2015 Accomplishments

2015 saw some awesome changes happening at the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. Tennessee Heartwood helped build a strong coalition that has changed the dynamic of that forest, bringing a moratorium on logging and a spotlight on needed changes from both local and national elected officials. Our work on the Cherokee continued to focus on changing the conversation about how the ecosystem should be managed, from logging, to forest health, to what is real forest restoration.

Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area

We joined in the Coalition for the Preservation of the Land Between the Lakes, a coming together of horseback riders, historical preservationists, scientists, hunters, hikers, and elected officials to bring a new voice to the LBL.
Prepared a slide show that has been presented before public meetings, congressional representatives, and national-level officials of the Forest Service detailing the issues facing the forest and a new vision for moving forward.
Helped lead a meeting with the Regional Director of the Forest Service.
Began work on a grant with the Forest Service to secure better funding for recreation opportunities.
Had several of our educational videos used by local activists to bring light to the ecological and historical complexity of the LBL.

Cherokee National Forest

Continued in our documenting of the failed logging at Hogback, which has resulted in many changes to the South Zone of the Cherokee. Begun as a project to record the long term effects of "restoration logging", our three year monitoring of the Hogback Sale in the Ocoee district in Polk County has brought changes far beyond what we anticipated. Our video and photographic images initially was used to argue against logging on sites that had the same sensitive soils (Junaluska series) and slopes on the Paint Creek Sale. The South Zone rangers have taken the problems at Hogback to heart, and this has brought about a number of changes:
· A review of Hogback that acknowledges problems with post-treatment land conditions that are being remitigated.
· Experimental mitigation techniques being tried out on Unit 1 of the Hogback Sale, including a variety of techniques for restoring ground cover to bare spots, particularly in using different types of erosion matting such coconut fiber, aspen wood . Different seeding mixes are being tried as well.
· A complete reformulation of the fertilizer/lime mix for stocking, which will probably become standard.
· Important insights from consultations with the Forest Service in North Carolina about the applicability of cable logging.
· An in-depth study that extensively covers Junaluska soils.
· Possible new standards that will limit logging to 35 degree or less continuous slope.
· Experience learned from remitigating Hogback in recontouring skid trails.
· Additional analysis going on at the Conacat, Dinkey, and Stone Pile sales that looks at past actions along with current proposals. A Best Management Practices (BMP) study by that looks at how a number of BMP’s are being implemented on the ground in the Cherokee