In nearby Wilson County and off of Highway 231 North, reports from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), in partnership with TennGreen Land Conservancy, announced on Tuesday that Cedars of Lebanon will be growing. The growth will add five acres of property adjacent to Cedars of Lebanon State Park and Natural Area, just over the Rutherford County line in Wilson County.

“This is an opportunity for the state to add a small piece of protected land in a region that has seen increased development,” said Roger McCoy, director of TDEC’s Division of Natural Areas. “It further protects a great natural resource in our state, and we are grateful for the partnership with TennGreen Land Conservancy to make this addition possible.”

TDEC found the property for sale last year and requested TennGreen to work with the department to make the purchase. It was the state’s second collaboration on land acquisition in recent weeks. In February, TDEC, TennGreen and the Open Space Institute announced the acquisition of 358 acres known as Piney River Bluffs in Rhea County to expand the Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail State Park.

The acquisition at Cedars of Lebanon expands the Cedars of Lebanon State Park boundary and enhances protection of the area’s unique habitat with rare and endangered species.

The TDEC Division of Natural Areas is dedicated to the protection and management of native plants, animals and natural communities across Tennessee. Along with managing a statewide system of natural areas, the division is a lead authority regarding the location and ecology of the state’s rare species.

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Cedars of Lebanon State Park is part of the Cedars of Lebanon State Forest, named for the eastern red cedar trees found throughout the area. The trees reminded early American settlers of the Biblical cedar forests that thrived across Mount Lebanon in what is now the Mediterranean region. 

TennGreen Land Conservancy (formerly the Tennessee Parks & Greenways Foundation) is a 501(c)(3) environmental nonprofit and the oldest accredited statewide land conservancy in Tennessee.