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Take Action on Bridgestone Wilderness

TIme for folks to get involved with saving the Bridgestone-Firestone Wilderness.   Locals have put together a website
savethehardwoods.org  that is updating the issue as it develops.  They have resources and examples of letters that you can write to elected officials as well as the Bridgestone Corporation to advocate for protecting this valuable forest.  From the site: 

What can you do? Regardless of what county you live in, contact your state representative and senator and tell them that you want the proposed logging stopped. The most effective contact is a phone call, followed by an email. If you need help with an email, use some or all of the example text below. This link allows you to easily obtain your legislator’s contact information by simply entering your home address at the link here. It’s a bit more cumbersome and it is limited to 500 characters, but if you would also message Governor Lee your dismay at this link, it could make the difference. https://www.tn.gov/governor/contact-us.html


If you are from out of state, please message our governor and tell him how you travel to Tennessee to see hardwoods and waterfalls, TWRA will hurt tourism in a rural county.https://www.tn.gov/governor/contact-us.html

Example Text

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency plans to reduce over 2,000 acres of hardwoods to only two trees per acre (effectively a clear cut) at the Bridgestone Firestone Centennial Wilderness Area, ostensibly to create quail habitat.   In addition to local hunters being unanimously opposed, this will severely degrade Virgin Falls State Natural Area and Welch Point.
Please be aware that Tennessee has a special provision allowing TWRA to retain the proceeds from the sale of natural resources. Many believe that the value of the hardwoods is a contributing factor to TWRA’s choice in this location.  TWRA has over 3,000 acres of partially-cleared, nonindigenous pine only 2.5 miles from Virgin Falls that could be used for quail habitat without destroying old-growth hardwoods. Details of TWRA’s plan was leaked to the public and details can be found at SaveTheHardwoods.com.
I am writing you to ask for the following assistance:
1. Please contact TWRA to get the proposed logging at the Bridgestone Firestone Centennial Wilderness Area stopped.
2. Either propose or support legislation requiring that proceeds from the sale of Tennessee’s natural resources be deposited in the state’s General Fund. This will help keep TWRA above reproach.
3. Propose or support legislation requiring ANY state agency to publish intended “change of use” for state-owned lands in the same fashion as private developers; these lands belong to the public, local communities should have a voice in planned changes. In short, extended Sunshine Laws for the public lands where the sun shines.
Thank you for your help in this matter.
Sincerely,


In addition to contacting your representatives, if you can take a minute to reach out to Bridgestone; the restrictions state that Bridgestone Corporation can intercede at any time. Please reach out to Bridgestone’s Jim Demouy at DemouyJames@BFUSA.com and Tom Lehner at LehnerThomas@BFUSA.com and Sara Stanton at StantonSara@BFUSA.com . Remind them that you are consumers and ask them to intercede by requiring TWRA to adhere to the wishes made by Masatoshi Ono in the book “The Bridgestone/Firestone Centennial Wilderness.” Mr. Ono stated “It is our goal that future generations who visit the Bridgestone/Firestone Centennial Wilderness will find this land as beautiful and unspoiled as is reflected on these pages.”
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