The Appalachian Highlands Wildlands Corridor (AHWC) is within one of the most biodiverse temperate regions on Earth. It is home to thousands of plant, fungi and animal species, more than 250 of which are rare, and a few that are found nowhere else on the planet. Kentucky Natural Lands Trust (KNLT) is focused on safeguarding this corridor.

With support from Atira Conservation in December 2025, KNLT acquired an additional 243 acres on the north face of Pine Mountain, within the AHWC. Originally referred to as the Clean Gas tracts (based on the seller’s company name) the newly protected wildlands were announced publicly as the Hurricane Gap Preserve — Weinberg Addition. The project included two tracts totaling 243 acres located on Pine Mountain in Letcher County. The newly protected wildlands expand KNLT’s Hurricane Gap Preserve to 1,248 acres and protects forested habitat at the headwaters of the Kentucky River. Atira Conservation supported an addition to this same preserve in 2024.

The addition of the Weinberg tract protects the headwaters of several tributaries of the Line Fork, which is a tributary of the North Fork of the Kentucky River. Freshwater communities of this region are the most biodiverse temperate freshwater ecosystems in the world, with a globally notable number of mussels, fish, crayfish and invertebrates. The headwaters originating on Pine Mountain are part of the Mississippi River Watershed, the fourth largest watershed on Earth.

The Weinberg Addition increased the overall connectivity within wildlands corridor. Hurricane Gap is connected to 6,100+ acres of state conservation lands, including a state park and wildlife management area. These thousands of acres of connected conservation lands add landscape resilience that is essential for biodiversity to adapt and persist in the face of climate change. These newly safeguarded wildlands also protect the scenic viewshed of Creech Overlook, one of the most iconic overlooks on Pine Mountain that is accessible by car, and the Great Eastern Trail that crosses Hurricane Gap Preserve. This supports recreational opportunities, tourism and livability.

Atira Conservation funding was paired with support from the Imperiled Bat Conservation Fund (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Kentucky Field Office), James Graham Brown Foundation, Louisville Audubon Society and KNLT donors.

• Total Transaction Cost: $450,000
• Atira Conservation Support: $40,000