Cedars of Lebanon State Forest
In 2023, TennGreen Land Conservancy partnered with the Tennessee Division of Forestry to acquire 17 acres of land adjacent to Cedars of Lebanon State Forest near Nashville. The Forest is directly adjacent to Cedars of Lebanon State Park and Natural Area, which hosts thousands of guests each year. These areas contain a unique habitat of limestone cedar glades, a rare ecosystem found in Middle Tennessee.
Cedar glades have thin, rocky soil where the limestone underfoot is very close to the surface, if not totally exposed. Eastern red cedar trees (Juniperus virginiana) grow on the edge of these rocky patches, granting the ecosystem its name. Cedars of Lebanon State Forest contains rare and endangered species that thrive in the unique cedar glade landscape. Some of these species exist in few or no other places in the world. Examples of endemic cedar glade species include Tennessee coneflower (Echinacea tennesseensis), Nashville breadroot (Pediomelum subacaule), Tennessee milk-vetch (Astragalus tennesseensis), and limestone fameflower (Talinum calcaricum).
In 2022, TennGreen identified Cedars of Lebanon State Park and Forest, and other cedar glade habitats, as a priority focal area for conservation. TennGreen established this designation due to the increasing threats cedar glades face as urban sprawl continues. Without protection, these rare communities may be lost to development as commercial and industrial areas continue to expand.
TennGreen is working to proactively protect the lands surrounding Cedars of Lebanon, specifically engaging with landowners to place conservation easements along the park and forest boundaries in this rapidly developing area.
Do you own cedar glade habitat or land near State-owned cedar glades that you want to protect? A conservation easement is the strongest tool to preserve your land forever. To learn more, please contact our experts at land@tenngreen.org or call (615) 329-4441 ext. 120 today!