
Pine Mountain represents one of the last great contiguous stretches
of unfragmented forest in Kentucky. While other parts of the region have
been developed, strip-mined or heavily logged, Pine Mountain remains relatively
untouched. Positioned at the western edge of the Appalachian Mountains,
the mountain offers commanding views of Virginia, Kentucky, West Virginia
and Tennessee. If ever there was a hope of preserving an ecological legacy
for future generations of Kentuckians, this is it. The mountain has remained
a refuge in the face of increasing human intrusion, mainly because it
is a rugged, nearly roadless mountain that is guarded by jutting sandstone
cliffs, tangled rhododendron thickets and large, pre-historic land slides
laden with car-sized boulders. Even when deer and turkey were driven out
of most of the region, Pine Mountain remained a refuge for wildlife native
to the area. Today the mountain serves as the travel corridor for black
bear re-entering the state from Virginia and Tennessee. It provides habitat
for the newly restored elk, and is the home of many Kentucky species that
are restricted to Pine Mountain (i.e. rose pogonia, frostweed and the
largest known population of yellow wild indigo in the Commonwealth). Breached
by only six roads in 110 miles, the mountain represents a significant
unprotected wilderness area.
PMTC is a Pine Mountain Wildlife Corridor project partner. This is the
largest landscape level project ever undertaken in Kentucky. The goals
is to ensure a forested corridor that connects existing protected areas
and maintains the ecological and migratory corridor which is important
for bears, flying squirrels, raptors, songbirds and numerous other plants
and animals. Learn more about the project by visiting the Kentucky
Natural Lands Trust.
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