The Great Smokey Mountains is set to get just a little bit greater thanks to a 600-acre donation from a south-focused nature nonprofit.
Foothills Land Conservancy (FLC) recently completed the acquisition of the Oliver Tract, a 600-acre property bordering the national park.
The purchase permanently protects “one of the most significant remaining privately held properties” adjacent to the nation’s most-visited national park, the conservancy said in a statement.
The lands are located along the park boundary near Townsend, Tennessee, and Cades Cove, and contain intact forest, wildlife habitat, watershed resources, and critical landscape connectivity that supports the long-term health of the Smokies ecosystem.
The property is named for John Oliver, one of the earliest permanent settlers of Cades Cove, giving the tract significance not only for its ecological value but also for its connection to the cultural history of the Smokies.
“Projects like this define what land conservation is all about,” said Mark Stevans, executive director of Foothills Land Conservancy. “The opportunity to protect more than 600 acres bordering Great Smoky Mountains National Park is extraordinarily rare. Thanks to the support of our partners, donors and community, this land will remain protected for future generations rather than being lost to development.”
The acquisition marks one of the largest conservation transactions connected to the national park in decades. FLC intends to transfer the property to the National Park Service following completion of the federal review and acceptance process.
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“We appreciate Foothills Land Conservancy’s work to protect this landscape for future generations, preserving its rich cultural history as well as the extraordinary biological diversity that makes this area so unique,” said Charles Sellars, Superintendent of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
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