"Acquiring this property is an important extension of our effort to preserve a functioning ecological system," said Bill Kittrell, director of the Conservancy's Clinch Valley Program. "Creating this network of nature preserves around Cleveland protects the rare natural communities on the land, but also the quality of the water in the river for animals and for people who depend upon it for consumption and recreation."

Together, the Conservancy and Virginia's Department of Conservation and Recreation have permanently protected nearly 1,000 acres in the Cleveland area since 1999. The new preserve connects with Cleveland Barrens Natural Area Preserve, which the Conservancy transferred to the state last December. While the property will be dedicated as part of the State Natural Area Preserve system, the Conservancy will retain ownership, and the preserve will be managed by its Clinch Valley Program, based in Abingdon.

A grant of $196,640 from the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation funded nearly half of the purchase price. Funds for the remainder will come from private dollars donated to the Conservancy by its members.

"Partnerships like this one leverage the Foundation's grant funding to facilitate excellent conservation projects," said John Paul Woodley, Jr., Chairman of the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation and Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources. "Virginians will enjoy the ecological and educational benefits of the Cleveland Natural Area Preserve for years to come."

A series of ecologically significant dolomite barrens occurs across steep, southwest-facing slopes at Cleveland and Cleveland Barrens Natural Area preserves. These globally-rare communities support an array of rare plant and invertebrate species typically associated with midwestern prairie habitats. More than a dozen rare wildflowers, such as Great Plains ladies tresses (Spiranthes magnicamporum), silky aster (Aster pratensis), and blue-hearts (Buchnera americana), can be found in these arid, grassy openings.

Three rare invertebrates are known to inhabit the preserves. Thriving in the barrens is the Olympia marble butterfly (Euchloe olympia), which is named for its streaked coloration. Caterpillars of this species feed exclusively on rockcress (Arabis), and the adult butterflies take flight during April and May. The Cherokee clubtail (Gomphus consanguis), a little-known dragonfly that is endemic to the Southeast, patrols small, spring-fed streams.

A mussel shoal in the river is home to a collection of species similar to that found a short distance downstream at the Conservancy's 52-acre Cleveland Island Preserve. Rare mussels inhabiting this area include the shiny pigtoe (Fusconaia cor), fine-rayed pigtoe (Fusconaia cuneolus), rough rabbitsfoot (Quadrula cylindrica strigillata), and purple bean (Villosa perpurpurea). While the Clinch once supported 60 kinds of mussel, contamination and erosion have taken a heavy toll. Only some 40 species remain along the river's length.

According to Dr. Braven Beaty, Clinch Valley Program stewardship ecologist, part of the Conservancy's management plans for Cleveland Natural Area Preserve involve restoring native hardwood trees to the bottomland along the river. This riparian restoration will reduce erosion and sedimentation, thereby enhancing water quality in the river. "Over time, it also will provide a habitat corridor for birds and other wildlife," added Beaty.

The Conservancy's Clinch Valley Program is working with individuals, private businesses, public agencies and communities along the length of the Clinch River to find common-sense means of protecting both the health of the river and the health of the region's economy.

The Conservancy's first project in the Cleveland area was to help secure a grant to upgrade the town's wastewater-treatment plant in 1996. This upgrade, in turn, enhanced the water quality at Cleveland Island Preserve, home to several sensitive mussel species listed federally as endangered.

"I think we've got a good relationship with The Nature Conservancy," said Kenneth Stevens, mayor of Cleveland. Fostering partnerships with local communities throughout the Clinch Valley helps the Conservancy further its goal of protecting the region's waters, plants and animals. Recently, the Conservancy partnered with People Incorporated of Southwest Virginia—with financial assistance from the Tennessee Valley Authority—to launch the Clinch Valley Eco-Loan Fund to support ecologically-compatible business ventures.

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