Land Plans Open Houses

JANUARY 9, 2017—If you’ve ever hiked a TVA trail, or swam at a TVA beach or camped on a TVA campground, you’ve been the beneficiary of some careful land management planning. You’re recreating on a piece of land that’s been thoroughly scoped out and specifically zoned for the job.

TVA manages 293,000 acres of public land, and makes careful decisions about the use of every parcel of it, designating each as best zoned for recreation, industry, project operations, shoreline access, sensitive resource management or natural resource conservation. These decisions are collected in a series of detailed Reservoir Land Management Plans (RLMPs).

Draft RLMPs for eight reservoirs—Chickamauga, Fort Loudoun, Great Falls, Kentucky, Nickajack, Normandy, Wheeler and Wilson—have been prepared. The public scoping period was conducted last spring, and now the eight draft RLMPs and accompanying draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) have been released for review review and public commentary on the proposed uses of these public lands.

The idea behind making revisions to the current Reservoir Land Management Plans—which propose changes to the current zoning percentages—is to maximize public benefit and minimize conflicts for all Valley stakeholders.

TVA has drawn on public opinion as well as that of its own advisors in the fields of recreation, natural resource management and protection, shoreline management, economic development and operations in the preparation of a draft Environmental Impact Statement and eight draft RLMPs, which reflect its proposed zone allocations for the eight reservoir. 

“TVA’s mission of stewardship includes maintaining the beauty and diversity of our natural resources while striking a balance among the sometimes competing uses of public lands,” explains Kelly Baxter, senior specialist in project and policy management for TVA. “We are seeking the public’s comments on the draft EIS and eight draft RLMPs to help guide TVA’s final decisions.”

The public is invited to review the draft Environmental Impact Statement and draft RLMPs, view detailed maps, talk with experts in each zoning field and offer feedback at a series of open houses starting this week. They are as follows:

• January 10, 2017—TVA West Tower Auditorium, 400 W. Summit Hill Dr., Knoxville, Tenn. (5:00 to 7:30 p.m.)
• January 11, 2017—Manchester Coffee County Conference Center, 147 Hospitality Blvd, Manchester, Tenn. (5:00 to 7:30 p.m.)
• January 12, 2017—Paris Landing State Park, 16055 U.S. 79, Buchanan, Tenn. (5:00 to 7:30 p.m.)
• January 18, 2017—Chattanooga Convention Center, 1150 Carter St., Chattanooga, Tenn. (5:00 to 7:30 p.m.)
• January 19, 2017—TVA Multi-Purpose Building, 1010 Reservation Road, 112 Nickajack Ct., Muscle Shoals, Ala. (5:00 to 7:30 p.m.)

Information about the draft Environmental Impact Statement can be found at www.tva.com/landplanreview.

For more information about the Reservoir Land Management Plans or the planning process, or to submit comments on the draft Environmental Impact Statement, contact Kelly R. Baxter via email at krbaxter@tva.gov or in writing at TVA, 400 West Summitt Hill Dr., Knoxville, Tenn., 37902.