Map of Brumley Mountain (../files/brumley_mtn_map.pdf) The Nature Conservancy in Virginia Press Releases Search All Press Releases David Dadurka 240-731-1606 ddadurka@tnc.org Matthew Crum 276-676-2209 mcrum@tnc.org

The Nature Conservancy Applauds Sen. William Wampler and Del. Terry Kilgore for Brumley Mountain Project

Legislators were instrumental in designating $1.6 million toward state’s acquisition of largest privately-owned tract in Washington County

ABINGDON, VA — March 14, 2007 — The Nature Conservancy in Virginia today applauded Sen. William C. Wampler Jr. and Del. Terry G. Kilgore for their efforts to appropriate $1.6 million in the state budget toward the Department of Forestry’s acquisition of Brumley Mountain in Washington County.

Brumley Mountain is a well-known landmark in Washington County. The decommissioned Clinch Mountain fire tower sits on the property, along with a series of unusual rock crevices called the Great Channels of Virginia. The Great Channels were formed by eroded sandstone believed to be more than 400 million years old.

“We want to commend Senator Wampler and Delegate Kilgore for their tremendous leadership in helping designate $1.6 million from the state budget toward this acquisition—a substantial portion of the funding needed to transfer Brumley Mountain into public ownership,” said Michael Lipford, Virginia executive director of The Nature Conservancy. “Thousands of acres of forestland are permanently lost to development in the commonwealth every year and opportunities to protect large blocks of intact forest like Brumley Mountain are increasingly uncommon. Virginia’s forests need champions, and that’s exactly what Senator Wampler and Delegate Kilgore are for southwest Virginia’s unique natural landscapes.”

The Nature Conservancy acquired the 4,836-acre property in March 2004, protecting a key area of intact forest. The Conservancy first became interested in Brumley Mountain nearly 15 years ago. Before the Conservancy purchased the land, it had been slated for potential residential development.

“Protecting Brumley Mountain is the right thing to do for conservation and for our economy in southwest Virginia,” said Sen. William C. Wampler Jr. “The creation of a new state forest in Washington County provides the opportunity for sustainable forest management, while also providing public access for hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation.”

Del. Terry G. Kilgore expanded on the economic importance of protecting Brumley Mountain, noting that a new, publicly accessible state forest provides potential opportunities for expanding a growing sector of the regional economy—tourism.
 
“The success of the Virginia Creeper Trail in nearby Abingdon demonstrates the potential that our natural assets can contribute to the region’s bottom line,” Kilgore said. “Southwest Virginia is defined by its mountains and forests. It pays to protect them.”

The Conservancy is currently working with the local nonprofit Mountain Heritage on its initiative to establish a hiking trail that would pass through the Brumley Mountain tract, connecting Hidden Valley Lake in Washington County to Laurel Bed Lake in Russell County.

“Mountain Heritage and the Conservancy believe a new state forest and ridgetop trail will showcase the incomparable natural beauty of southwest Virginia for local residents and tourists and will promote further protection of these resources,” said Frank Kilgore, founder of Mountain Heritage.

Previously, the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation provided a $1.2 million grant to the Department of Forestry for acquisition of the property. This latest appropriation of $1.6 million would help bring the Department of Forestry much closer to completing its acquisition of the entire property. The Conservancy and the Department of Forestry are working to secure the remaining funds needed to complete the property transfer.

The ecological value of the property lies primarily in its interior forest habitat, which is critical to maintaining wildlife diversity. Many neotropical migratory songbirds, including warblers and vireos, depend upon large blocks of forest habitat for breeding and foraging. Unfragmented forests also provide natural corridors for wide-ranging animals such as black bear and bobcat, and clean mountain streams are critical habitat for fish, salamanders and other aquatic species.

The Nature Conservancy is the leading conservation organization working to protect the most ecologically important lands and waters around the world for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.