Pinnacle Natural Area Preserve
and the Clinch Valley Bioreserve

1. Though encompassing only 7% of Virginia's land mass, the Clinch Valley Bioreserve contains 24% of the state's globally rare species-more than 400 rare plants and animals.
2. The Clinch and Powell rivers are the only ecologically intact headwaters of the Tennessee River system. Among the last free-flowing sections of this once expansive system, these rivers are the sole remaining sanctuary for a group of freshwater mussels living nowhere else on earth. The rivers once sheltered nearly sixty species of mussels. That number has since dwindled to around forty, of which twenty-six species are globally rare and thirteen are listed as federally endangered.
3. A labyrinth of caves and underground streams support two kinds of endangered bats, some fifty globally rare cave organisms, and several natural communities found only here.
4. The "karst" regions-broad areas of limestone characterized by stream holes, sinking streams, springs and caves-are home to plants and animals specially adapted to such unusual and demanding conditions. The last intact cedar glade communities in Virginia are found in Lee County, as well as such endangered birds as the peregrine falcon and loggerhead shrike.

Conservancy Action

In 1990, the Virginia Chapter of The Nature Conservancy opened a field office in Abingdon to bring hands-on protection to the Clinch Valley. Four staff members are now enacting a comprehensive conservation strategy for the region that includes land acquisition, research, economic development, and community needs. In the last two years, the Conservancy has launched several innovative conservation programs, including:

• RIPARIAN RESTORATION PROGRAM: Freshwater mussels require exceptionally clean and fast-flowing water to stay healthy. People need clean water, too. Cattle marching up and down riverbanks to get a drink and go about nature's business are hurting water quality in the Clinch and Powell rivers. They trample native vegetation, eroding the banks and sending excess soil downstream. Teaming up with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and local residents, the Conservancy is working with farmers to build fences to keep cattle out of the river, find alternative sources of water for the cattle, and restore native vegetation to the streambanks. All this is done at no upfront cost to the farmer.
  
• CAVE REGISTRY PROGRAM: Working with the Cave Conservancy of the Virginian Virginia Cave Board and Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Conservancy has registered for protection thirteen biologically significant caves. Registry-a voluntary agreement by landowners to protect caves on their property-provides a first layer of protection for eleven globally rare species, including the endangered gray bat. This innovative program is quickly becoming a national model for cave protection.
• SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH: The Virginia Chapter is working with several universities to determine the habitat needs of the Clinch Valley's endangered plants and animals. Some of the research seeks to understand the complex life histories of endangered organisms and develop innovative methods to aid in the recovery of these species. Other research aims to quantify threats to the health of rivers and caves and find ways to reduce these threats without hurting the region's economy.
• COMPATIBLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: A central tenet of the Last Great Places initiative is the need to protect nature while allowing human communities to grow and prosper. The Conservancy is working with local planners, government agencies, and private industry to find environmentally sound approaches to such issues as sewage treatment, timber harvesting, coal mining, and airport and prison location.

Natural Areas Protection The Conservancy has acquired seven sites in the Clinch Valley that represent some of Virginians finest natural areas, including:

• PENDLETON ISLAND PRESERVE: As the Clinch River winds through Scott County, it passes by three wooded isles that are collectively called Pendleton Island. The river channels here support some 40 mussel species in the richest 300 yards of mussel diversity on the planet. Acquired by the Conservancy in 1984, Pendleton Island's protection may have a global impact on the survival of several mollusk species, as many of the species it harbors occur in fewer that 10 sites worldwide; one is found only at Pendleton Island. Scientists from around the world agree that Pendleton Island is perhaps the most important freshwater mussel site because of its extraordinary diversity, and use the preserve as a living laboratory.
• THE PINNACLE: This rugged 68-acre tract, located at the confluence of Big Cedar Creek and the Clinch River, harbors 12 rare plants, including glade spurge, Canby's mountain lover, and Carey saxifrage, and 11 rare mollusks, including one of the last two refuges for the birdwing pearlymussel. Upon learning in 1989 of The Pinnacle's ecological significance, Russell County deeded the property to the Conservancy, which in turn transferred it to the commonwealth for designation as a State Natural Area. The Conservancy is cooperating with local legislators and leaders on the Pinnacle Preserve Committee for future management of the site. The Pinnacle is a place where scientific research and public recreation will coexist.
• POWELL RIVER BLUFFS: Limestone bluffs tower above the banks of the Powell River on this 148-acre tract, providing a dramatic overlook and valuable habitat for a number of Virginia's rare plants. Blue ash, false aloe, goldenseal, and Pitcher's stitchwort are among the many rare species found on this largely forested site. In addition, the mile of river frontage on the preserve captures the most productive shoals on the Powell River, including two species surviving nowhere else on earth: the Cumberland monkeyface and oyster mussels. The preserve, which the Conservancy acquired in 1991, may offer a site for future reintroduction of the endangered peregrine falcon.

The Future