In December 2021, TennGreen Land Conservancy partnered with Swan Conservation Trust (SCT) and a private landowner to assume responsibility for a conservation easement in Lewis County, Tennessee. The land, known as “Rockdale Trace,” expands TennGreen and SCT’s partnership in the area near The Farm—an intentional community based on principles of nonviolence and respect for the earth.
The landowner donated a conservation easement on Rockdale Trace to SCT in 2004 and ultimately donated the land to them in 2022. Before receiving the land gift, SCT asked TennGreen to hold the conservation easement to avoid a conflict of interest.
Rainwater falling on the Rockdale Trace property flows into the Duck River from Big Bigby Creek. Considered one of the most ecologically diverse places globally, the Duck River is home to numerous rare fish and mussels, including the birdwing pearlymussel, and is a water source for approximately a quarter-million people in Middle Tennessee. Unfortunately, threats of urbanization and excessive agricultural practices threaten its water quality and degrade the habitat for its rare fish and wildlife.
To reduce sediment entering creeks, it’s essential to protect forested tracts in the headwaters and along the Duck River. Conservation easements, such as the one at Rockdale Trace, are ideal for permanently preserving land in the watershed of this critical waterway.
This project expands on land conservation efforts by TennGreen on SCT-owned land. In 2017, TennGreen and SCT protected 1,358 acres at Big Swan Headwaters with a conservation easement. Although not directly adjacent, the conservation of Rockdale Trace safeguards additional forests in the area, ensuring that its clean waters and wildlife habitats are protected forever.
Do you own land near the Duck River that you’re interested in protecting? 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 today!