Friends of South Cumberland Work to Preserve South
Cumberland Wilderness
by Ron Castle, Web Master - June 25, 2001
For the full text go to: http://www.friendsofscsra.org/environment.htm
"Since our founding in 1993, the Friends of South Cumberland State Recreation Area, Inc. has been a catalyst for doing things for South Cumberland that the state cannot or will not do. We have honed our skills for land acquisition and with the help of our neighbors, our members, conservation organizations and foundations we have purchased or acquired through donation five properties, all donated to the state to become part of the park. We have also helped the state purchase several other properties including the 500-acre Prince Tract at Foster Falls. We have made progress but our future is limited by funds on hand and the rapid rate of development.
We have property under option and the plan is in place to achieve defensible boundaries for South Cumberland either through direct purchase or conservation easements. We have conservation and land trust partners who have helped us in the past and are ready to do so today and in the future. Our opportunity is now.
The Friends of South Cumberland since our inception in 1993 has been working to raise funds to complete the Park Master Plan for the South Cumberland State Recreation Area. Our goal is to leverage our efforts with foundation, corporate, conservation and state funds. Part of the funds will be reserved in an endowment to manage conservation easements in perpetuity.
Our goal is to complete the Park Master Plan to the greatest extent possible. Purchased properties have been and will be donated to the state to become part of the park. Conservation easements will be managed by one or more land trust organizations. The South Cumberland State Recreation Area will remain a wilderness park and biodiversity preserve forever.