Tennessee Senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker have introduced legislation that would add almost 20,000 acres of wilderness to the Cherokee National Forest across six East Tennessee counties.

The U.S. Forest Service is considering exchanging some Cherokee National Forest lands in Unicoi County, Tennessee for more property commonly known as "Rocky Fork." Roughly two-thirds of the Rocky Fork tract is in Unicoi County and the rest is located in Greene County, Tennessee.

The tract forms a self-contained drainage area, or watershed, that is almost totally undeveloped -- containing pristine trout streams and providing important habitat for numerous native species.

Originally slated as a massive "gated" community, the Forest Service acquired about 2,200 acres of the original 10,000-acre Rocky Fork tract in December 2008 — now in private hands — and The Conservation Fund acquired the remaining acreage. In 2009, the Forest Service acquired another 1,280 acres from The Conservation Fund and is now interested in acquiring additional portions of the tract: Martin Creek and Little Mountain.

"The proposed land exchange has received widespread support,” said Rex Boner, vice president and southeast representative for The Conservation Fund, "and we're pleased to see our proposal considered as part of a comprehensive approach to conserving Rocky Fork."

However, concerns expressed during a public comment period prompted the Forest Service to begin a more rigorous analysis of the proposal.

"This analysis will determine if there are any special circumstances that would impact the proposed exchange," said Terry Bowerman, Nolichucky/Unaka District Ranger. “The analysis will be ongoing throughout 2010."

In December of last year the Conservation Fund and the US Forest Service acquired Rocky Fork, one of the most important tracts of private forestland in Tennessee.  This 10,000 acre tract is known as the Tennessee's gateway to the Southern Appalachian Mountains.  It contains 16 miles of trout streams and represents 2.2 percent of the "prime bear breeding habitat" in the U.S. and is home to the endangered peregrine falcon.  This acquisition enhances the National Forest and provides unrivaled recreational opportunities and is a tremendous asset to the local communities. 

Despite the benefits, some local communities are concerned with taking more land out of the tax base.  In an effort to appease concerns, some are examining the idea of a land exchange.  This radical concept would sell off portions of the Cherokee National Forest in order to allow local communities to pursue economic development.  As can be imagined many in the conservation community are concerned about the precedent this action could set as development pressures grow in our region.  While nothing has been decided at this point we want to assure our members that we will be paying attention to this issue.

by Chris Joyell, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Experts are already calling it the largest environmental disaster of its kind in the history of the United States.

On December 22, an earthen dike broke at a 40-acre waste retention pond at the Tennessee Valley Authority's Kingston Fossil Plant in Roane County, Tennessee. The results are almost beyond comprehension.

The coal-fired power plant, located in the city of Kingston, uses three ponds to store fly ash, a byproduct of coal combustion, in wet form. Over a billion gallons of coal fly ash slurry (a mixture of fly ash and water) traveled downhill before flowing into the nearby Emory and Clinch Rivers, both tributaries of the Tennessee River. A combination of rains and accumulating sludge likely contributed to the disaster.