[Tennessee Trails News] Bredesen Announces Cumberland Trail Acquisition

[The Tennessee Trails List]

Provided by Tony Hook, Manager, Cumberland Trail Conference:


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Jan. 12, 2010

Bredesen Announces Cumberland Trail Acquisition
Critical Partnerships Made 3,200 Acre Acquisition Possible

NASHVILLE – Governor Phil Bredesen and Department of Environment and 
Conservation Commissioner Jim Fyke announced today the closing of a land 
acquisition that will add more than 3,200 acres and 10 linear miles of 
trail to the Cumberland Trail State Park in Hamilton and Rhea counties.

The acquisition was funded through a variety of sources, including a 
grant from the Heritage Conservation Trust Fund, federal grants and 
private funds raised by the Cumberland Trail Conference.  It includes a 
significant conservation easement put in place by the Land Trust for 
Tennessee.

“This acquisition speaks to the power of leveraging resources and 
cultivating partnerships to accomplish more than we could do alone,” 
said Bredesen.  “I’m pleased that a variety of agencies and 
organizations were able to come together to accomplish an acquisition 
that will benefit Tennesseans for generations to come.”

The property on Graysville Mountain is part of Tennessee’s Cumberland 
Trail State Park.  It will allow the Cumberland Trail State Scenic Trail 
to expand between Dayton, in Rhea County, and Sale Creek in Hamilton 
County.  The area provides opportunities for fishing, day hiking, 
whitewater paddling, swimming, rock climbing and trail running.

“Not only will the Graysville Mountain acquisition protect priority land 
and natural resources, it also represents an important piece of the 
Cumberland Trail,” said Fyke.  “Under Governor Bredesen’s leadership, we 
have made considerable progress on the trail, increasing the acreage 
managed by the Cumberland Trail State Park from 1,200 acres to 23,000 
acres since 2003.”

The project is funded with more than $3.5 million in federal grants and 
a $1 million grant from the state’s Heritage Conservation Trust Fund 
from Fiscal Year 2007-2008.  The Cumberland Trail Conference will 
contribute up to $300,000 in private funds for administrative costs. 
The Land Trust for Tennessee assisted in negotiating the transaction 
with the seller, Richard Kinzalow, and will hold a permanent 
conservation easement on the 2,197 acres located in Rhea County.  The 
project marks the Land Trust’s first in Rhea County and places a total 
of more than 5,000 acres under easement managed by the Land Trust in 
Southeast Tennessee.

“The Land Trust for Tennessee is thrilled to be a partner on this 
wonderful conservation project that will forever protect the incredible 
biodiversity of the unique, irreplaceable cove ecosystem along Walden 
Ridge,” said Executive Director Jeanie Nelson.  “We appreciate the 
opportunity to partner with the state of Tennessee and Mr. Kinzalow on 
this landmark acquisition, and the permanent contribution to the future 
generations of Tennesseans that it signifies.”

The Cumberland Trail Conference, a non-profit organization that assists 
the state in a variety of efforts related to the continuing development 
of the Cumberland Trail, raised money to assist with this acquisition 
during its, Pathways for People, People for Nature capital campaign.

“We appreciate all the donors, volunteers and CTC staff that contributed 
and worked to execute a very successful fundraiser,” said Tony Hook, 
Manager of the Cumberland Trail Conference.  “It is because of their 
efforts that the CTC was able to assist with this land purchase to 
expand the reach of the Cumberland Trail.”


About the Cumberland Trail State Park and Scenic Trail

Upon completion, the Cumberland Trail, the state’s only linear park, 
will be 300 miles, cutting through 11 Tennessee counties from the 
Cumberland Gap National Historic Park on the Tennessee-Virginia-Kentucky 
border to the Signal Point near Chattanooga.  More than one hundred and 
fifty miles of the Cumberland Trail is currently open and ready for 
exploration.  For more information on the Cumberland Trail State Park 
and Scenic Trail, visit www.tnstateparks.com.


About the Cumberland Trail Conference

The Cumberland Trail Conference is an affiliate organization of the 
non-profit Tennessee Trails Association.  The CTC is dedicated to the 
establishment and development of the Cumberland Trail.  Since 1997, the 
Conference has assisted with land acquisitions, volunteer organization, 
trail construction and trail maintenance.  Working with park staff, the 
CTC has constructed and maintained more than 100 miles of the Cumberland 
Trail to date.  For more information, visit www.cumberlandtrail.org.


About the Land Trust for Tennessee

The Land Trust for Tennessee is a private, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) 
charitable organization, founded in 1999.  Its mission is to preserve 
the unique character of Tennessee’s natural and historic landscapes for 
future generations.  To date, the Land Trust for Tennessee has protected 
more than 50,000 acres of land and is working with numerous other 
landowners across the state.  The Land Trust works with willing 
landowners to find ways to preserve forever the historic, scenic and 
natural values of their land.  The organization is supported primarily 
by financial contributions from individuals.  The Land Trust has offices 
in Nashville, Sewanee and Chattanooga.  More information is available at 
www.landtrustn.org.


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Tisha Calabrese-Benton
Communications Director
Tennessee Dept. of Environment and Conservation
865.594.5442 - Knoxville Office
Tisha.Calabrese at tn.gov