Communities
Conservation of the Land that We Own
Each year, more land is transformed from its natural state to support development activities. At Bridgestone, we recognize the need to preserve areas of wilderness to sustain the natural systems that we depend upon and the need to create sanctuaries for wildlife. Therefore, we have set aside large tracts of land for conservation purposes.
The largest of these tracts is the Bridgestone Firestone Centennial Wilderness, a 10,000-acre forest area on eastern Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau that was donated to the State of Tennessee in 1998 and 2000. Also known as Scott’s Gulf, this spectacular area provides the public with numerous outdoor activities, including hiking, fishing, and canoeing. Wild turkeys, river otters, and Ohio muskellunge, all once native to the Caney Fork River Gorge have been successfully reintroduced by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA). We are also working on the American Chestnut Tree Restoration Project in the Centennial Wilderness areas.
We have established five other wildlife habitat areas on our land in Tennessee, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Maryland, and Ohio. Plans for additional sites in South Carolina, Texas, and Brazil are underway. At each of these reserves, groups of volunteer employees team up with community groups to enhance the quality of habitat for wildlife by removing invasive plant species and replanting with native species, raising food crops for migratory birds, and providing nesting boxes for birds.
In addition, Bridgestone has collaborated with the Wildlife Habitat Council, a nonprofit organization that forms partnerships with companies and private landowners to preserve and restore natural lands. We believe that preserving the natural lands reflects good business practices and pride in our communities.
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