Land and Water Conservation Forum

Governor Phil Bredesen, front, is joined by partners during Connecting the Cumberlands signing event on November 8, 2007 in Knoxville. In the back are, from left to right, Jim Fyke, Environment and Conservation commissioner; Marie Stringer, Tennessee Heritage Conservation Trust Fund executive director; Tom Morrow, Lyme Timber Company director of forestland investments; John Tomlin, Conservation Forestry, LLC managing member; and Scott Davis, The Nature Conservancy Tennessee Chapter state director.

Since 2005, the Governor’s Land and Water Forum has assembled various private nonprofit conservation organizations, government agencies and involved citizens for a discussion of significant land and water conservation issues in Tennessee. Participants have taken advantage of these opportunities to share information and communicate directly with the governor concerning land and water conservation in Tennessee.

In the three years since the first forum, Tennessee has moved forward on a range of conservation initiatives to protect Tennessee’s treasures for future generations. These commitment actions reflect Tennessee’s tradition of stewardship and shared responsibility for the natural resources that sustain our quality of life. The conversations and resulting actions were a response to the Governor’s challenge to “think big” as communities work to support activities that conserve priority open spaces.

I am proud of our conservation accomplishments spurred along by this forum and its participants. These meetings have been a catalyst to preserve Tennessee’s natural wonders and key corridor connections to support a broad array of wildlife habitats, including aquatic species.

While there is much to celebrate, much more remains to be done. I hope you will join us as a partner to conserve the natural resources and locations that make Tennessee such a special place to live, work and play.

Jim Fyke
Commissioner

Conservation News