The Nature Conservancy in Alabama announced Tuesday it has completed a $2 million purchase of 596 acres of sensitive land in Bibb County, including Wheeler Mountain, the county’s highest point.

The tract, located south of Centreville, also includes mature montane longleaf pine forests, an ecosystem that was once widespread across the lower portion of Alabama, but is now found mostly in small pockets of managed forests.

“Much of Alabama’s natural longleaf pine forests have disappeared over the years, and we did not want to risk this same fate for Wheeler Mountain,” Mitch Reid, state director of TNC in Alabama, said in a news release announcing the purchase.

According to the release, TNC is working with the U.S. Forest Service to add the property to the Talladega National Forest, and will reintroduce prescribed fire management that longleaf forests need to thrive.

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The Nature Conservancy said the purchase was made possible through a partnership with Resource Management Service, LLC and a three-month fundraising campaign through TNC’s Ireland Opportunity Fund, a revolving loan program.

“Our revolving loan fund enables us to quickly mobilize resources to protect vulnerable lands such as this, and we are grateful to those who supported this endeavor,” Reid said. “We will now work to manage and restore this tract’s natural habitat and ensure its assets are protected for generations to come.”

In addition to the longleaf forests, the tract also include significant portions of Gully Creek, a Cahaba River tributary.

“The Wheeler Mountain property is one of the most diverse natural longleaf pine stands in Alabama,” Jimmy Bullock, RMS Senior Vice President of Forest Sustainability said in the news release.

“From its hardwood bottom with rich flora diversity and aquatic diversity in Gully Creek to the top with its natural stone arch formation, Wheeler Mountain is a true natural gem.”