, are mapped as a High Priority conservation area by the State of Tennessee. These two creeks, along with Rock Creek, a Piney Creek tributary, are rated as fully supporting by TDEC. This conservation area contains 13 threatened or endangered aquatic species including the laurel dace, tangerine darter, and orangefoot pimpleback. White’s Creek and Piney Creek are also considered suitable habitat for the eastern hellbender by the Conservation Biology Institute.
In 2019, FLC placed a conservation easement on the Fourman Tract and conveyed it to the State of Tennessee’s Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA). TWRA now manages and stewards the property as part of the Mount Roosevelt State WMA. Other nearby private easements held or co-held by FLC include approximately 2,745 acres in Roane County, and other natural areas nearby include White’s Creek Gorge, Ozone Falls State Natural Area, Piney Falls SNA, and Stinging Fork Falls Pocket Wilderness.
We are continually reminded how the intricacies of our work are part of a much larger mission – one that protects and connects land, life, and legacies.
