Preserve public lands the right way.

I wanted to discuss briefly an issue coming to a head this week. This is difficult for me because it is an issue I feel passionately about, natural lands preservation. My concern is that it is so easy to misunderstand, or worse misconstrue my position. The issue is not about the fact of land preservation, it is about the means. I stand behind no one when it comes to my commitment to public lands. I was deeply involved in public lands issues when I lived in Virginia and was involved early on in the efforts that eventually led to the passage of the Virginia Ridge and Valley Act of 2009 (http://www.vawilderness.org/news/releases/virginia_ridge_and_valley_--_victory!).  As a life member of the Sierra Club (and the only town council member I know of ever endorsed by the Sierra Club) I feel my environmental credentials are secure. So, why do I have concerns about the proposal to create conservation easements on Signal Mountain’s public lands? Basically, I do not think it is good public policy to give away rights to public lands to private entities. I think that public lands should be preserved through appropriate legislation and zoning. This has worked well in preserving our National Parks and national wilderness areas. The lands recommended for this proposal are currently protected as town public park lands. The basic assumption of this proposal is that a future town council would be willing to allow development in Green Gorge or Rainbow Lake or similar areas.  I find this a bit cynical since the only proposal I have ever heard to sell town lands to private entities for development was the proposal by the majority on the current council to sell the town recreation lands around the town hall to a developer for a shopping center! Frankly, I can’t imagine a future town council allowing the sale of these town gems and can imagine even less the idea of the town not rising up in rage if such a proposal were presented, much as the town rose in rage over the previously mentioned proposal to sell off the town’s lands just a few years ago.

The town is holding a public hearing on this issue Tuesday night, Oct 11 at 6:30 at the town hall to discuss this issue (I tried hard to find info on this meeting on our town’s website, but unfortunately the only reference I found was buried in the “council notes” http://signalmountaintn.gov/assets/notes/2011/10052011.pdf, it is not even on the town’s calendar!). So, again to be clear I strongly support the desire to protect these lands, but feel the proposal to give away rights to our public lands, even to a superb organization such as the Tennessee River Gorge Trust is not the right way to do it. I hope that all of you will express your own views at the above meeting or the regular town council meeting tomorrow night, Oct. 10 at 6:30 at the town hall or through emails or calls to the town council. Thank you.