NASHVILLE — A plan by Governor Phil Bredesen would conserve more than 100,000 acres of forestland on the northern Cumberland Plateau.
But that plan is meeting opposition from some in the State Senate who say that the money would be better spent elsewhere.
Bredesen first announced his plans for an $82 million, 124,000-acre conservation project earlier this month. His plan would include land in Scott County, as well as neighboring counties of Anderson, Campbell and Morgan.
Last week, Bredesen officially submitted the project as part of his Fiscal Year 2007-2008 budget. The project would be financed as a capital outlay project, with financial assistance from the Nature Conservacy and Lyme Timber Company.
The project was among $89.4 million in conservation projects included in Bredesen’s $27.48 billion budget, which is a balanced budget. The project is among $914 million in new spending for 2007-2008.
“This initiative will allow us to protect majestic woodlands on the northern Cumberland Plateau, which are some of the most important forests, mountains, streams and wildlife habitats left in North America,” Bredesen said in a speech to the Tennessee Press Association earlier this month as he laid out the plan.
One aspect of the conservation plan would be to purchase timber rights on property already owned by the state. Under Governor Don Sundquist, the state purchased 74,000 acres, primarily in Scott, Anderson and Campbell counties, from International Paper and established the Martha Sundquist Wildlife Management Area.
But that $13.5 million purchase did not include the timber rights for the property, which had an additional price tag of $30 million. Like adjoining Royal Blue WMA, the state also does not own the mineral rights on Sundquist WMA. Essentially, the state only owns the surface rights to the property, which prevents development and allows TWRA to manage wildlife and recreation on the property.
Bredesen’s plan would include the purchase of timber rights from Minnesota-based GMO Natural Resources on Sundquist WMA, which connects Royal Blue WMA and Frozen Head State Natural Area in Morgan and Anderson counties.
Bredesen said that the failure to purchase the timber rights when the Sundquist WMA acquisition was originally made “[leaves] the possibility that we could find ourselves with tens of thousands of acres of stumps.” He added that the purchase of the timber rights will “protect that property and its habitat for future generations.”
Bredesen’s plan would also include the purchase of additional tracts of property. Most notably, land surrounding Frozen Head, east of Wartburg in Morgan County, would be purchased. That land, which would include Bird Mountain and Love Mountain to the north and south of Frozen Head, is part of the Gobey property originally owned by Emory River Lumber Company and currently owned by GMO. The acquisition would nearly double the size of Frozen Head, which currently consists of some 11,800 acres.
The peaks of Bird and Love mountains are among the highest elevations in Tennessee, west of the Great Smoky Mountains.
“This project incorporates creative tools such as working forest easements that allow working lands to continue to produce economic benefits; conservation easements that provide protection without removing lands from the property tax rolls; and in lieu of tax payments made by the state on properties purchased outright to help further protect the economies of local communities,” Bredesen said.
“Ultimately, this project will help protect a natural corridor for wildlife, increase tourism, protect old-growth forests and provide opportunities for public access and recreation for hunters and fishermen, day hikers and campers,” he added.
But his plan is not without opposition. Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, a Republican and speaker of the state senate, said at a press conference Friday that he had “huge reservations” about the project and wanted to study the proposal further before making a final decision.
Former Lt. Gov. John Wilder, a Democrat who was unseated from his senate leadership seat in January by Ramsey, also expressed concern about the proposal.
“I’ve got a problem with buying land and doing nothing with it,” Wilder was quoted by the Knoxville News Sentinel.
Bredesen’s administration has stressed that timber cutting could continue on the property, but that it would be select cutting and not “clear-cutting.” Lyme Timber Company focuses on regenerating forests with high recreational value.
The northern Cumberland Plateau project is not Bredesen’s first effort to conserve land. Last year, the state purchased 16,000 acres from Bowater Incorporated for the Laurel Snow Pocket Wilderness Area in Rhea County and Virgin Falls Natural Area in White County. Those properties are also located on the Cumberland Plateau, which has been a focus of Bredesen’s conservation initiatives. The governor’s budget calls for a one-time $10 million investment to the Heritage Conservation Trust Fund. The fund has worked with the Nature Conservacy and other conservation trusts in the past to conserve more than 15,000 acres across the state since it was launched two years ago.
As for the project currently on the table, Bredesen said he is aware that it is a project with a wide scope, but said that it is needed.
“I’m very aware that this is a larger conservation investment than usual, but the world is changing fast and this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to establish a core that we can build upon in the years to come,” he said. “God has blessed Tennessee with some of the most beautiful land on this earth, and we must do what it takes to protect it for our children’s children, for all time.”
