New Wolf River State Forest Dedicated in Grand Junction

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry (TDF) celebrated the dedication of Tennessee’s 16th state forest, Wolf River State Forest, at 10:30 a.m. Friday, March 21, in Grand Junction, Tenn. It is located in West Tennessee in Fayette County.

The acquisition of Wolf River State Forest ensures the continuation of multigenerational research and secures the University of Tennessee’s long-standing use of the forest to train future natural resources management professionals. It also supports the sustainable management of the 5,477 acres of forest land and the conservation of more than 30 miles of streams.

TDF advanced this project in partnership with The Conservation Fund, a nonprofit organization that works to protect natural land, cultural sites, recreation areas, and working forests and farms across the United States.

Funding for the purchase was made possible with grant funds from the USDA Forest Service Forest Legacy Program, supported by Tennessee’s federal Congressional delegation, State Appropriations, and Tennessee Heritage Conservation Trust Fund. Matching funds were provided from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency’s Wetlands Funds, The Conservation Fund, and the seller.

The land, which is located along the Wolf River, is a portion of the historical Ames Plantation, a property located about 60 miles east of Memphis. It was established by Hobart Ames, a wealthy industrialist, in the early 1900s. After he passed, his wife created the Hobart Ames Foundation to benefit the University of Tennessee’s (UT) scientific research programs and the National Championship for Bird Dogs.

The portion of Ames Plantation that is Wolf River State Forest includes one of the finest examples of bottomland hardwood forests in the state, including white oak stands that provide significant aid to white oak restoration and sustainability efforts. TDF will also conserve more than 30 miles of streams and riparian habitat and 1,560 acres of wetlands in the new state forest, helping to ensure water quality for Memphis drinking water, fisheries, and others downstream.

In addition to the natural resources on the forest, the tract contains 45 state-registered historical sites. Rhodes College and the Hobart Ames Foundation have invested in expanding historical knowledge of slavery at Ames, identifying more than 800 enslaved people who lived and worked on the property and documenting their cemeteries and remnants of dwellings. Rhodes College, UT, and the Hobart Ames Foundation will continue to collaborate with those descendants to identify enslaved ancestors.

Finally, the new state forest provides new public access for passive outdoor recreation activities in the area like hunting, wildlife viewing, hiking, and fishing.

TDF advanced this project in partnership with The Conservation Fund, a nonprofit organization that works to protect natural land, cultural sites, recreation areas, and working forests and farms across the United States. The Conservation Fund has partnered with TDF and numerous other state agencies over the years to protect more than 300,000 acres of Tennessee’s land and water.

“We are pleased we were able to facilitate the acquisition of the Ames property and work with the state to permanently protect it,” The Conservation Fund’s Tennessee State Director Zachary Lesch-Huie said. “The property has tremendous environmental, economic, scientific, and cultural value. Protecting it as a state forest will ensure it keeps delivering that value for the people of West Tennessee.”