The Davila Property
After reading an inspiring conservation success story online from The Land Trust for Tennessee, Nancy and Al Davila decided to work with the organization on a conservation easement to protect their property in Monroe County. The agreement permanently protects their 81-acres of steep forest land southwest of Knoxville and east of Chattanooga, two of Tennessee’s largest cities.
“From the first time we stepped onto this land over 32 years ago, we were smitten,” said Nancy Davila in a statement. “A peaceful, beautiful valley with a perennial creek flowing past a cozy, unpretentious cabin…Nestled into a vast expanse of pristine mountain forest lands, replete with an amazing array of wildlife. There’s a small barn, chicken coop, and workshop for our farmette and critters…homeplace, a refuge, a sanctuary, a sense of place.”
Nancy and Al Davila on the day of their conservation easement closing.
Nancy Davila explained that her real estate career allowed her to see the immense pressure that rapid development has placed on the eastern Tennessee land she loves so much. “While we always cared about nature and the environment, it is only in the past few years that we have become acutely aware of just how crucial it is to protect such natural treasures,” she said. “Having been a real estate broker for the last 28 years, I have seen firsthand how so many
family farms and mountain properties are being forever lost to development.”
The Davila property is located in a part of Tennessee characterized by the Hiwassee River, located six miles from the property, and the mountainous terrain of Cherokee National Forest, which borders the property. The Davila property is primarily steep forestland with trails throughout, and with small pocket of open space along the road where the cabin style home is located. The property is bisected by Dugan Branch, a perennial stream that flows from the property into Spring Creek, which then feeds into the Hiawassee River.
To achieve their goal of protecting their land, the Davilas and The Land Trust for Tennessee closed on a legal agreement called a conservation easement to limit future development of the land. The agreement protects the forested and scenic attributes of the property, while also allowing the Davilas to continue to own, manage, sell, or pass the property to heirs in the future.
“We are incredibly grateful to work with landowners who recognize the importance of protecting Tennessee’s stunning mountains and forests. This commitment ensures these landscapes will remain cherished places for generations to come, and we are honored to be a part of that,” said Emily Parish, Vice President at The Land Trust for Tennessee. The Land Trust for Tennessee’s role going forward is to ensure that the conservation easement
is permanently upheld no matter who owns the land in the future, which is key to achieving the Davilas’ conservation goals.
“The quality of life this special place has bestowed upon us is immeasurable, as are the amazing health benefits we’ve experienced. We feel a moral and ethical imperative to be good stewards of this special place on earth in which we have been placed by destiny.” Davila added, “We can’t take it with us, but we can protect it. It feels so right to do this. The Land Trust for Tennessee is our instrument to accomplish this protection forever.”