Fifteen pristine acres in the South Cumberland Plateau area in Marion County will be permanently protected thanks to a conservation easement agreement between the landowners and the Land Trust for Tennessee.
Senior Conservation Project Manager Jackson Lundy said landowners Jan and Ed Routon have owned the property they have described as “magical,” for 20 years.
The newly protected land includes a lush forest and stream along Jumpoff Creek. The property sits just southeast of Sewanee, within the South Cumberland Plateau region, and features one of the area’s most striking natural landmarks: Jumpoff Falls.
Lundy said the conservation easement allows the Routons to continue using the property for recreation and as a family retreat, while ensuring that its forest and stream remain protected from subdivision or intensive development. The land will remain protected in perpetuity…