Cultivating Outdoor Pursuits
People who go outdoors are the heart of conservation. Securing Tennesseans’ access to our public lands and waters is necessary to keep us all engaged and invested in conserving our wildlife, water, and wild places. Whether we hunt, fish, hike, camp, or birdwatch, people who engage in the outdoors pass on their way of life to the next generation. By coming together, sharing our passions, and exploring public lands, we can continue Tennessee’s legacy of conservation for generations to come.
Chronic Wasting Disease in Tennessee
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a major threat to Tennessee’s deer and elk populations, as well as the conservation funding they generate. Tennessee hunters are at the forefront of managing the spread of CWD and protecting these beloved resources.
Reducing River Overcrowding
Water is a public resource utilized by anglers, boaters, canoers and kayakers, and other recreationists. With a significant increase of recreational use in recent years, overcrowding on Tennessee’s rivers has reached a critical level and solutions are needed so we can all enjoy this natural resource.
Invasive Carp Threaten Native Fish
Invasive carp have taken over the Mississippi River system—and have moved aggressively into the Tennessee and Cumberland River systems. These non-native fish are a serious threat to the aquatic species, recreation, and economy in Tennessee, and surrounding states.
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More Outdoor Pursuits Concerns
Growing Need for Long-Term Funding
The hard-earned conservation successes from the past century are at risk. In the early 1900s, conservationists ignited a movement to find management and funding solutions for our land, wildlife, forests, and water. The problems of today are more complex but share the same foundations. This means it is time to come together again to address the growing need for long-term conservation funding.
Keep Public Land in Public Hands
Approximately 10 percent—2.4 million acres—of Tennessee land is public land, yet public land generates $30 billion for Tennessee’s economy every year.
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New Bill Would Gut Conservation Funding
The 1937 Pittman-Robertson (PR) Wildlife Restoration and the 1952 Dingell-Johnson (DJ) Sport Fish Restoration Acts provide for a “user pays” American System of Conservation Funding.
Tennessee General Assembly Session Begins 2022
The 112th Tennessee General Assembly reconvened on January 11, 2022. With the deadline for filing new bills on February 3, the Federation is tracking and prioritizing more than fifty pieces of legislation.
New Bill Aims to Transfer WMA Away From State
Public wildlife management areas (WMAs) managed by the state agency are a valuable asset to Tennesseans and Tennessee’s rural economies, and Yanahli is one of the state’s most popular. Public lands...