Tennessee is working to purchase 5,477 acres of forest land near Grand Junction from the Hobart Ames Foundation. The land is part of the Wolf River watershed. (Photo: Wolf River Conservancy)

About 60 miles east of Memphis, near the Mississippi border, lush green hardwood trees and ecologically unique streams crisscross thousands of acres of rolling terrain.

The area is home to many species of aquatic and terrestrial animals, archaeological sites dating back decades, and a watershed that feeds an aquifer from which hundreds of thousands of Memphis residents draw their drinking water.

If all goes according to plan, the 5,477 acres of land will soon become Tennessee’s newest national forest, ensuring its preservation for generations to come.

The land is part of the 18,400-acre, privately owned, historic Ames Plantation site in Fayette and Hardeman counties, which Massachusetts industrialist Hobart Ames amassed in the early 20th century.

For the past few decades, the Hobart Ames Foundation has partnered with the University of Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center to maintain and study the land and its history. The university’s website calls the center an “18,400-acre laboratory” that houses an archaeology field school, veterinary school, forestry camp, a tree research nursery, row crop research fields and more.

When about 5,500 acres of the forest came on the market in early 2023, the Tennessee Department of Forestry immediately began raising funds to purchase it.

Contract cobbled together in “lightning speed”

The purchase was already underway when Heather Slayton, a state forester, was appointed to the position in January of this year. After calling her staff to inform them of her new position, “my second order of business was to call the Hobart Ames Foundation to let them know we were rushing to get this project moving,” she said. “In the relative scheme of forest heritage projects, it was a mad dash.”

The land was only on the market for a short time before the Hobart Ames Foundation agreed to sell it and give the state “some time” to raise funds to “protect and preserve it in perpetuity.”

News of the project emerged in August when the state Department of Agriculture submitted a request for approval to a subcommittee of the State Building Commission, warning that the land “would be in imminent danger of development if sold to a third party.”

The forest is located near Grand Junction, about 30 miles south of Ford’s new BlueOval City electric car plant.

“This area is important and irreplaceable because it supports the longest continuous research tree nursery in the country. It also contains one of the best examples of long-term, well-managed lowland hardwood forests in western Tennessee,” the application states.

Slayton said the initial $16.9 million to secure the purchase will come from Tennessee’s Heritage Conservation Trust Fund, in addition to about $1.5 million in state wetlands funding and assistance from other state agencies. The Tennessee Division of Forestry has applied to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service Legacy Program, which helps maintain working forests in pristine condition. The program would cover 75 percent of the total $22.5 million purchase price, and state funds would cover the remaining 25 percent. If the federal grant is approved, the plan is to repay the Heritage Conservation Trust Fund contribution, she said. Including additional costs, the total value of the project is about $24.3 million, Slayton said.

The Conservation Fund, a national environmental nonprofit, brokered negotiations to buy the land from the Hobart Ames Foundation and plans to sign an agreement with the state.

Zachary Lesch-Huie, Tennessee state director for The Conservation Fund, said the land is valuable for many reasons. It includes a significant portion of the Upper Branch of the Wolf River, which feeds the aquifer that supplies Memphis with water. It is home to several species that Tennessee prioritizes for conservation and features “exceptional” forest habitat. There is potential for future recreational and educational opportunities, including hunting, river access, hiking and further archaeological exploration of more than 40 historic sites on the property.

The purchase is not yet finalized — Lesch-Huie said the process is progressing well but could take several more weeks, barring any unforeseen obstacles. He said he credits the excellent condition of the land to the care of the Hobart Ames Foundation and the University of Tennessee, and the state’s “conservation vision,” for making the deal possible.

“I also want to give credit to … the Hobart Ames Foundation, because their willingness to do this important deal for the state of Tennessee is what this (project) depends on,” he said. “All of these environmental deals rely on a willing landowner, and they are that kind of landowner.”

The University of Tennessee declined to comment on the pending agreement, and the Hobart Ames Foundation did not respond to a request for comment.

Following the completion of the sale, the University of Tennessee will continue to manage the property in partnership with the state and continue the tree nursery research project.

“Information gained from research into tree genetics and how to grow healthier, more resilient trees also helps forests throughout Tennessee,” Slayton said.

Protecting Drinking Water in the Wolf River and Memphis

The North Branch of the Wolf River flows through this section of lowland forest—essentially a riverine swamp or forested marsh—in the Ames area. It meets the Wolf River at Moscow, Tennessee, and then the Wolf River flows into the Mississippi River at Mud Island, north of downtown Memphis.

Wetlands play a critical role in protecting and providing clean water, and this system helps approximately 2.8 million people living downstream in the Memphis area and surrounding counties do just that.

– Heather Slayton, Tennessee State Forester

According to the University of Memphis, Memphis is the largest city in the country that relies entirely on groundwater.

Ryan Hall, director of land conservation for the Wolf River Conservancy, said the entire forest area lies within the Memphis Sand Aquifer recharge zone. Rainwater slowly filters through layers of sand, purifying the water. The natural sand aquifers are separated by thick clay that protects the water from contaminants, according to the University of Memphis. But thinning of the clay and cracks on its surface in several areas in Shelby County are creating ongoing contamination problems.

“Wetlands are really integral to protecting and providing clean water, so this system helps do that for about 2.8 million people downstream in the Memphis area and surrounding counties,” Slayton said. “So just being able to protect the wetland function of providing clean water for those people is really, really special.”

The Wolf River Conservancy’s goal is to preserve the Wolf River watershed as a natural resource and provide environmental education. The organization is working to build the Wolf River Greenway through Memphis. The group has been an advocate for the land’s conversion into a new national forest, Hall said.

“(The property) has “It’s been well-managed for a long time and now we know it’s going to be well-managed forever, so that peace of mind is just — Wolf River Conservancy and all of our volunteers, donors, we’re very grateful that this is happening,” he said.

A rich cultural place

The Ames estate was one of several large plantations operating in the area in the 19th century, Slayton said.

“This particular block of woods and the larger Ames property have a very rich cultural history related to slavery in this part of Tennessee,” she said.

The University of Tennessee, in partnership with the Hobart Ames Foundation, conducted extensive research on the site, identifying historical artifacts and tracing the ancestors who lived there.

According to the university, the larger Ames estate includes Ames Manor, a cabin, and the remains of numerous 19th-century buildings, including homes, stores, churches, schools, cotton gins, and slave quarters. There are 26 known cemeteries on the estate, including up to six slave burial sites, some with more than 100 graves.

“That’s another incredibly exciting part of this project: keeping it in public hands so we can protect the cultural significance of this property,” Slayton said.

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