About Us
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Environment. Stewardship. Sustainability.
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We are a certified Forest Stewardship and certified Family Forest. We implement practices for ecological improvements, and sustainably utilize it the way God had designed.
Every year, Chris and Christina Anderson, hand-plant native trees and shrubs at the appropriate time of the year. They have recently added milkweeds for the Monarch butterfly and pollinators. The rest of the year, Chris diligently manages the regeneration primarily through hand plantings, but also employs other methods such as crop tree release, bush hogging, invasive controls, and prescribed burns as he develops the forest back to its natural setting. These practices have allowed the big bluestem grasses and other wild flowers to naturally occur. Along ravines and wet areas, riparian buffers have been developed in accordance with Tennessee's Best Management Practices (BMP). Throughout the property there are four designated areas developed into permanent wildlife food plots. We are proud of Chris' vision to see the forest-to-be, and enjoy the change in landscape as it grows. In addition, wildlife which may be threatened elsewhere finds a healthy habitat to rest and grow here on CRC Stewardship Ridge. When Christina is not helping Chris with the hand planting process, she manages the website and social media channels; as well as outreach efforts and coordinating with other industry professionals. Our land is truly an enjoyment in the personal use of hunting, hiking, watching wildlife, and the satisfaction of ecological stewardship. We share our love of stewardship and ongoing projects with others through this website and Facebook. We always welcome the community and abroad to visit our active American Tree Farm and Forest Stewardship with a scheduled date. We hope our site offers you simple information that inspires you to get involved, enjoy, steward, and restore your part of the world - wherever you live or travel to. |
Our Location
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Our tree farm is located in a unique ecological region on the north end of Walden’s Ridge in Spring City, TN, siting on the last eastern ridge of the Cumberland Plateau. We share a border with Tennessee’s Stinging Fork Falls State Natural Area, and Tennessee’s newest named scenic river in 15 years, Soak Creek, within Piney Falls Natural Area. We also border the planned route for the Cumberland Trail
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Our History |
In 1995 Chris' parents wanted to leave the Florida shoreline and be near mountains and trees again. They found that place on east Tennessee's Cumberland Plateau. Since their original purchase of 147 acres, Chris has diligently managed and protected the family’s land.
The regional pine beetle devastation of 2000 was the sole event that motivated Chris to seek the advice of an area forester and obtain a management plan. His diligence and grit would inadvertently take the property from "just a piece of family property" to meeting the standards for certification. In 2006 the original tract became a certified Forest Stewardship, and through years of care, restoring the forest back to a healthy state and developing wildlife habitat, we became a certified American Tree Farm in 2012. During those years, additional bordering properties were purchased to total 232 acres today and turned over to a trust in 2013. From 2000 to today, every year the hand planting of thousands of hardwoods, pines, and shrubs along with habitat management throughout the year - furthering the restoration practices of an ongoing environmental stewardship. In 2015 we decided to share what we are doing through the internet, which motivated us to develop a name for our stewardship. |