Protecting Private Lands is of Global Significance

This would be YOU, Whites Creek Property owners!

...when biodiversity of endemic species (those found only within the continental United States) was looked at alone, the Southeast scored highest in all six groups, making it the most important focal region for native biodiversity. “It appears that private land protection efforts, similar to public protected areas, are not prioritizing the most endemic-rich areas of the country, or at least are having less success in those areas,” the authors said. 

The full article

A second Recommended Priority Area including the Tennessee, Alabama, and northern Georgia watersheds, is primarily comprised of private lands but is globally significant for aquatic species. In these watersheds, SELC focuses on stopping unpermitted pollutant discharges into rivers, preventing hazardous mineral extraction (like coal mining and fracking), protecting healthy in-stream flows, and championing smart growth in a rapidly growing region, including protecting the limited existing national forest lands.