Greenways and Trails
Tennessee is a beautiful green garden, a rich and varied place with mile-high mountains in the East, the grand Mississippi River in the West and 19,000 miles of sparkling rivers in between. Tennessee is dotted with bountiful farms, criss-crossed with scenic backroads and blessed with rolling hills and abundant wildlife. Across our state, Tennessee citizens are wrapping a gift . . . for future generations . . . and tying it in beautiful green, and sometimes blue ribbons . . . called greenways.
Tennessee greenways and trails help celebrate and preserve the splendid character of our state. Greenways are linear parks or corridors of protected open space. They follow natural features such as rivers, streams, ridge lines or mountaintops. They may also be established along abandoned railroad lines, utility rights-of-way, scenic roads or other man-made features. Greenways can be owned at the federal, state, municipal or even private level. Greenways provide connections. They link nature preserves, parks, historic sites, schools, neighborhoods, and businesses. Greenways can connect communities to each other, and all of us to the natural world. Greenways provide pathways for people and wildlife. And they can protect the most important places in our natural world. Greenways preserve the beauty of places that we know and cherish. And Greenways provide new beauty spots, yet to be discovered.
Check out Tennessee Greenways and Trails Webpage. It's a great resource.
13 Steps For You to Create a Greenway
Check out the following steps 13 steps of how you can get involved in your community. Please take these golden rules into consideration when getting involved in such work.
- Never identify individual parcels of land or greenway/trail routes unless you:
- have secured an easement, or
- have completed a purchase, or
- already know that the land is in public ownership.
- Involve the public through every step of your greenway planning process!
DREAM
with other members of your community about what your greenway and trail system could be. Get your community excited about greenways. Two key ingredients for success are visionary leadership and unique natural or cultural feature(s).
with other members of your community about what your greenway and trail system could be. Get your community excited about greenways. Two key ingredients for success are visionary leadership and unique natural or cultural feature(s).
BUILD GRASS ROOTS SUPPORT
Sell the vision to everyone you can. Speak at community meetings, civic groups, and governmental committee meetings. Incorporate new ideas. Systematically sign up supporters.
Sell the vision to everyone you can. Speak at community meetings, civic groups, and governmental committee meetings. Incorporate new ideas. Systematically sign up supporters.
MAP YOUR GREENWAY.
Prepare overlay maps that show opportunities for acquisitions or easements. Map land ownership and utility easements, railroad abandonments, existing public lands, other points of interest, water corridors, any land designated as non-buildable because of topography, vegetation or wildlife habitat.
Prepare overlay maps that show opportunities for acquisitions or easements. Map land ownership and utility easements, railroad abandonments, existing public lands, other points of interest, water corridors, any land designated as non-buildable because of topography, vegetation or wildlife habitat.
PREPARE A CONCEPT PLAN
that will inspire public support and that offers alternative routes. Present alternatives/conduct public workshops. Sell/adjust your plan.
that will inspire public support and that offers alternative routes. Present alternatives/conduct public workshops. Sell/adjust your plan.
ORGANIZE
A Colalition/committee/support group. Accurately record group decisions to avoid rehashing discussions.
A Colalition/committee/support group. Accurately record group decisions to avoid rehashing discussions.
INVENTORY AND ANALYZE
the community and greenway resources.
the community and greenway resources.
INVOLVE THE PUBLIC
to identify your broad greenway corridor(s) or trails.
to identify your broad greenway corridor(s) or trails.
SELECT A PILOT PROJECT
based on the analysis. Your pilot project should be feasible, funded and built within one year. Select a highly visible and easily accessible pilot project. The purpose of the pilot project is to inspire more greenway and trail accomplishments.
based on the analysis. Your pilot project should be feasible, funded and built within one year. Select a highly visible and easily accessible pilot project. The purpose of the pilot project is to inspire more greenway and trail accomplishments.
DEFINE YOUR VISION
What river or mountain stream or historic route are you hoping to preserve and celebrate? Who or what will benefit and what kinds of uses do you want to accommodate?
What river or mountain stream or historic route are you hoping to preserve and celebrate? Who or what will benefit and what kinds of uses do you want to accommodate?
CONDUCT EVALUATION
Consider costs, political support, ownership, scale of your greenway or trail project and who could operate and maintain your greenway. Integrate your effort into your local governmental body.
Consider costs, political support, ownership, scale of your greenway or trail project and who could operate and maintain your greenway. Integrate your effort into your local governmental body.
SEEK PARTNERSHIPS/
SPONSORS.
SPONSORS.
PREPARE A MASTER PLAN
and get it approved by your local government commission or council. Include a pilot project recommendation.
and get it approved by your local government commission or council. Include a pilot project recommendation.
13. DEVELOP IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES for your master plan. Secure conservation funds. Develop a land acquisition strategy and management plan.
CREATE GREENWAYS AND TRAILS! Rejoice with every success! Your work will outlive you in the form of beautiful, green places to be treasured by generations to come.
CREATE GREENWAYS AND TRAILS! Rejoice with every success! Your work will outlive you in the form of beautiful, green places to be treasured by generations to come.
What Are the Benefits of Greenways?
Greenways vary in width and function, depending on opportunity and community interests. In urban areas, limited space often dictates that greenways primarily support recreation and non-motorized transportation. In rural areas, large corridors may be established strictly for wildlife or water quality protection. Greenways provide many benefits. They can:
- Enhance our quality of life by providing scenic places for us to enjoy.
- Provide close to home outdoor recreation opportunities. Because greenways are typically long and narrow, they provide more access to more people.
- Improve water quality and lessen the impact of flooding. Trees and other vegetation along river greenways filter surface runoff (pollutants) and prevent erosion by anchoring the soil along the banks. Also stream side vegetation acts as a sponge to help absorb swollen rivers.
- Benefit the economy by increasing adjacent property values, attracting new industry, stimulating re-investment in once blighted urban areas and encouraging tourism
- Provide trails for recreation and for transportation routes that connect people, communities, and the countryside
- Improve personal health and fitness for greenway trail users.
- Act as outdoor classrooms. What better way to learn about one’s world than by being out in it?
- Encourage growth while protecting the green landscape for which our state is famous.
- Greenways can protect the very nature of Tennessee.
- Improve wildlife habitat by providing migration corridors that allow wildlife populations to move from one isolated natural area to another. This improves the overall health of some species of wildlife and allows for the survival of others. Greenways also provide shade, keeping water temperatures cool for aquatic life, birds, and animals.
- Enhance or protect forests. Forests filter air pollutants and improve air quality. Forests also provide food and shelter for wildlife and lower summertime city temperatures by providing natural air conditioning.
What is a Trail?
Greenways and trails are not synonymous. Trails are paths. Greenways are corridors of open space. Some of these corridors include trails; others do not. Greenways can be scenic corridors, wildlife corridors or corridors established to protect farmland or a riparian area. Often, however, greenways do offer public access with trails.
Trails provide opportunities to view scenic vistas, plants and wildlife, natural treasures, historic places and much more. Trails can get us across town or to the top of the tallest mountain. Trails can test our physical limits or soothe us by providing a walkway for quiet reflection.
In Tennessee, there are greenway trails that are handicapped accessible trails, barrier-free and sloped correctly for wheelchairs; there are trails that accommodate roller-blading, cycling, hiking, strollers, off-road vehicles and horseback riding. Greenway trails can be mulched foot-paths or 10-foot wide multiple-use bikeways.
A Tennessee System Of Greenways and Trails
Why now? Tennessee’s population grew from 3.9 million in 1970 to 5 million in 1990 and will exceed 7.8 million by 2025. Increased population will mean more development, less open countryside and more need for access to nature and outdoor recreation facilities. Economy and practicality dictate that we can’t save everything. Greenways are a common sense approach to conservation. Greenways and trails make the most of the parks and other public lands we already own. Because of their linear form, they provide greater access to more people at a lower cost than traditional parks. And greenways and trails create important partnerships between local, state and federal agencies, private citizens, businesses and the non-profit sector. Greenways and trails make the most of what we have. Greenways make good common sense.
A System of Protected Corridors - A Tennessee Greenways and Trails Network
About a dozen different public and private agencies manage conservation areas in Tennessee. Using their combined resources, a statewide system of greenways and trails is possible. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation is developing a plan to unite these agencies and link these lands through a system of protected corridors.
Like scattered pearls, these parks and wildlife areas can be strung together in an unbroken strand of precious gems, for you and your descendants to discover and enjoy. As a united strand, the value of each “pearl” is more precious.
A statewide system of greenways and trails will provide us and our descendants limitless opportunities for exploration and adventure and with the experience of wilderness. These are the ingredients necessary for the well-being of our souls. A statewide greenway and trail system will create a green infrastructure that will protect the character of our beloved Tennessee.
