Tennessee Heartwood- 2023 Accomplishments
We had an incredibly busy 2023. Whether in the field or at the table, we were there to advocate for Tennessee's public land, and beyond. Let’s take a look:
Eastern Forests Summit
In April brought together grassroots organizations from across the East for the Eastern Forests summit at the University of the South at Sewanee- with face to face and virtual activists from as far away as New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Florida. The result was a new network of forest activists in our region to share ideas and campaigns for a more effective defense of the lands we love. In the past, the conversation about our federal lands has often been focused on the West. The East has significant needs based on differeng ecology, history, land use, and more. A region-wide focus is essential for long-term advocacy for our public lands.
Cherokee National Forest
We were very much on the ground in the Cherokee, surveying and providing much-needed public comment on three pending timber sales- the Pond Mountain Sale in Carter County, and the Unicoi and Kirkland Gap Sales in Polk County. National Forests are required to give the public opportunity to comment on and address problems with timber sale proposals. Tennessee Heartwood works to give site-specific, relevant comments to help mitigate the impacts of these sales.
While the Kirkland Gap sale is still in development, our early input has yielded some benefit already, with one area planned for logging dropped from the sale proposal and another area having its logging volume reduced- thanks to our field work and recommendations to the agency. . Our identification of a sensitive community of Vasey’s Trillium in the Unicoi sale has ensured that the agency will avoid operations in that area. Our action alert on the Pond Mountain sale yielded substantial public comment.
Our Comments:
Kirkland Gap Scoping Comments Pond Mountain Scoping Comments Unicoi Comments
The Land Between the Lakes Tornado Salvage Controversy
In December 2021, two tornados ran through the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, one on the Kentucky side and the other in Tennessee. The impacts on the forest ranged from extensive to minor. Unfortunately, the Forest Service did not do its due diligence in being transparent with the public on its plans to undertake salvage logging operations. We spent a great deal of 2023 trying to bring to light what was happening on the ground. Field surveys, Freedom of Information Act requests to the government, and drone footage showed logging operation beyond the main tornado path in several places. Our campaign to bring transparency to agency actions drew the attention of local media, and eventually support from the local Tennessee congressman, Mark Green.
Some changes have come thanks to our watchdogging. First, public pressure has gotten the agency to replace the local supervisor with a new one who has acknowledged mistakes in public accountability and agency overreach. We have begun working with the new Supervisor to ensure that the lapses that have occurred in recent years don’t happen again.
Meeting with the State Forestry Commission
Our fifteen state forests are an underappreciated part of Tennessee’s Conservation Heritage.
at the Cross Creek Forest Dynamics Research Area in Franklin State Forest near Sewanee last weekend. Conservation groups, scientists met with officials from the Forestry Commission as well as representatives from the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Park Service to discuss the future of our 15 State Forests, with an emphasis on the three forests that are on the southern Cumberland Plateau: Franklin, Prentice Cooper, and Bledsoe.
We discussed issues of long-range management, the effects of clearcutting, emerging forest composition shifts, and possible ways forward in science-based management and ecological restoration. We had good exchanges with State Forester David Arnold and his staff in the forest and later at Sewanee. Professor Jon Evans presented some of his work on the ecology of the Cumberland Plateau and how a new understanding of clonally reproduced species like blueberry, sourwood, and sassafras gives us a more complex picture of what is an old growth forest. Dr. Sarah McCarthy-Neumann gave a fantastic presentation of work that is happening at Cross Creek on the relationship between soil microbe alliances with different tree species in forest regeneration. Emerging research like this is giving us a new understanding of how forests develop and how disrupting the forest floor with high-intensity logging can greatly alter biodiversity.
We look forward to continuing this conversation with the agency in developing a long-term vision for ensuring public trust. We have developed a set of recommendations for moving ahead with an ecologically focused forest management and stewardship of our state lands.
Public Speaking
Education and public outreach is a big part of Tennessee Heartwood’s mission. This year we had the honor to speak at the Cumberland Trails Conference on the natural history of the Cumberland Plateau. This spring we gave a presentation on forest ecology and public lands management to Dr. Jon Evans’ Conservation Biology class at the University of the South at Sewanee. We enjoy these opportunities and are always ready to share in the lecture hall or in the forest.
Co-Founding the Southern Public Interest Environmental Law Conference (SPIEL)
We spent much of 2023 exploring the possibility of creating a new annual conference dedicated to serving the members and supporters of the public interest environmental movement of the American Southeast. This fall an exploratory team of conservationists met at the University of the South at Sewanee and gained approval from the school to host the Southern Public Interest Environmental Law Conference. This event brings together public interest environmental attorneys, scientists, grassroots environmental advocates, academics, and students to network, share tactics, skills, and information through presentations, hands-on workshops, and discussions in a community-building weekend of fellowship. Find out more HERE and mark your calendars for October 11-13.
