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Walker County land protected

By: Mike O'Neal
(Contact)

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Curt Soper

A dream of preserving one of the Southeast’s most “biologically significant” areas was realized Monday when state, local and conservation leaders announced the acquisition of a 1,839-acre farm in Walker County.

The newly purchased Mountain Cove Farms links two state-owned tracts, the Crockford-Pigeon Mountain Wildlife Management area and the Zahnd Natural Area of Lookout Mountain.

“As one of the most beautiful and biologically significant parts of our state, this property will now be conserved for the use and enjoyment of current and future generations,” said Curt Soper, director of the Georgia Land Conservation Program. “Together, this forms nearly 20,000 acres of contiguous conservation areas.”

The $10.5 million purchase of McClemore Cove property nestled at junction of Lookout and Pigeon mountains was a collaborative effort of the Georgia Land Conservation Program, Walker County, the Open Space Institute Inc., the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the state.

“We’ve had the mountains; now we have this beautiful valley,” said Georgia Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Noel Holcomb. “Whether you are interested in history, recreation, wildlife or plants, this is a piece of property that is world-class.”

Mr. Holcomb said he has been familiar with McClemore Cove since his days as an intern in 1973, which is about when the state began acquiring land in the area.

Today, the area under perpetual protection totals about 28 square miles, roughly 6.25 percent of Walker County.

“This property is a tremendous asset for the people of Walker County and all Georgians,” Walker County Sole Commissioner Bebe Heiskell told those assembled Monday. Speaking at the farm’s mountain stone homestead, Mrs. Heiskell said she considers the completion of this project the high point of her career.

“We are excited to be one of the collaborative funding partners to conserve this unique and biologically diverse property and look forward to the resulting increased outdoor recreational opportunities for locals and tourists alike,” she said.

Walker County’s portion of the purchase price is being paid with revenue from a local option sales tax, she said.

The cove acquisition contains a variety of habitats, including hardwood- and pine-dominated forests, sandstone outcrops, caves, springs, open pasture, outbuildings and a house built with stone taken from the surrounding countryside at the time of the Civil War.

“It was sad to see it in decline,” Charlotte Wardlaw said of the house her parents, George and Irene Bible, called home until 1969. “To see it preserved is like a dream come true.”

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