Gov. Phil Bredesen | 75 years of Tennessee Wildlife Federation

In celebration of Tennessee Wildlife Federation’s 75th year, Gov. Phil Bredesen talks about the importance of having practical, effective partners like the Federation to advance conservation in the state.

“Anytime you try to do something in the conservation area, it can be contentious and you always need allies,” said Bredesen. “The Tennessee Wildlife Federation has been a great ally.”

“It’s a reasonable organization. It’s not a ‘my way or the highway’ on everything. I can tell you as an elected official that kind of ally is really important to you. They’re friends when things are going tough and when things are going good. Those are the kind you want.”

Phil Bredesen served two terms as both Tennessee’s Governor and Nashville’s Mayor. In both his public service and private pursuits, Gov. Bredesen has long been recognized for his tenacious and pragmatic work on wide-ranging conservation issues. Most recently, he co-founded Clearloop to help corporations reclaim or offset the carbon footprint of their products, services, or operations with new renewable energy facilities.

“One of the things I’ve always loved about conservation is that its got legs. The stuff we did to preserve land will be here long after I’m gone. My grandchildren’s grandchildren will be able to use that land.”

Bredesen encourages anyone who loves the outdoors to make sure they get outside once in awhile and contribute to the preservation and conservation of our natural resources. “Even a 10-acre plot is an enormous place for a young kid out learning about nature and the world. I think those kinds of things are really important. They add to the quality of life for everyone.”

“I found one of the secrets to really getting things done in the public sector is just keep at it year after year after year. Tennessee Wildlife Federation has done that. They’ve been on the scene for decades now. They’ve worked consistently for the benefit of Tennessee and preserving lands and dealing with issues as they come up.”

Learn more about our work at tnwf.org/history