Bridgestone Nature Reserve Chestnut Mountain

Fast Facts

• Inventorying Species

  The Reserve boasts mixed hardwood and shortleaf pine forests, caves and the headwaters of the Caney Fork River and Firestone Lake, which provides drinking water for local communities. The Reserve also contains habitat that could potentially harbor more than 100 species of conservation concern, including the bald eagle, the eastern slender glass lizard, long-tailed weasel, the barking tree frog, green salamander, rusty patched bumblebee and rose orchid. Turkey, quail, bobcat, red and gray foxes, otter, beaver and rare plants such as Cumberland rosemary and white prairie clover also inhabit the area.

  Prior to the donation, and under TNC’s guidance, Bridgestone Americas, Inc. began implementing protective treatments to the property's eastern hemlock trees to combat the non-native, invasive hemlock woolly adelgid pest, and authorized controlled burns to restore native shortleaf pine forest, which has declined by more than 50% in the past 30 years throughout its native range.

  Since assuming ownership, TNC has assembled scientists—representing different disciplines—to conduct a comprehensive survey of plants, animals and wildlife habitats. Thanks to a grant from the Barbara J. Mapp Foundation, this work includes the installation of trail cameras and bioacoustics equipment to further advance monitoring and inventorying efforts.

• Exploring New Markets

  TNC is exploring ways of measuring, and eventually harnessing, the carbon sequestering power of the Reserve’s forests to mitigate impacts from greenhouse gasses. An inventory of the property's forest revealed that the Reserve stores nearly one million metric tons of carbon, equivalent to greenhouse gasses emitted by more than 155,000 vehicles in one year.

  Due to its carbon storage capacity, the Reserve can participate in a marketplace that puts a price on carbon to provide partnership opportunities for businesses seeking to voluntarily offset emissions that result from their operations. They can pursue this by purchasing credits from landwoners who have committed to quantifying and protecting carbon stored on their forested property in order to participate in the marketplace.

  Since these forests are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council ® (FSC®-C008922), TNC expects that their potential for storing carbon will improve with sustainable management. TNC will reinvest proceeds generated from the carbon marketplace into conservation projects at the Reserve and throughout the Cumberland Plateau.

• Welcoming the Public

  Currently, the Reserve is not open to visitors. Once TNC has a better idea of the Reserve’s plant and animal species and associated needs, it will plan for public uses that are compatible with protecting the property’s natural values.