Blackburn Fork River View Preserved for Kayakers, Canoers and Fishermen

More than 400 acres North of Cookeville will be preserved with a conservation easement being donated to the Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation.

The Blackburn Fork River meanders through a valley on the Allan and Gretel Branton’s property, with hills rising above on either side. The deal’s terms ensure that the 424 acres never hold more than 4 houses, no matter who owns the land. Foundation President Kathleen Williams says the area between the river and the hilltops will remain untouched.

“The trees will grow old. The trees that fall in the forest will lay there and feed life for hundreds of years. It’ll be a great place for wildlife forever,

and also, because it drains quite a large area, the water quality will be protected forever, at least in this segment.”

The Parks and Greenways Foundation holds relatively few easements, because it focuses on saving land for public use. Williams says this easement fits the group’s mission, since the land is along a river that’s used for floating and fishing.

Williams hopes the sizable donation is just the beginning. The foundation hopes to secure easements from other landowners along the Blackburn Fork.