Blount County property preserved for recreation
By Joel Davis (joeld@thedailytimes.com)
Foothills Land Conservancy has begun its 26th year of service with the announcement of the preservation of about 674 acres in Tennessee.
In Blount County, long-time resident Catherine Gilreath has granted a conservation easement on an 11-acre tract outside of Maryville. She wants the property to be used for community recreation.
“Sports kept me out of trouble,” she said. “Growing up in Sevier County across the road from Beech Springs School, my sibling and I " along with all the neighborhood kids " enjoyed the nearby outdoor recreational facilities. That’s why I wanted to specify that this property could be used for community soccer fields and for other recreational uses.”
The largest easement " signed in late December " preserves a 648-acre tract in Polk County that is surrounded on all sides by the Cherokee National Forest. “The beauty and environmental values of this property are in keeping with the forest lands surrounding it,” said FLC Executive Director Bill Clabough. “What an outstanding opportunity for Foothills to assist in the preservation of this natural area both for our community and wildlife habitat.”
The last few years have been successful ones for the FLC, which topped its goal of preserving 25,000 acres by its 25th anniversary in late December 2009 with the last-minute signing of a conservation easement for 1,898 acres of the Three Sisters property on Chilhowee Mountain.
Next door in Knox County, Halls resident Billy Wallace has placed his 15-acre property under conservation easement. The land includes a blue hole (underwater sinkhole) that is part-cave and part-spring. The property’s spring feeds into Beaver Creek, which cuts through the Halls community.
In early 2010, FLC agreed to hold a conservation easement for the Legacy Parks Foundation on 26 acres in Knox County for the purpose of enlarging the Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge property. Since that time, the Legacy Parks Foundation has given this tract (with easement) over to Knox County for inclusion in the refuge.
Seven Islands is a wildlife sanctuary that encompasses 360 acres. It is available for recreational use by the general public. Management of the refuge is a joint effort between Knox County Parks & Recreation and the Seven Islands Foundation.
