Rock/Creek Outfitters announced another $1,000 gift to help save
Stringer's Ridge. The donation serves as the kickoff to The Rock/Creek
Challenge. In the Challenge, customers and friends of Rock/Creek are
encouraged to donate to Trust for Public Land (TPL) in order to match
Rock/Creek's $5,000 commitment to Help Save Stringer's Ridge.

The
retailer, based in Chattanooga, TN, said the land includes the four
hill tops visible from the downtown riverfront toward North
Chattanooga. TPL is a national nonprofit land conservation organization
that conserves land for people to enjoy as parks, gardens, historic
sites and natural places, ensuring quality communities for generations
to come. To date, Rock/Creek has donated $2,000 to the Stringer's
project. The first gift came from Rock/Creek environmental grant
program with Patagonia, a manufacturer of outdoor clothing and gear
with a long history of environmental stewardship. This most recent gift
came from the money raised at the recent Chattanooga Mountains Stage
Race.

The proposed acquisition to preserve the ridge began in
2007, after developers threatened to convert the undeveloped land into
mass-residential area. Chattanooga residents opposed the land
developer's plot and The Trust for Public Land voted in partnership
with the City of Chattanooga to protect the scenic and historic
landscape in September 2008. Continuing with today's public campaign,
TPL's dream to preserve Stringer's Ridge as an undeveloped area
continues to gain ground through support from community groups,
individual donations, and corporate donations such as this.

Rick
Wood, Chattanooga, Field Office Director for TPL, emphasizes the
importance of the Chattanooga community in this effort: “We could not
do this kind of work without people stepping up and saying this is
really important. This is truly a grassroots-oriented campaign
dependent on the diversity of donations. We are so close and it has
been amazing to see the outreach and interest.”

More than $2
million has been raised of the $2.5 million required to purchase the
full 92 acres of property. In January 2009, the trust obtained a
37-acre portion of the ridge along with the landowner's agreement to
establish a conservation easement to relinquish rights to future
development on the remaining 55 acres. “We have plans to hire
ecologists, landscape architects, and historians to truly understand
and evaluate the treasure we are acquiring.” says Wood. “A public
planning meeting will be held for residents and volunteers interested
in establishing public parks and building trails.” Rick Wood from The
Trust for Public Land with Mark McKnight, Director of Marketing for
Rock/Creek

“Stringer's Ridge is truly a 'Land for People
Project' as this land will be accessible to the public. I personally
think this relationship between Rock/Creek and Trust for Public Land is
a natural” says Rick Wood.

Mark McKnight, Rock/Creek's Marketing
Director, emphasizes the the importance of this project: “Stringer's is
in the background of our lives as Chattanoogans, and without the recent
threat of development, most people never would have imagined that it
needed saving. For those of us who value the recreational opportunities
available on the property, or just love the view, we now have a unique
opportunity to conserve this land for future generations to enjoy. We
all will gain convenient access to a beautiful wild place free from
development.”

To donate, individuals are being asked to stop
into one of Rock/Creek's store locations to drop off a donation with a
manager or send gifts directly to TPL at:

The Trust for Public Land
202 Tremont Street
Chattanooga, TN 37405

Donations
are also being made at through Rock/Creek's Web site at
http://www.rockcreek.com/stringers/ or TPL's website at
www.tpl.org/RockCreek
The website directs you to a secure online payment page, or a PDF you may print out and send back.

For
more information about how to support TPL's work on Stringer's Ridge,
contact Carla Askonas at 265-5229, ext. 4 or go to
www.tpl.org/StringersRidge