In October 2022, TennGreen Land Conservancy and The Nature Conservancy in Tennessee completed a conservation easement to forever protect nearly 320 acres of forestland in Savannah, Tennessee. The completed easement will protect drinking water quality for nearby communities, safeguard important wildlife habitat, and preserve the area’s rural and natural character now and in the future.
The conserved land, known as the “Neill Forest,” boasts impressive forest diversity and a handful of natural springs, small waterfalls, and permanent streams. The property’s streams are part of the Turkey Creek HUC-12 watershed, a tributary of the Tennessee River. Healthy forests are critical to providing clean water, as they act as a natural filter to keep out pollution. Neill Forest also provides a range of microhabitats that are a haven for wildlife facing negative impacts from development and extreme weather-related events.
The property is privately owned, but completion of the conservation easement means that its rich landscapes will remain forever protected. The Neill Forest conservation easement restricts subdivision, development, and unsustainable forestry and agricultural practices. Any timber harvest of the protected property must align with a Forest Health Management Plan that aims to protect the critical habitat present.
According to the U.S. Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis, Hardin County is home to an active timber market, with over 90,000 tons of harvest removals annually. After the southern pine beetle swept through much of Tennessee in the late 1990s, pine forests were devastated. Neill Forest contains upland pines, bottomland forests, and mixed hardwood stands. Some of its steep ridges even display old-growth characteristics. The completed conservation easement protects these and other benefits of the forest. At the same time, the allowed forest management activities will protect trees from deadly pests and diseases and help promote desperately-needed oak regeneration to prevent the disappearance of the species on the property.
TennGreen staff will monitor Neill Forest annually to ensure that present and future landowners honor the commitments to protect this significant property.
For qualifying landowners who need financial assistance to protect their land with a conservation easement, TennGreen Land Conservancy’s Wildlife Habitat Conservation Assistance Fund (WHCAF) can help defray some expenses. Learn more about TennGreen conservation easements or the WHCAF process.