This small preserve of mature forest purchased from The Nature Conservancy is located in a sea of recently harvested forest and open agricultural lands and was purchased to protect water quality in Buck Creek which is outstanding resource water with 73 species of fish and 30 species of mussels occurring throughout the creek.  There are two significant mussel beds that occur adjacent to the property and several endangered mussels can be found in these beds including the federally endangered Cumberland Bean and the state endangered purple Lilliput and Tennessee clubshell.  Two additional rare mussel species, the federally endangered Cumberland combshell and state endangered fluted kidneyshell, are found very close to the preserve. The state special concern Northern White Cedar is located at one corner of the preserve.  The upland forest is dominated by American beech, eastern hemlock and white oak with an understory of mountain laurel which is unique considering the location of this preserve.

The Nature Conservancy acquired the 270-acre Pumphrey Tract and placed a Wetland Reserve Program easement on 150 acres in 2005. Sold 35 acres of the Pumphrey Tract to Pulaski County and exchanged 40 acres with a local landowner for an easement on 86 acres in 2008. Planted approximately 30,000 native trees and shrubs in 2010.

The Conservancy secured a conservation easement on 150 acres of the tract through USDA’s former Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) to ensure that once restored, the property would remain protected forever. Landowners who enrolled acres in the WRP became eligible for technical and financial assistance with managing wetlands, wildlife habitat, soil, water and other natural resources.

On a different portion of the property the Conservancy transferred land to Pulaski County as a nature preserve for public enjoyment thanks to assistance from Kentucky’s Heritage Land Conservation Fund. The Conservancy has since worked on connecting portions of the natural floodplain—including stream meanders and riffles and pools for all of the small tributaries draining from the property—to the main stem of Buck Creek. The restored aquatic habitat, surrounded by a buffer of newly planted native bottomland forest, is expected to soon be healthy and intact enough to welcome rare species of fish and mussels back into the system.