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Tennessee Greenways and Trails: Building Healthy Communities
A Citizen Action Guide |
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| Print copies of this publication are available for FREE -- thanks to the generous support of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Recreation Educational Services Division and The Boeing Co. Please contact Patricia VornDick at (615) 386-3171 for more information. | |
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Click here to download a .pdf copy of the brochure 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. Move down this page: Greenways are linear parks or corridors of protected open space. They follow natural features such as rivers, streams, ridgelines 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. 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. Let science, opportunity and interest guide your design. What are the benefits of a greenways and trails system? 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:
Greenways can protect the very nature of Tennessee. Greenways and Trails . . . our gift to the next generation 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 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 Statewide System 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. What a wonderful gift we can leave for our descendants, tied up in green, and sometimes blue ribbons, called Greenways and Trails.
How to Create Successful Greenways and Trails
1. 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).
2. 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?
3. ORGANIZE a coalition/committee/support group. Accurately record group decisions to avoid rehashing discussions.
4. 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. Successful projects have tremendous community involvement.
5. CONDUCT A COMMON SENSE EVALUATION OF YOUR COMMUNITY. 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 by developing a political/governmental advisory committee. Review transportation, recreation, environmental, utility and land protection needs. Review land-use laws and ordinances and local economic development goals. Visit planning departments, the local chamber of commerce office and the convention and visitor's bureau.
6. INVENTORY AND ANALYZE the community and greenway resources.
7. 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.
8. SEEK PARTNERSHIPS/SPONSORS.
9. INVOLVE THE PUBLIC to identify your broad greenway corridor(s) or trails.
10. PREPARE A CONCEPT PLAN that will inspire public support and that offers alternative routes. Present alternatives/conduct public workshops. Sell/adjust your plan.
11. PREPARE A MASTER PLAN and get it approved by your local government commission or council. Include a pilot project recommendation.
12. 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.
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.
NEVER identify individual parcels of land or greenway/trail routes unless you:
INVOLVE the public through every step of your greenway planning process!
From the Mighty Mississippi to the Appalachian Mountains... Beautiful Tennessee Greenways and Trails Take a trip across Tennessee and you’ll discover, West to East, parks and wildlife areas, already conserved as key destinations in a growing system of greenways and trails. Explore along the mighty Mississippi. There you’ll find 70 natural lakes with cypress knees exposed, the eagles soaring over Reelfoot Lake in Tennessee’s extreme northwest, and the historic Chickasaw Bluffs with panoramic vistas of the beaches and sandbars along America’s most famous river. Already over 140,000 acres have been conserved there. Or travel upstream on the Hatchie River, a state scenic river and the longest un-channelized river in the lower Mississippi Delta with 200 miles in Western Tennessee and more than 20,000 acres conserved. Travel from Land Between the Lakes, where the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers frame this forest and farmland and you’ll see buffalo and a living history farm or play all day on Kentucky Lake or Lake Barkley at this 177,000-acre-playground of wilderness, woods and water, water everywhere. Or for a trail of a different kind, load up the car and head down the 80 mile long Tennessee section of the Natchez Trace Parkway. Spectacular waterfalls, spilling from the Highland Rim, may be explored as side attractions or jump off the Parkway when you get to the Duck River and head to Yanahli WMA with 12,800 acres to paddle or canoe through. The Duck River crosses from East to West some 270 miles, pastoral and scenic, great for a family paddle. Scale the 1,000-foot-tall massive buff wall to the East and you’re on the wonderfully wild Cumberland Plateau. Its natural arches and steep plateau bluffs, great canyons and hidden waterfalls are bountiful in the more than 570,000 acres of protected parks and wildlife areas from Sgt. York’s stomping grounds near Pickett State Park to the tallest waterfall in Tennessee at Fall Creek Falls to Franklin State Forest and the Walls of Jericho in the South. A cross-state trail underway, the Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail State Park, links many of these sites together along its 300-mile length. So take a hike while you’re there. Now climb a tall mountain, in the Smokies or the Cherokee, and you’ve visited one of the highest points east of the Rockies. Combined, these two federal areas encompass some 885,000 acres. Add it all together and in Tennessee, we have conserved 2,146,000 acres in public lands already. By acquiring 1.2 million acres more of high priority conservation lands, we can link most of these public lands together to create a Tennessee Greenways and Trails System. This will sustain Tennesseans NOW and far into the future...with cleaner water, cleaner air, abundant forests, wondrous wildlife and the green, green scenery for which Tennessee is famous. TENNESSEE REGIONAL GREENWAY EFFORTS Several regional efforts have developed across Tennessee in recent years. These partnerships are resulting in exciting large-scale projects demonstrating what citizens can achieve when we work toward a common goal. Some of the collaborations include: The Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation (TPGF) is a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to conserving Tennessee’s natural treasures. Their vision is to create a network of parks, greenways, and wildlife areas across Tennessee, preserving the best the state has to offer. The Foundation’s statewide plan encompasses linking existing public lands with greenways and new scenic destinations. The Foundation protects Tennessee’s treasures, creates greenway corridor connections, and fosters initiatives by others through conservation education and a small grants program. Created in 1998, the Foundation has awarded over 150 greenway grants to others, conserved a dozen destination sites and more than 7,500 acres in greenway corridor easements. Uniting public and private interests, The Alliance for the Cumberlands promotes ecological and economic sustainability in the Cumberlands Region, one of the most biologically diverse temperate zone-systems in the world. The Alliance is currently seeking federal designation of the Cumberland Plateau as a National Heritage Corridor. Already Tennesseans have conserved over 550,000 acres in the Cumberland Corridor. Formed by agreement among local governments, the National Park Service and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Great Smoky Mountain Regional Greenways brings together multiple governments from counties near the Park to coordinate the planning and construction of regional greenways. The Southern Appalachian Greenways Alliance (SAGA) is working to establish a greenway and stream corridor linking communities throughout Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, with several initiatives presently centered around Watauga Lake. These multi-use trails will eventually connect sites such as Mountain City to the Virginia Creeper and Watauga Lake Trails, Wilbur Dam to Sycamore Shoals, and the Unicoi/Erwin Trail to the Appalachian Trail, enhancing the region’s economic prosperity and recreational opportunities. Also in the works is a proposed rail-to-trail project utilizing the abandoned Tweetsie Railroad that once served the mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina. When complete, it will create a ten-mile greenway between Johnson City and Elizabethton. Founded in 1985, Memphis’ Wolf River Conservancy (WRC) was established to “protect and enhance the 90 mile long Wolf River floodplain for passive recreation and education.” Beginning in 1995, the WRC worked with state agencies and nonprofits to purchase a total of what is now 7,000 acres, creating West Tennessee’s largest and most beautiful State Natural Area, the Ghost River State Natural Area. Here the Wolf River’s currents lead one through a watery maze wandering beneath the graceful arms of the cypress canopy. Working with its partners, the WRC is protecting more than 3,500 acres of additional Wolf River floodplain forests and wetlands for recreation, wildlife and aquifer protection. The mission of the Mississippi River Corridor (MRC) is to identify, conserve and interpret the region’s natural, cultural and scenic resources to improve the quality of life and prosperity in West Tennessee. The project will focus on three priorities: 1) an interconnected “tapestry” of special places along the Mississippi River to the top of the Chickasaw Bluffs; 2) a mid-corridor world class gathering place on the Chickasaw Bluff overlooking the Mississippi River; 3) a wayfaring system of scenic road, trails, water ways and greenways. A key partner with the MRC, the Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation is staffing a land conservation coordinator to conserve the unique natural beauty and rich history of the wilderness, recreation lands, working farms and forests, parks, and wildlife habitat in the 650,000-acre area from Memphis to the famous Chickasaw Bluffs. COMMUNITY GREENWAYS AND TRAILS From tiny towns to the metropolis of Memphis, greenway and trail planning is underway in dozens of communities thanks to citizen action. What follows are just a few examples of the many successes and works-in-progress found throughout the state. Chattanooga’s Tennessee Riverpark is one of our state's most celebrated community greenways. With 13 miles complete, this riverfront greenway will eventually stretch 20 miles along the Tennessee River from TVA's Chickamauga Dam through downtown Chattanooga to the Tennessee River Gorge. The Riverpark celebrates the river and links its attractions including the Tennessee Aquarium, the world's largest fresh water aquarium, and America's longest pedestrian bridge - the Walnut Street Bridge. Since Chattanooga's re-discovery of the Tennessee River, over $1 billion has been invested along Chattanooga's riverfront. Kingsport’s 5 1/2 mile greenbelt runs along the beautiful Holston River with many views of 3,500-acre Bays Mountain Park. A tour of the greenbelt guides the visitor on a stroll through history from the 19th century Rotherwood Mansion to Reedy Creek and the Long Island National Landmark, a sacred ground of the Cherokee Nation. In Bristol, Steele Creek Park presents hikers with 21 miles of trails and a 54-acre lake. Bristol’s Wes Davis Greenway follows a rail corridor winding through neighborhoods and past local businesses. Linking the two is the 2.7 mile stretch of the Mark Vance Memorial Greenway. Two of the first Tennessee greenways were developed in East Tennessee. Oak Ridge’s 48 “greenbelts” comprise approximately 1,566 acres. In addition, the city offers numerous trails, including one on 3,000 acres of the newly opened Black Oak Ridge Conservation Easement. Oak Ridge has dedicated 14 greenways to date, and provides approximately 76 total miles of greenways and trails. Maryville and the adjacent city of Alcoa have teamed up to form an inter-city greenway. Beginning in Maryville’s Bicentennial Greenbelt Park, the greenway follows Pistol Creek, covering a total of nine miles and ending up at Alcoa’s Springbrook Park- connecting five schools and passing the Blount County Library on the way. Boasting over 40 miles of paved greenways, Knoxville’s system connects the downtown area and the University of Tennessee with points throughout the city. It also connects Knoxville’s residents to the great outdoors with trails following sections of the Tennessee River, several creeks and linking many of the city’s 81 parks, wetlands, and sites such as the Ijams Nature Center, and the Forks of the River Wildlife Management Area. Knox County in collaboration with the city of Knoxville, has developed an extensive system of eight greenways. Additionally, the county has created a 5-mile natural surface trail at Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge on the French Broad River, and is in the planning process of building a bridge over the river to connect Southern Knox County to the refuge. Murfreesboro’s greenway system links historical, commercial, recreational and community resources. It incorporates the historic Stones River National Battlefield, one of the Civil War’s bloodiest and most famous, as well as Cannonsburgh, an 1860’s village in downtown Murfreesboro, and Old Fort Park, a multi-ventured recreational park. With 36.5 miles of trail, the Nashville greenways run primarily along major rivers and creeks. They feature several large nature parks and passive recreation areas, including the 810-acre Shelby Bottoms Greenway, the 1500-acre Beaman Park, and 800-acre Bells Bend Park. A new bridge over the Cumberland River links the Stones River Greenway to Shelby Bottoms Nashville at Two Rivers Parkway. In time, the goal is to connect the Stones River Greenway in Nashville to Murfreesboro’s greenway by the same name, creating an uninterrupted pass between the two cities, a distance of some 30 miles. In June of 2007, Memphis approved the Wolf River Greenway Plan that will create a 22 mile path from the Mississippi River Greenbelt to Forest Hill–Irene Road. Eventually the greenway will tie into the Town of Collierville’s greenway to create a continuous linear park from the Mississippi River to the eastern boundary of Shelby County, approximately 30 miles. The greenway begins at the Memphis Waterfront – celebrating America’s most famous river, the Mississippi. Memphis’ early name was Chickasaw Bluffs because it was there that the Chickasaw Indians embarked on journeys up and down the Mississippi River. This trail, known as the Chickasaw Bluff Trail, commemorates Memphis’ history. Following an inactive rail corridor, Ashland City’s Cumberland River Bicentennial Trail has 4 paved miles with an additional 2.5 miles of gravel trail. In 2000, the Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation acquired the additional segment, subsequently named Eagle Pass, in celebration of the Bald Eagles found nesting along the trail. This vital link connects to 5,000-acre Cheatham Dam and surrounding lands. Greenway efforts in Clarksville have focused on a 2.5 mile stretch along the Cumberland River. The main attraction of The Riverwalk is McGregor Park, Clarksville’s downtown riverfront park and festival area which now connects to Valleybrook Park. Clarksville’s long range plan calls for tying into the Cumberland Rail/Trail. With close to 4,500 acres of protected land, Jackson’s greenbelt connects Kate Campbell Robertson Park, the Jackson Fairgrounds, and Cypress Grove Nature Park. The Nature Park offers 1.4 miles of boardwalk around a 25-acre lake where native and migratory waterfowl congregate. Create greenways and trails! Let science, opportunity, and interest guide your design. Rejoice with every success! Your work will be your legacy: beautiful, green places to be treasured by generations to come. Blueways are designated river trails with public access points. Some of the Blueways found in Tennessee are the French Broad Blueway, the Duck River Blueway, and the Tennessee River Blueway. Beginning in North Carolina, the French Broad Blueway follows the third oldest river in the world and runs from the high mountains of North Carolina to join the Holston River near Knoxville. The Duck River Blueway is located in Middle Tennessee, flowing east to west through six (6) counties from Coffee County emptying into the Tennessee River in Humphreys County. The Tennessee River Blueway, a project initiated by the Tennessee River Gorge Trust in 2001, flows from just above Chattanooga to Marion County featuring well-marked access points as well as campsites. Resources Available To Assist You For a complete list and links to greenways in Tennessee please visit www.tenngreen.org
Tennessee Dept. of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) (Ph): 615.532.0109
• Recreation Educational Services Division -This division is the primary state contact for greenways and trails. (Ph): 615.532.0748 a) grants for Greenways and Trails: Natural Resources Trust Fund, Local Parks and Recreation Fund, Recreational Trails Program b) maps of existing local, state, federal recreation lands c) Park and Recreation consulting for federal/state/ local and private entities including planning, design, development, administration, management, and maintenance
• Division of Archaeology (Ph): 615.741.1588 a) site surveying b) archaeological preservation c) technical assistance
• Division of Natural Areas a) information on rare plants and animals b) rivers assessment c) staff biologists, zoologists, ecologists, natural resource management specialists, and data managers d) natural areas program (Ph): 615.532.0431
• State Parks Division (Ph.): 615.532.0001 a) state parks management b) state parks lands fund – for property adjacent or important to state parks system
• Water Pollution Control Division (Ph.): 615.532.0625 a) technical assistance for water related issues, including watershed management, erosion control, Best Management Practices, water quality b) point source pollution regulation permitting
• Geology Division (Ph): 615.532.1500 a) geologic hazard assessment b) mapping c) technical services d) map sales (Ph): 615.532.1516
Tennessee Department of Agriculture (Ph): 615.360.0117 (F): 615.360.0756
• Division of Forestry (Ph): 615.837.5520 www.state.tn.us/agriculture/forestry a) Grants including Urban Forestry, TN Ag. Enhancement Program b) Technical assistance including: fire prevention, urban, community, state forestry/management, watershed management/ water quality control c) Forest Legacy: Land acquisition fund/conservation easements assistance d) Mapping: Forest Resource Information e) Conservation Education
• Water Resources Program (Ph): 615.837.5495 www.state.tn.us/agriculture/nps a) Agricultural Resources Conservation Fund b) Agriculture Non-Point Fund and State Non-Point Source Pollution Program c) funding for BMP implementation, monitoring, educational projects Tennessee
Department of Transportation (Ph): 615.741.2848 a) Transportation Enhancement Grant: www.tdot.state.tn.us/local/grants.htm (Ph): 615.253.2684 b) TN Roadscapes Grant: www.tdot.state.tn.us/roadscapes (Ph): 615.532.3488 c) Scenic Byways Grant: www.bywaysonline.org (Ph): 615.532.3488
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) (Ph): 615.781.6500 (F): 615.781.6551 a) Wetland Acquisition Fund b) Watchable Wildlife Program c) Stream Access Program (Fishing Piers, ramps, etc.) d) maps of existing public lands, species richness for reptiles, mammals, amphibians and birds, rare species, wetlands
University of Tennessee County Technical Assistance Service East TN (Ph): 865.974.6434 West TN (Ph): 731.881.7077 a) grant-writing assistance b) policy development and assistance c) training/consulting d) watershed management/ water quality control e) maps/ mapping services f) educational resources/training
University of Tennessee Municipal Technical Advisory Service (Ph): 865.974.0411 (F): 865.974.0423 a) training and technical assistance for city officials on urban forestry and storm water management
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
American Farmland Trust National Office (Ph): 202.659.5170 800.431.1499 800.886.5170 a) support for protecting agricultural resources through public education b) technical assistance in policy development c) a limited number of farmland protection projects
American Planning Association National Office (Ph): 202.349.1010 (F): 202.872.0643 a) training/consulting (Ph): 423.434.6053 (TN Office) b) urban/community forestry c) watershed management d) educational resources/training for project planning e) Great Places in America Program
The Conservation Fund (Ph): 703.525.6300 (F): 703.525.4610 a) Small grants program – Kodak American Greenways Awards Program b) technical assistance and publications c) land acquisition assistance d) real estate, strategic conservation, mitigation and land advisory services to corporations, private landowners and communities nationwide e) land-use planning, natural resource-based economic development and the application of innovative scientific research and technology
Cumberland River Compact (Ph): 615.837.1151 www.cumberlandrivercompact.org a) Local Officials Community Water Curriculum & Watershed Program b) community contact information, policy development, river assessment, wildlife and natural resources specialists c) Building Outside the Box (sustainable building training)
Land Trust Alliance (Ph): 919.424.4427 a) publications and assistance on creating land trusts b) annual conference and training c) maintains a listing of local land trusts
Land Trust for Tennessee (Ph): 615.244.5263 a) partnering for conservation easements b) professional forestry and biology services c) land/farmland protection assistance d) scenic viewshed protection
Nature Conservancy of Tennessee (Ph): 615.383.9909 (F) 615.383.9717 a) assistance on the protection and ecological management of outstanding natural areas b) endangered species conservation c) public lands management
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (Ph): 202.331.9696 a) training/consulting b) monitoring of abandonments in Tennessee c) Rail-Trail Planning
Scenic America (Ph): 202.638.0550 a) model ordinances for viewshed protection and visual mitigation b) scenic conservation workshops for byways and visual corridors c) tree conservation-advocacy, publications d) techniques for viewshed mapping and analysis, visual assessment methodologies
Scenic Tennessee (Ph): 865.573.8554 a) landscape design b) signage (design & interpretation) c) design review standards/process
Tennessee Clean Water Network (Ph): 865.522.7007 a) policy development/assistance b) training/consulting c) watershed management/ water quality control d) maps/ mapping services e) community contact information
Tennessee Development Districts Association (Ph): 865.273.6003 a) grant-writing assistance b) policy development, assistance c) landscape planning d) maps/mapping services e) historical/archaeological information f) trail development/enhancement g) community contact information h) rail corridor abandonments information
Tennessee Land Trust Network c/o Foothills Land Conservancy (Ph): 865.681.8326 (F): 865.681.1436
Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation (Ph): 615.386.3171 (F): 615.386.3115 a) technical assistance b) speaker's bureau/community meetings/consulting c) land acquisition assistance d) small grants- State Park Connections e) conservation easement partnering
Tennessee Stream Mitigation Program (Ph) 615.831.9311 a) assessment and funding for stream restoration b) BMP implementation
Tennessee Wildlife Federation (Ph): 615.353.1133 (F): 615-353-0083 a) statewide policy issues b) wildlife and wildlife habitats c) Tennessee Biodiversity Program
Trust for Public Lands TN Office - Chattanooga (Ph): 423.265.5229 a) land acquisition assistance & conveyance b) “Greenprinting” facilitation – helping communities identify and prioritize important lands; land mapping c) conservation finance - assisting with fundraising as well as planning and galvanizing conservation ballot measures d) trail development
FEDERAL AGENCIES
National Park Service Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program (Ph): 423.266.2359 (F): 423.266.2558 www.nps.gov/ncrc/programs/rtca/ a) trail/greenway planning b) technical assistance program c) open space conservation planning d) river conservation planning
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District Project Planning Branch (Ph): 615.736.7865 www.lrn.usace.army.mil/mission a) preparation of comprehensive plans for the development, utilization, and conservation of water and related land resources b) wetland mitigations assistance c) technical assistance by outdoor recreation planners, landscape architects, wetlands specialists, biologists and engineers
USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (Ph): 615.277.2531 (F): 615.277.2577 a) Resource Conservation and Development Councils available for resource development projects, including seeking grants and other funding sources b) GIS ortho photography and digital soils information c) County Based Field Offices with professional specialists available to assist private land users and government entities
U.S. Forest Service Cherokee National Forest (Ph): 423.476.9700 (F): 423.476.9721 a) biological/conservation information b) landscape design c) assistance for communities adjacent to CNF d) trail development and enhancement
Greenways for America - The first comprehensive book on greenways discussing their origin and history as well as benefits. By Charles Little
Greenways: A Guide to Planning, Design, and Development - A guide to practical issues involved in planning and designing greenways and trails. By Flink, Loring, and Searns
Green Infrastructure: Linking Landscapes and Communities - For the landscape designer, conservation-minded planner and concerned citizen, this book presents principles and practices to link landscapes and communities across the country. By Mark Benedict and Ed McMahon
All available through: www.conservationfund.org/publications
Economic Impacts of Protecting Rivers, Trails, and Greenway Corridors - Highlights economic benefits of greenways and demonstrates how to determine economic impacts of river, trail, and greenway projects. By NPS’s Rivers Trails and Conservation Assistance Program
Available through: www.nps.gov/ncrc/portals/trails/pub_resources_trails
How Greenways Work: A Handbook On Ecology - Discusses ecological impacts of land development, the role and limitations of greenways in protecting wildlife and water resources, and various design and management practices to maximize ecological benefits.
Available through: www.americantrails.org/resources/greenways/npsintrogrnwyhtml
GREENWAYS & TRAILS - A BIT OF HISTORY
Before there was a state called “Tennessee,” there were trails here. When Hernando de Soto crossed the Appalachians into the upper Tennessee Valley in the mid 1500’s, he found and used an elaborate system of trails, centuries-old buffalo traces and Indian trade routes. These trails provided pathways for explorers and early settlers. Later they became wagon roads and now, the highways of today.
Hiking for pleasure became popular in the early 1900’s but little recreational trail development occurred until the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was formed in 1933. The CCC built miles of trails in state and national forests, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and in TVA’s demonstration parks around the Norris Reservoir. These areas became the first state parks.
The Tennessee Trails Association (TTA) was organized in 1968 to encourage more trail development. TTA selected a pilot project, The Cumberland Trail, to prove the feasibility of a statewide trail system. In 1971, the Trails System Act passed the Tennessee legislature. This act designated seven state scenic trails and provided for connecting trails. Although these trails and the state system are not completed, this vision provides an important component to the new greenways and trails system.
Additionally, Tennessee’s Greenways and Trails System will involve corridors important for water quality and wildlife enhancement, conservation of historic structures and places, alternative transportation, and green space as an alternative to urban sprawl.
Greenways aren’t a new idea. In the 1860’s, Frederick Law Olmsted designed and built “parkways” (for foot and carriage traffic) and proposed Boston’s Emerald Necklace, a 4.5 mile arc of green around that city. The Minneapolis - St. Paul Park system, which now stretches 40-miles, was designed by H.W.S. Cleveland, in 1895 and Benton MacKaye proposed the Appalachian Trail in 1921 as a greenway to prevent urban sprawl and to provide recreation for large urban populations. Today, his vision exists as the 2,100-mile Appalachian National Scenic Trail.
Tennessee’s greenways history is a bit more recent. Beginning in 1986, the Tennesseans Outdoors Report called for the establishment of four statewide north/south recreational corridors in Tennessee and the development of bicycling trails, rail/trail conversions and urban greenway programs.
In 1991, using the real estate transfer tax, the Tennessee Legislature passed the “State and Local Parks and Recreation Partnership Act,” as the largest land acquisition fund to pass in Tennessee’s history. It has acquired more than 250,000 acres, making a statewide system of greenways feasible. In 1994, the Tennessee Recreation and Parks Association campaigned for a Statewide System of Greenways in Tennessee. This was endorsed by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, the Tennessee Municipal League and the national non-profit, The Conservation Fund. Chattanooga-based Lyndhurst Foundation funded a Tennessee Greenways Program office of the Conservation Fund in 1994 and as a result, Governor Sundquist initiated Statewide Greenways and Trail Planning in Tennessee and new community greenways were born.
The state’s first Tennessee Greenways and Trail Planning Committee was created in 1998. Also in 1998, the Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation formed to conserve Tennessee’s natural treasures and link these together with a system of greenways. Through private donations, this Foundation has conserved more than 7,500 acres and awarded more than 150 small grants to encourage greenways and trails. Now Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen, a long-time supporter of Greenways as the former Mayor of Nashville, has created an additional organization and fund to encourage greenways: the Tennessee Heritage Conservation Trust has invested $10 million per year since its inception in 2005 and in 2007 alone, their grant awards acquired 22,500 acres.
Tennessee is creating a fantastic network of greenways and trails!
Produced by: Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation
Funding: This edition of the Tennessee Greenways & Trails: Building Healthy Communities was made possible through the generous support of the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) funds provided by the Federal Highway Administration and administered by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Recreation Educational Services Division, Greenways and Trails Program; and additional funding from The Boeing Co.
Written by: Kathleen Williams, President and Executive Director, Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation
Research and Production Coordination by: Kami Bruner, Special Projects, Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation
Edited by: Bob Richards, Greenways and Trail Coordinator, TDEC Recreation Educational Services
Revised 2008
If you would like a print version of this publication, please contact Patricia VornDick at (615) 386-3171. |
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