RHEA COUNTY, Tenn. — TennGreen Land Conservancy (formerly the Tennessee Parks & Greenways Foundation) announced that conservationist, businessman, and farmer, George Lindemann donated 1,998 acres to their conservation efforts.
This property, known as the Soak Creek Farm, is located in Rhea and Bledsoe Counties and sits next to the Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail State Park.
The farm has more than 16 miles of streams that flow to the Piney Creek watershed. Soak Creek and Piney Creek have earned Tennessee's State Scenic River designation which Lindemann played a significant role in.
In 2017, Lindemann donated a 1,034-parcel to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation to establish the Soak Creek section of the Cumberland Trail.
Lindemann and TennGreen's long-term goal is to establish the farm as a research station, evaluating habitat management techniques and medicinal plants.
Conservation of land along creeks on the Soak Creek Farm is essential in order to protect water quality and habitat for fish, wildlife, and plant species, the group said.
TennGreen Executive Director, Steve Law, said, "We are so grateful to George for the trust he has placed in us to ensure his conservation vision becomes reality."
TennGreen plans to identify partners in higher education for research projects and potential management of the land. They also plan to place a conservation easement on the property to ensure it remains undeveloped and used for research.
Since 2001, TennGreen and its partners have conserved more than 13,000 acres within ten miles of the Soak Creek Farm. The region continues to be of interest to the group given the biodiversity, large forested tracts, and recreational opportunities the Cumberland Trail provides.
