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TennGreen and other conservation and preservation organizations acquired land in Franklin County to expand Head of the Crow State Park. The expansion will create a more connected and resilient landscape that benefits wildlife, protects vital watersheds, and enhances public access to nature. Jon D. Bumpus

State Park expansion further protects biodiversity of South Cumberland Plateau

Jon D. Bumpus is the director of communications for the TennGreen Land Conservancy.

SEWANEE — TennGreen Land Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy in Tennessee, and The Conservation Fund have jointly secured another significant conservation victory on the South Cumberland Plateau.

The partnership added approximately 550 acres to Head of the Crow State Park in Franklin County through a collaborative acquisition effort made possible by funding from the Open Space Institute (OSI), Tennessee’s Heritage Conservation Trust Fund (HCTF), and Lyndhurst Foundation. The project represents the latest example of how conservation partnerships are protecting some of the state’s most ecologically important landscapes while expanding opportunities for outdoor recreation and public enjoyment.

Head of the Crow State Park protects the headwaters of Crow Creek and encompasses a remarkable collection of forests, caves, streams, and rare species habitat. The park serves as a gateway to some of the most biologically rich landscapes in Tennessee. These lands support federally threatened and endangered species while safeguarding the clean water resources that flow from the plateau into surrounding communities.

As highlighted by State Naturalist Roger McCoy, Director of the Tennessee Division of Natural Areas, “Head of the Crow straddles both the sandstone-dominated Plateau top that contains acidic bog-like habitats supporting rare orchids and other wetland species.  The western edge of the park descends into limestone-dominated Crow Creek Valley with numerous outcrops and caves.  These rocky outcrops support species unique to this region including the painted tiger snail, Morefield’s leatherflower, Cumberland rosinweed, and Cumberland pagoda plant.”