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Regional Planning Taking Place
As
new industries and residents continue to locate in the greater Chattanooga
area, our Southeast Region office is increasingly involved in helping
communities in the area achieve a healthy balance of growth and
conservation. “The Land Trust’s mission has always been about maintaining
the character of communities, with an eye toward the future,” says Tricia King,
Project Manager for the ten-county southeast region. “As we continually
work with private landowners to achieve their individual and family goals, we
recognize the importance of preserving what is most special and unique about a
town or city, what gives it a sense of place. The quality of life in this
area is outstanding, and needs to be protected. What a loss to our
children and grandchildren if we become just another stop along the
Atlanta-to-Nashville or Atlanta-to-Knoxville corridor, and we lose the
competitive edge of our scenic and natural resources that are keeping us in the
game during these difficult economic times.”
To
that end, Tricia is a member of the Task Force for the Joint Strategic Plan
2035
for Bradley County and the cities of Cleveland and Charleston (BCC).
Facing an increase in population by 2035 equivalent to another city the size of
Cleveland within Bradley County, the following is taken from the executive
summary of the plan:
In
anticipation of the change that is coming, the communities of the BCC Region
have worked together in an extraordinary effort to take the first steps to
plan. This Strategic Plan is the result of that effort. This document records
the results of a process in which the City of Cleveland, the City of
Charleston, Bradley County, and the Cleveland Bradley Chamber of Commerce and
many other agencies worked together to envision the future. This Plan grew out
of an extensive process of task force work, public citizen forums, City Council
and County Commission guidance, and citizen involvement. It involved extensive
research and analysis of growth patterns and trends, heavy discussion of
community values and common goals, assessment of existing facilities and
service delivery, and the imagining and evaluation of alternative futures. This
process resulted in the identification
of significant challenges and opportunities the communities will face in the
coming years and has set the stage for actions they can coordinate to help
manage the region’s future in a way that capitalizes on economic development
opportunities while maintaining many of the community attributes that are
valued.
Tricia
also provided information on conservation easements to the Southeast Tennessee
Development District for the new Green
Infrastructure Handbook. Designed to be a valuable resource for local
governments, developers, and citizens, the handbook is a guide to Best
Management Practices for stormwater mitigation that also improves water
quality, enhances the public realm, and helps make towns and cities work
better. The Handbook includes techniques from green streets and green
parking to curb extensions and structural soil, as well as basic development
principles. There are maps, drawings, and pictures of several local
examples from the Southeast Region.
The Land Trust for Tennessee hosted the second annual Southeast Summertime Social on Saturday, June 26th at 6:30 p.m. at Bendabout Farm, the historic Johnston family farm in Cleveland Tennessee. In addition to raising critical funds for the preservation of precious Tennessee land, this event increases awareness of the need for land protection in Southeast Tennessee and beyond, and promotes increased community involvement in The Land Trust for Tennessee’s land conservation efforts. To date, The Land Trust for Tennessee has preserved 51,585 acres of land (168 properties in 47 counties). Now an annual event, the Southeast Summertime Social has become one of the Southeast Region’s favorite nights of laid-back, summertime fun. In 2009, the event attracted more than 300 supporters and attendees.
 May 4, 2010
Preserving a Parcel by Pam Sohn of the Chattanooga Free Times Press A 18-acre parcel — all that remains of a three-generation farm in what is now the highest-growth area of Hamilton County (near Ooltewah and Collegedale and very close to the Enterprise South Industrial Park where the Volkswagen plant is being built) has been put into a conservation easement. The owner, Richard Hall, would like to protect the remaining acreage of his family land from being developed. Read the full article May 4, 2010
PIKEVILLE SPRING FARM PRESERVED by Pam Sohn of the Chattanooga Times Free Press Ron Swafford, a rural real estate agent for 30 years, said he once thought about putting condominiums or apartments on a 54-acre farm near downtown Pikeville, Tenn.
But something about the Pikeville Spring Farm he had acquired seemed special to him, so he decided against that plan.
"This one is a little different than most (rural properties,)" he said. "It's right in town -- less than a block from the courthouse. And it has a beautiful spring. And the river."
So instead of developing the farm that borders the Sequatchie River, he placed it and its historic Pikeville Spring -- once the town's source of water -- into a land preservation easement with the Land Trust for Tennessee. Read the full article
May 2, 2010
Chattanooga Times Free Press Editorial by Harry Austin A pending wave of Volkswagen-related residential and commercial growth seems likely to consume a significant amount of the region's remaining farms and rural greenspace, especially in the Hamilton County area north of the city on both sides of the Tennessee River. Time is already short for creating a comprehensive plan to guide that growth, and to preserve significant farmland and historic landscapes, creeks and wetlands, that provide the scenic texture and quality of life that define our region. Indeed, city and county leaders have yet to embark on comprehensive land-use planning to cope with the coming growth.
The lamentable absence of such planning makes this a critical time for conservation-minded property owners in the still-rural areas of the county to consider partnering with The Land Trust for Tennessee. The Land Trust is the state's premier agency for developing conservation easements that provide property owners both beneficial tax incentives and a secure way to ensure that their wishes for preserving their land will be protected in perpetuity.
Read the full article |
Project Spotlight
Click here for to see more River Ridge Farm
Protected!  The Land Trust for Tennessee, in conjunction with the USDA’s Natural ResourcesConservation Service, is happy to announce that David and Verlinda Waters havecompleted this week the conservation of their 152 acres of farmland on theTennessee River through a permanent conservation agreement. The property wasone of only two farms in Tennessee to qualify in 2009 for the USDA’s Farm andRanchland Protection Program, which was created through the Farm Bill topreserve the highest priority working farmland in the nation.
Knownas River Ridge Farm, the land has been in Mr. Waters’ family since the 1960’sand contains over 2,000 feet of frontage on the Tennessee River. The farmis adjacent to Washington Ferry and is on the NationalRegister of Historic Places.
Also known as the Hastings-Locke Ferry, The Washington Ferry was one of the longest actively running ferries inTennessee until the Highway 30 bridge was built in 1994. In addition tomaintaining the historic context of this ferry site, which was of greatimportance during the Civil War, the conservation agreement will also preservethe scenic character as residents and visitors cross the bridge between Rheaand Meigs Counties. Within just a few miles of many sites related to the
ChickamaugaWildlife Management Area and the Yuchi Wildlife Refuge, the woodedportions of the farm also support extended habitat for area wildlife.
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