Acquisition of land is only the first critical step in protecting North Alabama’s great natural places. Once land has been acquired, the Land Trust and our partners begin the never-ending work of ensuring that these acres have the proper care to thrive. Visit our Volunteer and Support pages to learn how you can help support this important work.
Learn more about our plans for preservation.
Land Trust Preserved Property
7504 Acres preserved in 5 counties
(Madison, Limestone, Jackson, Marshall, Dekalb)
15+ miles of creek and river frontage saved
At least 56 known caves protected
14 working properties (297 acres): Agriculture / Grazing
97 Named Trails = 70+ miles with 28 trail entrances maintained
Current Projects
Critical Connections: Chapman Mountain
You did it! You made the dream of preserving another key parcel on Chapman Mountain a reality! Thanks to you and your support Chapman Mountain Nature Preserve will be expanded by 86 incredible acres.
This acquisition will significantly increase the natural corridor and habitat for wildlife. When combined with Alabama A&M University lands and the existing Chapman Mountain Nature Preserve, the total uninterrupted acreage will now be approximately 650. Your support has helped provide a safe haven for plants and animals to live, migrate, feed, and flourish. You’ve enhanced the space available for public recreation trails that traverse diverse terrain from mountainside slopes to flat forest land. And with more ground to cover and an historic spring area to explore, you’ve helped provide exciting new opportunities for hands-on environmental education for children and adults alike.
Thank you for all that you’ve done and continue to do to preserve our incredible North Alabama lands!
Critical Connections: River to the Gap
The Vision: Creating a Connection from the Tennessee River to Blevins Gap
Envision a permanently preserved corridor of life, a natural place where connections are made and our unique sense of place is displayed. Envision a place that binds us together with trails and provides a migration corridor and habitat for wildlife to safely travel and flourish. Connecting the Tennessee River to Blevins Gap would provide such a place. It would connect the life-giving waters of the Tennessee River to our mountain top vistas. It would skirt rocky outcroppings that shelter some of our tiniest creatures. It would lead you through groves of wild azaleas, trillium, and phlox that punctuate the new green of spring. It would be a place of respite.
Singing River Trail
The Land Trust of North Alabama, in partnership with the Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments, and the regional Committee of 100, has begun the process of envisioning a 70-mile Singing River Trail that would connect communities and residents of North Alabama from Huntsville to Madison to Decatur to Athens.
We’ll continue to share details about the project as they become available. Do you have questions or ideas? Let us know at questions@landtrustnal.org or share your thoughts by completing a quick survey at singingrivertrail.com.
Huntsville Greenway Master Plan
The City of Huntsville has partnered with Land Trust of North Alabama to revise and expedite a master greenway plan for pedestrian connectivity across the City of Huntsville. The BIG Picture planning process revealed that citizens, businesses, and planners expect greenways to offer a mix of safe commuter routes as well as connections for recreation and play.
“We heard citizens loud and clear say that greenways are a priority,” said Mayor Tommy Battle. “After looking at the BIG Picture feedback and examining the rapid construction of new greenways and multi-modal lanes in other cities, we decided to update our ten-year-old greenway plan to better reflect the public’s desires and to determine how we are going to pay for these pedestrian networks.”
Long-Range Planner Dennis Madsen says the partnership gives his department added planning capacity and the ability to bring in more private support for faster implementation. “When you look at the cities with successful greenways – Chattanooga, Indianapolis, and Atlanta’s Beltline – they enlisted public-private partnerships in response to public will,” said Madsen. “The Land Trust is a well-respected organization in the business of connecting people, land and places. They have a strong history of fundraising and will help us accelerate our greenway buildout.”
The Land Trust agreement includes assistance with greenway planning preparation and mapping, identifying funding sources – philanthropic as well as grant applications – and working with landowners on acquisition.