In March 2024, the Cumberland River Compact completed an ambitious reforestation project in East Tennessee, planting over 30,000 native tree seedlings on a previously mined site known as Hurricane Ridge. The area is managed and permanently conserved by The Nature Conservancy as part of the Cumberland Forest Project.
The Compact’s effort aims to restore ecological balance and promote healthy aquatic habitat on 40 acres heavily impacted by mining activities. It is a step toward the goal to reforest hundreds of acres near the headwaters of the Cumberland River. You can read more about the origins of the Compact’s mine land reforestation program on this blog, published in the fall of 2023.
Tending to New Growth
Measuring results is a critical step to ensure a meaningful impact at any Cumberland River Compact project site. That’s why we conducted a tree count at Hurricane Ridge in early August 2024.
The results of that tree count bode well for this future forest. Species like white oak, shortleaf pine, sycamore, cedar, and black cherry trees were thriving in their new environment. We planted at a rate of 700 seedlings per acre with the expectation that only 70% of those will reach maturity due to deer and elk browsing, climatic conditions, and natural thinning.
The count revealed an impressive density of approximately 790 trees per acre. This number includes the surviving planted seedlings and additional native species naturally that germinated from existing seed stock. Loosening compacted ground before planting– a key step in the Forestry Reclamation Approach we follow– allowed these existing seeds to more readily germinate.
Kaela Walton-Sather, the Compact’s Working Lands Program Coordinator, conducted the tree count with Brock Rovenstine, our Urban Forestry Operations Manager. Kaela has a research background and spent six years working on the reclamation of oil fields. Brock is an ISA Certified Arborist® with over eight years of experience as a tree surgeon.
They measured the surviving and desirable tree species within 20 test plots measuring 1/100th of an acre each. This area was measured using an 11.78 length of rope, walked in a circle from a central point. Brock walked the perimeter of each plot, calling out the number of tree species within it– “One white oak! Two pines! A sycamore! Three black locusts!” –while Kaela jotted them down.
In addition to the surprising number of surviving trees, flowers and groundcover were abundant. Although invasive lespedeza was present, other naturalized and native groundcovers abounded, including goldenrod, blackberry, passion flower, and red clover. The amount of autumn olive and royal paulownia, two of the most problematic invasive species at Hurricane Ridge, was greatly reduced.
As Brock and Kaela were finishing the last plot, Brock raised his foot to take a step and heard a sound they had been warned about: The shake of a tail announced the presence of a massive rattlesnake right under Brock’s foot.
Although Brock and the snake peacefully parted ways, the need for snake chaps, a satellite phone, and a safety kit were validated by this encounter! Kaela, who has extensive experience working in remote regions, has fine-tuned the Compact’s safety approach since joining the Working Lands team earlier this year.
THE BACK STORY: Why a water conservation organization cares about mine land reforestation
The Compact has a vested interest in reforesting previously mined land to achieve water quality goals in the Cumberland River basin. The Cumberland River provides drinking water and habitat to 3 million people and thousands of species. According to the National Association of State Foresters, “It is estimated that more than 50 percent of the nation’s drinking water originates from forested landscapes.” Unfortunately, previously mined land that has been improperly reclaimed contributes to water contamination and habitat degradation in Tennessee and across mining regions.
Hurricane Ridge was formerly a surface mine. This means soil, rock, and forest overlying the coal deposit were removed to access the coal seam.
Since 1977, coal companies have been required by law to “reclaim” sites they mine. At Hurricane Ridge, that meant that dangerous and steep walls created by mining activities were graded and planted with seeds and trees. However, the extreme soil shake-up, acidification, and compaction from mining processes created a poor growth medium for newly planted trees and native groundcover. Even on sites where native trees and groundcover were planted, such as the Hurricane Ridge site, invasive plants moved in and took over because the site conditions were too difficult for native species.
When formerly mined land is “reclaimed” by planting without first aerating the compacted soil, the forest regeneration process is more likely to be stunted. At Hurricane Ridge, only a handful of native trees per acre could be found prior to the Compact’s reforestation work.
The arrested state of development leads to poor wildlife and aquatic habitats. The compacted ground functions much like a gravel parking lot, sending sheets of water downhill, leading to excess stream flows (i.e., flooding) and erosion.
Migratory birds like the cerulean warbler use the Appalachian forests for nesting and have seen populations decline by more than 70% over the past fifty years due to human-inflicted habitat loss.1 Salamanders living in Appalachia, the “salamander capital of the world,” are increasingly threatened by mining, logging, pollution, and other man-made interference.2
The Compact has a goal to reforest a minimum of 100 acres of previously mined land per year. Over time, a multitude of interconnected benefits will emerge from reforestation.
An immediate impact is better absorption of rainwater, thanks to the penetrative soil “ripping” process that proceeds our planting projects. As the trees get bigger, their canopy will slow the impact of rainwater, and their roots will absorb much more rainwater than the shallow-rooted invasive groundcover that used to dominate the area. Trees reduce erosion, cool the temperature of streams, and can even mitigate heavy metals in soil.
The forests of Appalachia provide a critical rest haven for migratory songbirds and habitat for top-of-the-food chain birds like eagles, owls, and falcons. This new forest will also be home to mammals like bats, bobcats, bears, and elk. To take a deeper dive into the science behind the myriad ecological benefits a forest brings, take a look at our previous blog on mine land reforestation.
The Compact isn’t alone in its efforts to transform previously mined land back into a vibrant Appalachian forest. We are contributing to goals laid out by National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, which partially funded this project, and the United States Department of the Interior. These goals include providing good jobs in regions affected by the decline in coal mining and improving water quality, aquatic habitat, and habitat for birds on both early and mature forest landscapes.
The urgency of this work is evidenced by the $11.293 billion in new federal funding for mine land reclamation and reforestation authorized by the 2021 Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (also known as the “Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL)”). Hundreds of thousands of acres in Appalachia were destroyed by coal mining, which is still a top source of power and electricity in Tennessee and Kentucky1. BIL funding aims to rectify the economic and ecological destruction left in its wake. Our project is not directly tied to BIL funding, but the Department of the Interior and Office of Surface Mining– who manage the $11.2 billion funding— are supportive of the Compact’s work at Hurricane Ridge. They are helping to facilitate greater coordination amongst project partners and hope to see more success stories like this one with increased investment.
A Successful Model for Future Reforestation
The Compact’s mine land reforestation initiative is part of a larger effort to reverse the trend toward habitat decline and water quality degradation in Appalachia. In addition to government and non-profit efforts, private industry partners like Suntory Global Spirits and the White Oak Initiative are pushing to strengthen and sustain native, hardwood forests by contributing to mine land reforestation projects. For the Hurricane Ridge project, Suntory Global Spirits donated the 30,000+ trees needed to reforest the site. These trees will play a crucial role in stabilizing the soil, improving water quality, and providing critical habitat.
As this 40-acre plot continues to mature, it will serve as a model for successful reforestation projects. Attendees to the June 2024 American Society of Reclamation Science (ASRS) conference visited Hurricane Ridge as part of the conference programming. Visitors included representatives from the Office of Surface Mining, the Tennessee State Department of Forestry, the University of Tennessee Knoxville, The Nature Conservancy, Green Forests Work, and other similar researchers and nonprofits from around the country. Having such esteemed members of the reclamation community visit Hurricane Ridge and compliment the project’s results thus far was an encouraging testament to its success.
Looking Forward
The Cumberland River Compact, the Office of Surface Mining, Williams Forestry, and The Nature Conservancy will continue to monitor survivability at Hurricane Ridge over the coming years. The Compact may hire Williams Forestry to perform invasive control if invasive plants are getting a foothold. The Nature Conservancy will manage the property in perpetuity, ensuring that it provides myriad ecological benefits long after the project originators are gone.
The Compact is currently seeking new previously mined sites to reforest. If you own land in the Cumberland River basin that has been degraded by previous coal mining activities, please contact us to learn more about reforestation. Ideal parcels are 30+ acres with compacted soil, stunted trees, and invasive species.
Our goal is to reforest over three hundred acres in the next three years in the eastern half of the Cumberland River basin, one of the most biodiverse regions in the world. Individuals from across the Cumberland River basin can help make mine land reforestation possible. Your gift assists with the planting of trees, fair wages for Appalachian contractors, ongoing maintenance of the land, and more. You can support the water conservation work of the Compact by donating today.
Gratitude to Partners
The Compact extends gratitude to our generous funders, whose significant contributions made this project possible: James R. Meadows Foundation, Suntory Global Spirits, and National Fish & Wildlife Foundation.
This win is a testament to the careful planning and execution by the Compact, its many partner organizations, and the contractors hired to perform the site preparation and planting. Ongoing support from The Nature Conservancy, the Office of Surface Mining, and Green Forests Work was critical to the project’s early success. Mountain Ridge, LLC of Corbin, Kentucky, and. Williams Forestry of Calhoun, Georgia, gave the project the best start possible by providing top-notch bulldozer work, healthy seedlings, and professional planting services.
Support mine land reforestation and all the water conservation work of the Compact by making a gift today.
