During the 60th Annual Meeting held on Saturday, July 15th in Dickson, Tennessee, the Tennessee Wildlife Federation members adopted a resolution relative to the land owned by the Tennessee Valley Authority.
The resolution requests that TVA place a permanent moratorium on the sale, trade or transfer of recreation, natural resources or other conservation sensitive land it currently owns and has designated for public use to private developers or to any who might use such land for private development.

This action comes on the heels of President Bush’s executive order against eminent domain and the Tennessee General Assembly passing a resolution (96-0) against TVA sales of public lands. TVA has recently enacted a temporary moratorium, but the Tennessee Wildlife Federation is asking that it be made permanent to ensure protection of the land.

This action comes after TWF offered up no objections to to the proposal by Thunder Enterprises to buy about 600 acres of TVA land near Nickajack Dam. As part of that sale, Thunder Enterprises gave TVA more than 1,000 of other riverfront property in Marion County. At that time Mike Butler, Executive Director of the Tennessee Wildlife Federation, said that deal represented a net gain of "acreage, conservation values and a better situation in terms of public benefits."

Following the passage of the new resolution Butler said, "we firmly believe the continued sale of TVA public land will result in eviction of the public from those lands and a decreased quality of life for Tennessee citizens. Much of their land is as valuable as state wildlife management areas and state parks and we are asking them to protect these assets.”

The Tennessee Wildlife Federation, founded in 1946 as the Tennessee Conservation League, has a mission to champion the conservation, sound management and enjoyment of Tennessee’s wildlife and natural resources for current and future generations through stewardship, advocacy and education.

FULL RESOLUTION
Resolution #01-06
Relative to the Sale, Trade or Transfer of Recreation, Natural Resourcesor other Conservation Sensitive Land

In Annual Meeting, 15 July 2006
Dickson, Tennessee

WHEREAS, the Tennessee Wildlife Federation (TWF) is the largest and oldest conservation organization in Tennessee representing 18,000 individuals; and
WHEREAS, TWF is dedicated to the conservation, sound management and enjoyment of Tennessee’s wildlife and natural resources; and
WHEREAS, wild land resources are diminishing in Tennessee as the population and demand for public land recreation continues to grow; and
WHEREAS, citizens of Tennessee, the governor of Tennessee, and citizens of the United States are raising billions of dollars to increase available public conservation lands and
open spaces; and
WHEREAS, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has taken through eminent domain, or threat thereof, 1.27 million acres of private land for its reservoir system; and
WHEREAS, TVA land was paid for by the citizens of the United States and is property of the citizens; and
WHEREAS, TVA in the past has designated much of the land around its project areas for public use, wildlife and wild land conservation; and
WHEREAS, the public has said by 69-97%% margins from TVA’s own surveys, that they want TVA public lands kept in public ownership, undeveloped, and in a natural state for conservation and public wild land related recreation; and
WHEREAS, public land/water on 49 TVA reservoirs provide about 22 million
recreational visits/year; and
WHEREAS, TVA public lands are a similar value as state wildlife management areas and state parks; and
WHEREAS, TVA has already sold, traded or transferred some 506,000 acres of public land, and is considering sale/trade of more public land; and
WHEREAS, continued sales of TVA public land will result in eviction of the public from those lands and a decreased quality of life for United States citizens; and
WHEREAS, the Tennessee House of Representatives voted 96 to 0 (House Resolution 0084, 10 May 2006)“urges TVA and its agents and agencies to refrain from sale, trade or otherwise transfer of land it currently owns and has designated for public use to private developers or to any who might use such land for private development”; and
WHEREAS, President Bush issued an executive order (June 2006) that forbids federal agencies from using eminent domain to seize private property for economic development
purposes and stated that the only justification for taking of private property includes public projects like parks, schools, and roads.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Tennessee Wildlife Federation, in
Annual Meeting assembled in Dickson, Tennessee, on this 15th day of July, 2006 in Dickson, Tennessee, requests that the Tennessee Valley Authority place a permanent moratorium on the
sale, trade or transfer of recreation, natural resources or other conservation sensitive land it
currently owns and has designated for public use to private developers or to any who might use such land for private development.