Kentucky Natural Lands Trust (KNLT) is proud to announce a new tract of protected wildlands on Pine Mountain in Harlan County. The 290-acre Robert and Cora Carmical Addition expands Salt Trace Gap Preserve to 3,110 acres, protecting forested habitat at the headwaters of the Cumberland River.
The tract is named in honor of Robert and Cora Carmical who raised their family on the land.
“The family of Robert and Cora Carmical are pleased to preserve the land on Pine Mountain that holds fond family memories of living with nine children in a two-room cabin. Walking to school, hauling moonshine, growing food, tending animals, and exploring the mountain are reminiscences of a simpler life that no longer exists. We are grateful KNLT is preserving the land that holds our memories.” ~Roscoe Carmical
Local Action, Global Impact
The Carmical land is located on the south face of Pine Mountain in Central Appalachia, within one of the most biodiverse temperate regions on Earth. It is within the Appalachian Highlands Wildlands Corridor which is home to thousands of species of plants and animals, more than 250 are rare and a few are found nowhere else on the planet. The tract protects forests within a continental bird migratory route that also are summer habitat for the endangered northern long-eared bat. Additionally, the tract safeguards headwater streams of the Cumberland River, which has globally notable mussel, fish, crayfish, and invertebrate diversity.
The Carmical Addition also secures more than a mile of the proposed route of the Pine Mountain section of the Great Eastern Trail, the 1,800-mile passive recreation trail stretching from Alabama to New York. The tract is a key acquisition for advancing access to nature and the emerging outdoor economy of the region.
Thirty years ago, KNLT launched an effort to protect Kentucky’s largest remaining old growth forest. This successful initiative culminated in the creation of Blanton Forest State Nature Preserve. Located adjacent to Blanton Forest, Salt Trace Gap Preserve and the new Carmical Addition provide important buffer to the old growth forest and create vital landscape connectivity. The Carmical Addition builds upon KNLT’s conservation accomplishments that began with Blanton Forest and now represent more than 60,000 acres of wildlands protected.
We’re grateful for the support of individual donors, foundations, and partners. We thank the Imperiled Bat Conservation Fund (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Kentucky Field Office) and Appalachia Rising (Re:wild sponsored initiative) for making this project possible.
About Kentucky Natural Lands Trust
KNLT is a nationally accredited nonprofit working to protect biodiverse and climate resilient landscapes in ways that benefit communities. Through partnerships with individuals, nonprofits, government agencies and businesses, KNLT has protected more than 60,000 acres of wildlands throughout Kentucky and Central Appalachia. Projects like these would not be possible without the support of our donors! Join our movement and give today: DONATE NOW
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Cover photo: Salt Trace Gap Preserve ~ Ted Wathen, Kentucky Documentary Photographic Project
Blackburnian Warbler ~ Patrice Bouchard, Creative Commons
Pine Mountain Scenic Trail and Great Eastern Trail ~ Greg Abernathy, KNLT
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