Then there was a turning point. A conservation movement started and, ever since, Tennessee Wildlife Federation has been working methodically to bring our wildlife populations back from the brink.
Tennessee Wildlife Federation was founded by outdoor writers, sportsmen, and community leaders who gathered to build a new organization to restore the integrity of all of Tennessee’s wildlife and natural resources. Their goal, establish new leadership focused on science-based wildlife management.
Over time, the Federation grew to a diverse group of hunters, anglers, bird watchers, hikers, gardeners, and other outdoor enthusiasts—all united by their concern and passion for Tennessee’s great outdoors.
Leadership on public policy has been a hallmark of the Federation throughout its history. For 75 years, the Federation has found success by rallying supporters and finding common ground with opponents.
As a result, the Federation has been instrumental in issues regarding air pollution, water pollution, endangered species protection, forest management, resource management, and other legislation that impacts Tennesseans’ opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors.
Today, the Federation continues to tackle Tennessee’s most urgent conservation issues through public policy and strategic programs that serve our wildlife and community.
The Federation is also on the ground statewide. It engages this generation of conservationists and the next through Hunters for the Hungry, Hunting and Fishing Academy, and the Tennessee Scholastic Clay Target Program. Through its Habitat Conservation program, the Federation is restoring and conserving thousands of acres of wetlands, grasslands, forest land, and streams.
Our Hunting and Fishing Academy program launched its first-ever, adult-only experiences for those looking to pursue an outdoor lifestyle for the first time could try their hand at hunting.
150,000+ purple martins were roosting around the Nashville Symphony, creating an expensive mess. Bird lovers, music lovers, and conservation groups came together and donated tens of thousands, saving the symphony grounds and the purple martin migration.
To keep outdoor enthusiasts informed during Tennessee’s 2020 U.S. Senate race, the Federation interviewed candidates Marquita Bradshaw and Bill Hagerty about their opinions on conservation in Tennessee.
Supported the effort to pass The Great American Outdoors Act. The Act provides 5 years of funding, up to a total of $9.5 billion, to address the national parks’ maintenance backlog and provides full and dedicated funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
The Federation helped secure the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) which authorizes $25 million to manage and prevent the spread of Asian carp in the Tennessee and Cumberland river basins.
Tennessee Wildlife Federation began work on a project to restore and enhance 5,400 acres of shortleaf pine forests on the Cumberland Plateau.
With other organizations nationwide, the Federation secured the permanent authorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
The Federation assembled a delegation of anglers, paddlers, and fishing guides that reached out to legislators about the critical need for basic rules and data collection for paddle craft rental companies that have rapidly grown on our rivers.
The Federation helped facilitate the expansion of a rare dragonfly habitat in Hardin County. In that West Tennessee paradise are 407 plant species, 132 bird species, 58 butterfly species, and 45 dragonfly and damselfly species.
Hunters and anglers pay for the vast majority of wildlife conservation in Tennessee. The Federation’s Hunting and Fishing Academy works to grow the number of sportsmen and women by providing hands-on instruction in the art of being an outdoorsman to first-time hunters and anglers of all ages.
Tennessee Wildlife Federation was the one organization to get Bill Lee and Karl Dean on the record about the great outdoors.
In 2018, the Federation was named Affiliate of the Year by the National Wildlife Federation for the fourth time. “Tennessee Wildlife Federation is one of the most effective conservation organizations in our nation. Period.” —Collin O’Mara, National Wildlife Federation CEO
The Federation plays an instrumental role in drafting legislation establishing fines for the poaching of big game.
Led the passage of the 2012 Tennessee Prescribed Burning Act to reverse the negative impacts of fire suppression in the State.
The Federation halts the White-tailed Deer Breeding and Farming Act in 2011 and 2012 to battle the spread of chronic wasting disease to Tennessee’s wild deer herd.
The Federation led the successful campaign to amend the state constitution to secure the right of every Tennessean to hunt and fish.
The Federation writes and secures passage of legislation to ensure no-net-loss of public hunting lands.
The Hatfield Knob Elk Viewing Tower is constructed with the support of the Federation and numerous volunteers for the enjoyment of all Tennesseans.
The Federation adopts the Tennessee Scholastic Clay Target Program, one of the largest youth shooting programs in the nation.
Tennessee Conservation League changes its name to Tennessee Wildlife Federation.
The Federation teams up with Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency to reintroduce elk to Tennessee, releasing the first elk to inhabit Tennessee in more than 135 years.
The Federation restarts Hunters for the Hungry. The program has since provided more than 8.2 million servings of venison to Tennesseans in need.
Led the campaign to pass the Wetlands Acquisition Act that has since conserved hundreds of thousands of acres of critical and sensitive wetlands and uplands across the state.
The Federation and Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency jointly launch the Tennessee Deer Registry providing a database to help monitor the quality of Tennessee’s deer herd.
The Federation’s Project CENTS (Conservation Education Now for Tennessee Students) is initiated. Project CENTS helps hundreds of thousands of students learn math and science through conservation examples and became standard curriculum for that state’s school system for many years.
The Tennessee Legislature passes the Federation’s Mandatory Hunter Education Bill requiring anyone born after January 1, 1969, to complete an approved hunter education course. Today, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency administers hunter-ed courses where new hunters learn how to safely and ethically hunt in Tennessee.
The Tennessee Valley Authority begins a five-year project to bring eagles back to the Land Between the Lakes. The Federation takes over the project in 1982.
The Federation joined four citizens in a lawsuit to stop the channelization of the Obion and Forked Deer river basin to conserve critical waterfowl habitat.
As the Federation’s first employee—and the executive director of the organization for 23 years—Tony Campbell set the groundwork for what the Federation would accomplish in the decades to follow.
The Federation leads the writing and passage of the Tennessee Water Pollution Control Act.
The Federation proposes an umbrella organization, the Tennessee Environmental Council, to handle emerging environmental issues. The council was charted the following year.
For the first time in its history, the Federation is named Outstanding Affiliate of the Year by the National Wildlife Federation.
The Federation successfully campaigned for the passage of the law that established the Tennessee Fish and Game Commissions, the precursor to the state’s first professional wildlife management agency.
Tennessee Wildlife Federation was founded on February 12, 1946 as the Tennessee Conservation League at Chattanooga’s historic Read House Hotel.
Our Hunting and Fishing Academy program launched its first-ever, adult-only experiences for those looking to pursue an outdoor lifestyle for the first time could try their hand at hunting.
150,000+ purple martins were roosting around the Nashville Symphony, creating an expensive mess. Bird lovers, music lovers, and conservation groups came together and donated tens of thousands, saving the symphony grounds and the purple martin migration.
To keep outdoor enthusiasts informed during Tennessee’s 2020 U.S. Senate race, the Federation interviewed candidates Marquita Bradshaw and Bill Hagerty about their opinions on conservation in Tennessee.
Supported the effort to pass The Great American Outdoors Act. The Act provides 5 years of funding, up to a total of $9.5 billion, to address the national parks’ maintenance backlog and provides full and dedicated funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
The Federation helped secure the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) which authorizes $25 million to manage and prevent the spread of Asian carp in the Tennessee and Cumberland river basins.
Tennessee Wildlife Federation began work on a project to restore and enhance 5,400 acres of shortleaf pine forests on the Cumberland Plateau.
With other organizations nationwide, the Federation secured the permanent authorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
The Federation assembled a delegation of anglers, paddlers, and fishing guides that reached out to legislators about the critical need for basic rules and data collection for paddle craft rental companies that have rapidly grown on our rivers.
The Federation helped facilitate the expansion of a rare dragonfly habitat in Hardin County. In that West Tennessee paradise are 407 plant species, 132 bird species, 58 butterfly species, and 45 dragonfly and damselfly species.
Hunters and anglers pay for the vast majority of wildlife conservation in Tennessee. The Federation’s Hunting and Fishing Academy works to grow the number of sportsmen and women by providing hands-on instruction in the art of being an outdoorsman to first-time hunters and anglers of all ages.
Tennessee Wildlife Federation was the one organization to get Bill Lee and Karl Dean on the record about the great outdoors.
In 2018, the Federation was named Affiliate of the Year by the National Wildlife Federation for the fourth time. “Tennessee Wildlife Federation is one of the most effective conservation organizations in our nation. Period.” —Collin O’Mara, National Wildlife Federation CEO
The Federation plays an instrumental role in drafting legislation establishing fines for the poaching of big game.
Led the passage of the 2012 Tennessee Prescribed Burning Act to reverse the negative impacts of fire suppression in the State.
The Federation halts the White-tailed Deer Breeding and Farming Act in 2011 and 2012 to battle the spread of chronic wasting disease to Tennessee’s wild deer herd.
The Federation led the successful campaign to amend the state constitution to secure the right of every Tennessean to hunt and fish.
The Federation writes and secures passage of legislation to ensure no-net-loss of public hunting lands.
The Hatfield Knob Elk Viewing Tower is constructed with the support of the Federation and numerous volunteers for the enjoyment of all Tennesseans.
The Federation adopts the Tennessee Scholastic Clay Target Program, one of the largest youth shooting programs in the nation.
The Tennessee Conservation League changes its name to Tennessee Wildlife Federation.
The Federation teams up with Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency to reintroduce elk to Tennessee, releasing the first elk to inhabit Tennessee in more than 135 years.
The Federation restarts Hunters for the Hungry. The program has since provided more than 7.6 million meals to Tennesseans in need.
Led the campaign to pass the Wetlands Acquisition Act that has since conserved hundreds of thousands of acres of critical and sensitive wetlands and uplands across the state.
The Federation and Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency jointly launch the Tennessee Deer Registry providing a database to help monitor the quality of Tennessee’s deer herd.
The Federation’s Project CENTS (Conservation Education Now for Tennessee Students) is initiated. Project CENTS helps hundreds of thousands of students learn math and science through conservation examples and became standard curriculum for that state’s school system for many years.
The Tennessee Legislature passes the Federation’s Mandatory Hunter Education Bill requiring anyone born after January 1, 1969, to complete an approved hunter education course. Today, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency administers hunter-ed courses where new hunters learn how to safely and ethically hunt in Tennessee.
The Tennessee Valley Authority begins a five-year project to bring eagles back to the Land Between the Lakes. The Federation takes over the project in 1982.
The Federation joined four citizens in a lawsuit to stop the channelization of the Obion and Forked Deer river basin to conserve critical waterfowl habitat.
As the Federation’s first employee — and the executive director of the organization for 23 years — Tony Campbell set the groundwork for what the Federation would accomplish in the decades to follow.
The Federation leads the writing and passage of the Tennessee Water Pollution Control Act.
The Federation proposes an umbrella organization, the Tennessee Environmental Council, to handle emerging environmental issues. The council was charted the following year.
For the first time in its history, the Federation is named Outstanding Affiliate of the Year by the National Wildlife Federation.
The Federation successfully campaigned for the passage of the law that established the Tennessee Fish and Game Commissions, the precursor to the state’s first professional wildlife management agency.
Tennessee Wildlife Federation was founded on February 12, 1946 as the Tennessee Conservation League at Chattanooga’s historic Read House Hotel.
300 Orlando Avenue
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
(615) 353-1133
© 2023 Tennessee Wildlife Federation