About Rocky Ridge Land Management
Science-based conservation through private landowner partnerships in North Alabama
Our Story
Rocky Ridge Land Management is a conservation land management company implementing the NFWF Cumberland Plateau Stewardship Fund project in North Alabama. We work with private landowners, conservation organizations, and academic partners to restore the native habitats of the Cumberland Plateau — one of the most ecologically significant regions in the southeastern United States.
The Cumberland Plateau region of North Alabama is a biodiversity hotspot of global significance. Alabama ranks fourth or fifth nationally in overall species diversity, driven by the region's extraordinary combination of topographic diversity, geological complexity, unglaciated refugium history, and exceptional aquatic systems.
But this heritage is threatened. Native grasslands are down to roughly 2% of historical extent. Canebrakes — once lining millions of acres of Southeastern streams — persist at approximately 2% of their historical range. Decades of fire exclusion have replaced open savannas and woodlands with closed-canopy forest of reduced wildlife value. Invasive species threaten native plant communities across every habitat type.
Our program addresses these challenges through a combination of prescribed burning, timber stand improvement, invasive species control, canebrake restoration, native grassland establishment, and managed grazing — all grounded in the best available science and tailored to the specific needs of each property and landowner.
The Program
Improving Rangelands and Restoring Threatened Grasslands through Private Landowner Outreach (AL)
Funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's Cumberland Plateau Stewardship Fund, this three-year program (October 2024 – October 2027) works with private landowners across Madison, Jackson, Morgan, Etowah, and Lawrence counties to restore grassland and rangeland habitats benefiting bobwhite quail, grasshopper sparrow, meadow jumping mouse, and rivercane. Lawrence County serves as an additional engagement area through the Barrett Properties partnership.
$480K
NFWF Grant Award
$685K
Matching Contributions
3 Years
2024 – 2027
5 Counties
North Alabama
Our Team
Our program is led by conservation scientists, foresters, and natural resource professionals from Alabama A&M University and Rocky Ridge Land Management.
Patience Knight
Wildlife Biology, Alabama A&M University
Scientific lead for the program. Patience oversees property assessments, species surveys, and conservation planning across all participating properties.
Dr. Heather Howell
Fisheries and Dendrology, Alabama A&M University
Provides expertise in aquatic ecosystems and forest species identification, ensuring riparian and woodland management is grounded in current science.
Helen Czech
Alabama A&M University
Leads biological inventories, bird surveys, and landowner education activities across program properties.
Jeremy Whigham
Project Forester & FireDawgs Coordinator, AAMU
Manages prescribed burning operations and timber stand improvement activities. Coordinates with the AAMU FireDawgs burn crew for fire management across the program.
Kyle Lybarger
Native Habitat Project — Consultant & Prime Contractor
Brings practical expertise in native grassland conservation and restoration implementation. Rocky Ridge's prime contractor for field operations.
William Stone
Alabama A&M University — Program Administration
Handles program administration, grant compliance, and coordination with NFWF and partner organizations.
Our Partners
This program is made possible through collaboration between academic institutions, conservation organizations, and our funder.
Alabama A&M University
Academic Lead Partner
The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at AAMU provides the scientific foundation and field staff for the program. AAMU serves as the grant-holding organization.
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)
Funder — Cumberland Plateau Stewardship Fund
NFWF's Cumberland Plateau Stewardship Fund provides the $480,000 grant award that makes this program possible. NFWF is one of the nation's leading conservation grant-making organizations.
Native Habitat Project
Field Implementation Partner
Led by Kyle Lybarger, the Native Habitat Project brings practical, hands-on expertise in native grassland conservation, restoration implementation, and local-ecotype seed production.
Land Trust of North Alabama
Property Partner
LTNAL holds conservation easements and manages several properties in the program, including Bethel Spring, Bloucher Field, and the Painted Valley property in the Paint Rock River watershed.
Acknowledgments
The conservation guidance underlying this program was developed with scientific review and technical expertise from the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, Forestry, Ecology, and Wildlife Program at Alabama A&M University.
We are deeply grateful to Patience Knight, Dr. Heather Howell, Helen Czech, and Jeremy Whigham for their careful review, corrections, and additions that have substantially improved the scientific accuracy and practical utility of our conservation guidance. Additional thanks to Kyle Lybarger and the Native Habitat Project for practical expertise in native grassland conservation.
Conservation Guide v0.4 — North Alabama Cumberland Plateau Region. April 2026.