The land had been clear-cut when we bought it. One biologist called it “abused.” Looking at the land, it was hard to imagine that the future of Coal Creek should look very much like the past. Not completely, because it’s still a working cattle farm, but working with scientists from many disciplines, we are developing a way to manage the farm using technology, best management practices, and some old-school methods. Our goal is to replace the virtually worthless thickets with the Savannas that existed on the Plateau before development and mining, and planted forests. The scientists think that if we bring back the native grasses, we’ll bring back native insects, prey for the birds, and on up the food chain. We’re still in the early stages, but a lot of our plans are providing good results. We’re hopeful.