Rep. Greg Vital
The Tennessee House of Representatives on Monday approved legislation creating four new state natural areas and expanding six existing ones. Guided by State Representative Greg Vital, House Bill 126 passed unanimously.
The bill designates:
• Clifty Creek Gorge in Morgan County, an 89-acre forested area that features a scenic gorge and protects the federally threatened Virginia spiraea.
• Rocky Hill Road Glades in Rutherford County, home to limestone cedar glade habitat and the state-endangered running glade clover.
• Union Grove in Hamblen County, a 59-acre area with oak and mixed forests, headwater streams and the state-endangered Tennessee trillium, a species discovered in 2013.
• Versailles Knob in Rutherford County, a 40-acre forest with large limestone outcrops that provides habitat for the federally endangered Braun’s Rockcress.
The bill also expands six existing natural areas: Barnett’s Woods and Prairie, Cedars of Lebanon, Couchville Cedar Glade, Flat Rock Cedar Glades and Barrens, Ozone Falls and Radnor Lake.
Additionally, it clarifies acreage measurements for Hawkins Cove, Pogue Creek and William B. Clark to reflect more accurate data.
“House Bill 126 provides critical protections for Tennessee’s most treasured landscapes by restricting development in these areas and giving the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) the authority to enforce penalties for damage or vandalism,” Rep. Vital said. “This legislation helps mitigate the risk of native species being listed under the federal Endangered Species Act by ensuring the long-term protection of their habitats.”
Since the passage of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, Tennessee has designated 84 state natural areas to safeguard the state’s most valuable ecosystems. However, state-owned lands managed by TDEC’s Division of Natural Areas that are not designated under the statute currently lack these protections. The legislation closes this gap by updating the law to reflect the lands comprising the State Natural Areas System, ensuring proper protection for future generations, officials said.
All acquisitions were from willing sellers with no eminent domain involved. The Nature Conservancy in Tennessee has donated the land for the proposed Clifty Creek Gorge area.
The companion bill, Senate Bill 1277, will be heard in the Senate Energy, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee in the coming weeks.