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.
Current Projects
Chapman Mountain Nature Preserve
Our newest preserve is NOW OPEN! This 371 acre nature preserve on Chapman Mountain is located just to the east of Huntsville on HWY 72, and will serve as a gateway to Huntsville and outdoor adventure. Plans for the property include approximately 10 miles of multi-use trails, disc golf course, and group camping sites. Construction of a 1,920 square-foot open air facility – Terry Education Pavilion – is currently underway.
Connecting the River to the Gap
The Vision: Connecting 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.
The Challenge: Preserving Connections Before They’re Gone
Huntsville is projected to become Alabama’s largest municipality in less than 10 years. This surge of growth is already placing tremendous pressure on our natural landscape. We must act today to keep pace with the development. The price of inaction and procrastination – losing our identity – is irreversible and too high. It is critical that our natural lands and trail corridors are preserved now.
The Solution: Partnering Together
By pooling our financial resources, we can acquire and preserve the natural lands that provide key connections for this corridor. Through the generous support of Green Mountain residents and the City of Huntsville, the fundraising goal for one of these key properties has been reached. With your help, we can now begin to focus on the purchase of the next parcel connecting the River to the Gap.
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.
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.
Learn More & Complete the Survey
