Williamson County
Basin Spring
Project Partners
Joseph A. Little, III, and Billie B. Little
In 2025, TennGreen Land Conservancy and landowners Dr. Joseph A. Little, III, and Billie B. Little of Franklin, Tennessee, finalized the Basin Spring Conservation Easement, permanently protecting over 100 acres of ecologically valuable land in Williamson County. This critical conservation safeguards scenic ridgelines, biologically rich forest, and key waterways, including portions of Bedford Creek and a tributary that ultimately flows to the Harpeth River.
The Basin Spring property—totaling 100.38 acres—lies within the South Harpeth River Upper Watershed (HUC 12: 051302040301) and supports a wide range of conservation values critical to the region and the state. According to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s Division of Natural Areas (TDEC-DNA), the property provides habitat for 26 rare species in Williamson County and eight rare species in the surrounding watershed. Two rare species—Sharp-shinned hawk (Accipiter striatus) and Butternut (Juglans cinerea)—have been directly documented on the property.
Designated within the Western Highland Rim Forests Conservation Opportunity Area under Tennessee’s State Wildlife Action Plan (TN-SWAP), Basin Spring also exhibits high terrestrial conservation priority and medium combined conservation priority, emphasizing its importance for long-term biodiversity preservation. Furthermore, the 2021 Southeastern Conservation Blueprint identifies this land as having high conservation value across the southeastern United States.
The conservation easement also enhances connectivity between natural areas—it lies within one mile of another conservation easement held by TennGreen and just two miles from the Natchez Trace Parkway, a National Park Service Scenic Parkway. Additionally, the property is situated within both the Greater Nashville Urban Focal Area and a Climate Corridor Focal Area identified in TennGreen’s 2020 Strategic Land Conservation Plan.
Beyond its ecological significance, the Basin Spring property holds cultural value. A historic cemetery is located on-site, adding a layer of heritage preservation to this conservation success.
By permanently conserving this land, TennGreen and the Little family have taken a significant step toward protecting Middle Tennessee’s natural beauty, biodiversity, and water quality for generations to come.
Basin Spring is where five generations of our family have hiked, waded, gardened and grown, learning lessons on the importance of the natural world. These lessons began at the sides of our grandparents, who taught us the beauty, value and codependence of everything we saw. When the land became the responsibility of my sisters, my wife and me, we knew that we owed it to our grandparents to preserve it. These acres aren’t a commodity; they are our best future.
Dr. Joseph A. Little, III
