Tennessee's gateway to the Southern Appalachian Mountains, the 10,000-acre property known as Rocky Fork, has been acquired by The Conservation Fund and the U.S. Forest Service from New Forestry, LLC., it was announced today.

The 10,000 acre tract includes 4,000 undeveloped mountain acres in Greene County and had been considered the "the largest high-elevation, single-ownership holding" in the eastern United States.

Rocky Fork is also the largest unprotected tract in the Appalachian Mountains.  It includes 16 miles of trout streams and represents 2.2 percent of the "prime bear breeding habitat" in the U.S. and is home to the endangered peregrine falcon.

"Rocky Fork is a Southern Appalachian gem and truly is an asset to local communities and national forest visitors," said Tom Speaks, forest supervisor of Cherokee National Forest. "Generations of people have been using this land and we're proud to be a part of the effort to make sure that future generations will have that same opportunity."

As part of the overall acquisition, The Conservation Fund acquired 7,387 acres, which the organization will temporarily hold as it raises money to transfer this portion of the property to the state of Tennessee and the U.S. Forest Service for permanent ownership and management.

The U.S. Forest Service acquired an additional 2,237 acres of the Rocky Fork tract, which is now part of the Cherokee National Forest.

Located along the Tennessee-North Carolina border in Greene and Unicoi counties, the privately-owned Rocky Fork tract has been open to Tennesseans and visitors who hike, hunt, fish and enjoy the great outdoors.

As this recreation destination became positioned for sale, a broad-based coalition of local, state and federal leaders sprang into action to save it because of the property's natural resource value and importance to the Appalachian National Scenic Trail.

The U.S. Forest Service ranked Rocky Fork as its top acquisition priority in the nation.

The Tennessee congressional delegation, including Sen. Lamar Alexander, Sen. Bob Corker and Rep. David Davis, advanced the project by securing Land and Water Conservation Fund dollars for the U.S. Forest Service's acquisition of Rocky Fork.

"The State of Tennessee has been very supportive of the efforts to protect Rocky Fork, providing a major grant from the Tennessee Heritage Conservation Trust Fund to aid the purchase of this spectacular property," said Commissioner Jim Fyke of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. "We hope to remain engaged in this project to assure that all citizens of Tennessee can continue to use and enjoy this outstanding land."

With its focus on the community, the Fund has partnered with local leaders to seek diverse economic benefits in conserving Rocky Fork.

The Fund is interested in opening discussions concerning possible land exchange opportunities, in which the U.S. Forest Service could take ownership of additional Rocky Fork property by, in part, releasing some of its other local property deemed less strategic for management back into private ownership.

The Fund also has worked with a team of local leaders interested in increasing Rocky Fork's and the region's importance as a gateway to the Southern Appalachian Mountains in Tennessee and North Carolina.

"We've made a commitment to this community - that together, we will forge a conservation solution that enhances the local environment and economy," says Rex Boner, vice president and southeast representative for The Conservation Fund. "Even as we celebrate this milestone, our work continues. Rocky Fork is an important part of the heritage of Tennessee and we're receiving widespread support not just in the state, but also in the region and nationwide. We need a continued coordinated effort across multiple levels of government to secure funding so that Rocky Fork can be fully protected for future generations."

Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy are leading critical local conservation efforts, rallying community support and raising public and private funds.

"Acquisition of the Rocky Fork tract has been a goal of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) since the Appalachian Trail (A.T.) received federal recognition as the nation's first national scenic trail more than 40 years ago," said ATC Executive Director David Startzell.

By any measure, Rocky Fork is huge. Not just in acreage, but also in value to the environment, the economy and the public.

Rocky Fork, named after the cool waters of the creek that runs down its center, lies within Cherokee National Forest and abuts Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina, creating a vast unfragmented haven for wildlife and protecting water quality for neighboring communities.

Rocky Fork's many resources provide a range of world-class recreational opportunities - hiking the popular Appalachian Trail; fishing the more than 16 miles of pristine blue-ribbon trout streams, including the waters of Lower Higgins Creek and Rocky Fork Creek, which harbor exceptional populations of native brook trout; and hunting game animals such as bear, turkey, deer and grouse. These recreational activities have been attracting visitors from across the country for generations, bringing revenue to the local economy.