Huntsville residents Bob and Sue Kuehlthau have donated 248 acres to the Land Trust of North Alabama to expand the Green Mountain Nature Preserve. This is the second donation from the couple, who donated 122 acres in 2016 that helped start the preserve in Huntsville.
The new donation adjoins the current Green Mountain Nature Preserve land on the southern border, preserving three existing trails on the property, as well as several caves. It also provides an important piece of the Land Trust’s River to Gap Vision, a plan to establish a natural corridor connecting Blevins Gap to the Tennessee River.
The Land Trust of North Alabama incorporated in 1987 as a 501(c)(3) organization, becoming Alabama’s first land trust. To date, the Land Trust is made up of seven nature preserves encompassing more than 8,500 acres in six counties and includes more than 70 miles of public trails. The property is used for outdoor recreation, but also as ecology laboratories for local schools, scientists and researchers.
The Green Mountain Nature Preserve was made up of 500 acres prior to the Kuehlthaus’ recent donation. The property features a number of streams and waterfalls, as well as a prehistoric Native American camp and Alum Cave.
According to the latest report from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, which was released in 2020 and was based on data from 2019, Alabama’s outdoor recreational activity contributed 1.8% to Alabama’s gross domestic product.
