The Arc of Appalachia Preserve System's
2011 Land Acquisition Campaign
Saving Brokaw Woods
Acres Saved: 88
Location: Fort Hill
Funding Needed: $175,000
SUCCESS!! The final purchase of Brokaw Woods was completed in February, 2012 with all funds in place. See the full story in our upcoming paper newsletter, which is mailed to everyone who has contributed in the past several years. THANK YOU to everyone who made this possible!
Where is Brokaw Woods?
Brokaw Woods’ fine Appalachian hill-country sits in one of the most auspicious and pivotal locations imaginable. On Brokaw Woods’ four boundaries lie the 1200-acre Fort Hill, owned by the Ohio Historical Society and managed by the Arc; the 12,000-acre Pike State Forest; the stream corridor of Baker Fork that continues downstream through the protected heart of Fort Hill, and the 120-acre Baker Fork Bottomlands.
A Forest Worth Protecting
Brokaw Woods lies on the northern forest-clad flanks and hilltop of a long ridge that rises out of Fort Hill proper, and extends deep into Pike State Forest. It is completely canopied with second-growth forest that has been well managed. Only traces of early logging roads can be seen by the discerning eye, the tree assemblage is fully intact, and the soil of the forest understory is rich and covered with dense spring wildflowers.
Linking Critical Preserve Lands
In our last fundraising drive, the Arc campaigned for the purchase of Baker Fork Bottomlands in order to secure a valuable swamp forest and stop further development on the scenic entrance to Fort Hill. At the time, Baker Fork Bottomlands was separated from Fort Hill by only one private property. That property was Brokaw Woods. Less than one year following Baker Fork Bottomlands' purchase, Brokaw Woods family members voiced their dream to sell Brokaw Woods to a conservation organization so that their father’s beloved woods would receive permanent protection. To help make this possible, they generously agreed to sell Brokaw Woods to the Arc at 75% of the property’s appraised price and kindly give the Arc a window of time to raise the funds.
Purchasing the property will link major pre-existing conservation lands and natural features in the Fort Hill Region, thereby creating one extremely large contiguous block of protected forest.
Critical Habitat for Migrating Birds
Placing the jig-saw puzzle piece of Brokaw Woods into the mosaic of Fort Hill larger forest region is especially critical for neo-tropical warblers that migrate only to large forest blocks to breed. With forests severely fragmenting in both South America and North America, the future of such birds is perilous unless earnest work is done on both ends of their migration corridor. Brokaw Woods already has documented nesting pairs of three critically declining warbler species: Cerulean, Kentucky, and Worm-eating Warblers. It also boasts populations of the Hooded Warbler, which is a signature species of large tracts of unbroken hardwood forests in America's eastern heartland.
We still need your help! The 2012-2013 Land Campaign will be announced soon. Check back at this website for updates. In the mean time, donations will be going to endeavors like educational programs, invasive plant management and land restoration, and the building up of an emergency fund so we can move quickly to save properties if necessary.