TDEC Celebrates Tennessee State Natural Areas’ 40th Year
Friday, May 13, 2011 | 09:03am
Joined by Guest of Honor and Former Governor Winfield Dunn
NASHVILLE – Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Commissioner Bob Martineau and Deputy Commissioner Brock Hill paid tribute today to former Governor Winfield Dunn during a celebration marking the 40th anniversary of Tennessee’s Natural Areas Preservation Act – landmark legislation Governor Dunn signed on May 15, 1971, establishing Tennessee as a leader in conservation.
Held at Radnor Lake State Park and Natural Area, today’s event included a number of special guests including Senator Douglas Henry and Speaker of the House Beth Harwell.
“We are incredibly grateful for the foresight of those like Governor Winfield Dunn in helping pass such an important piece of legislation those many years ago, as so much of what Tennessee stands for today is grounded in these vast and unique areas,” said Commissioner Martineau. “That visionary effort is still evident in the many individuals – both in the public and private sectors – who continue to work hard to protect our diverse natural resources.”
Other notable conservation organizations and individuals that helped lead the charge in the 1970s included Representative Victor Ashe and Senator Bill Bruce – who co-sponsored the natural areas legislation, which was patterned after the Tennessee Scenic Rivers Act of 1968.
“Since 1971, Tennessee has designated 81 state natural areas covering more than 120,000 acres,” said Deputy Commissioner Hill. “We thought it would be a great opportunity to celebrate this conservation milestone for the state of Tennessee, while honoring those that led the way.”
The Tennessee State Natural Areas program is responsible for administering the act that protects both designated and registered state natural areas. The program also provides long-term protection for rare, threatened and endangered plant and animal life. The program protects ecologically sensitive areas, areas of geological interest and areas of great scenic beauty.
The state’s natural areas program also oversees a natural areas registry that is intended to work with private landowners through a non-binding agreement. The agreement recognizes the ecologically sensitive areas of a particular property by delineating it as a natural area. These 32 registered state natural areas may ultimately be added to the current roster of 81 designated natural areas if the landowner donates the land, provides a conservation easement or sells it to the state.
In addition to the oversight provided by the Tennessee State Natural Areas program, multi-agency cooperation – from land trust organizations to corporations to nonprofit entities – also plays a key role in the success of conserving biodiversity through natural areas protection. These partnerships are complemented by the dedication and passion of Tennessee’s army of concerned citizens, naturalists and ecologists.
Land trusts like the conservancies of the Southern Appalachian Highlands, Wolf River, North Chickamauga and the Swan Conservation Trust have worked with the Tennessee State Natural Areas program to conserve natural areas within their region. Friends’ organizations like the Friends of Radnor Lake or Warner Parks continue to put forth an incredible amount of time and effort, along with resources from various statewide organizations such as The Nature Conservancy, the Land Trust for Tennessee and the Tennessee State Parks and Greenways Foundation. Included in these public / private partnerships, are multiple city, county, state and federal governmental agencies and universities.
Tennessee has 81 designated natural areas throughout the state, covering approximately 120,000 acres of ecologically significant lands. More information about Tennessee’s natural areas program, including a complete list of all natural areas and scheduled field trips, can be found at www.tn.gov/environment/na/.
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