New Tennessee State Forest to Include Parts of Ames Plantation in Fayette County
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry (TDF) announced Monday, December 23, 2024, the opening of Wolf River State Forest, which includes a portion of Ames Plantation in Fayette County. The 5,477 acres park will become the 16th state forest of Tennessee.
“We are thrilled to add Wolf River State Forest to our state forest system and are grateful for the support and partnerships that made this acquisition possible,” State Forester Heather Slayton said. “This property holds great historical, cultural, and archeological significance, as well as long-term forest research plots, and exceptional hardwood forestland. Under our management, we will keep this forest as a forest, conserve and steward its extensive natural and cultural resources, facilitate the continuation of research and conservation education at the site, and support the local wood products industry.”
The land, which is located along the Wolf River, is a portion of the historical Ames Plantation, a property located about 60 miles east of Memphis. It was established by Hobart Ames, a wealthy industrialist, in the early 1900s. After he passed, his wife created the Hobart Ames Foundation to benefit the University of Tennessee’s (UT) scientific research programs and the National Championship for Bird Dogs.
The portion of Ames Plantation that will become Wolf River State Forest includes one of the finest examples of bottomland hardwood forests in the state, including white oak stands that provide significant aid to white oak restoration and sustainability efforts. TDF will also conserve more than 30 miles of streams and riparian habitat and 1,560 acres of wetlands in the new state forest, helping to ensure water quality for Memphis drinking water, fisheries, and others downstream.
In addition to the natural resources on the forest, the tract contains 45 state-registered historical sites. Rhodes College and the Hobart Ames Foundation have invested in expanding historical knowledge of slavery at Ames, identifying more than 800 enslaved people who lived and worked on the property and documenting their cemeteries and remnants of dwellings. Rhodes College, UT, and the Hobart Ames Foundation will continue to collaborate with those descendants to identify enslaved ancestors.
The state forest will provide new public access for passive outdoor recreation activities in the area like hunting, wildlife viewing, hiking, and fishing. TDF is currently surveying the property, installing signage, and preparing to welcome the public to the new state forest early 2025 with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
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