Christmas Events At Nearby State Parks
(shared by Mary Jane Ware)
Fall Creek Falls December 5 - 7
Christmas on the Mountain
Join us for a weekend of Yuletide fun, Christmas Carols, and gifts for
the little ones. Activities for children and adults alike include
traditional Christmas decorating, tea parties, and a 3-day mountain
craft show. Don’t be surprised if Saint Nick drops in. (423)
881-5708.
Cordell Hull Birthplace December 11
Old Fashioned Christmas at the Birthplace
Please join park staff as we celebrate the holidays the way they were
enjoyed in the late nineteenth century, the time period in which former
Secretary of State Cordell Hull lived in this rural area on the edge of
the Cumberland Plateau. Festivities will include old fashioned holiday
music by Ross Moore using 14 traditional instruments, lantern-lit trail
hikes, refreshments, & seasonal decorations in the restored birthplace
cabin. 6-9pm. Contact: Robin Peeler, Robin.Peeler@state.tn.us or
931-864-3247.
Eagle Watch - January 24
On January 24, 2009 we have scheduled the Eagle Watch at Dale Hollow Lake leaving from the Lillydale campground. We will board an open barge provided by the Corps of Engineers for a 2 hour boat ride in search of viewings of the Bald Eagles that winter on Dale Hollow Lake. The boat is an open barge with no roof. Generally seating is provided on bales of hay. We are allowed to bring blankets, ponchos, food, drinks, cameras and just about anything else for personal comfort and enjoyment (legal and moral of course!). There is no charge for the barge trip and free coffee and goodies are provided by the Friends of Dale Hollow Lake.
After the barge trip, we will have lunch at the picnic area of the campground. Then we will drive to the Willow Grove campground for a short out-and-back hike on the Accordion Bluff Trail.
Reservations must be made with the Corp of Engineers in advance. I will be making reservations this week. Please let me know if you are interested in going on this year's Eagle Barge trip by emailing to eyintn@hotmail.com or leave a message at 615 746-8890.
Thanks
Lillian Ey
Watershed Summit Focused on Key Environmental Issues
for Tennessee
By Jennifer Thompson
(Shared with Permission)
The 2008 Watershed Summit, sponsored by the Stones River Watershed Association, was held September 19-21 at Short Mountain Bible Camp near Woodbury. This year the event included the Tennessee Blueways Summit in which ideas and information about creating river trails and blueways were shared.
Saturday's session began with a presentation of the natural history of Short Mountain by Milo Pyne, the senior regional ecologist with NatureServe.
Summit topics included comprhensive planning for watershed protection, water quality monitoring initiatives, green infrastructure, fundraising strategies for Tennessee watershed groups, environmental stewardship for boaters and a presentation of the Tennessee Stream Mitigation Project.
In addition . . . ( Read complete story at: http://www.tennessee.sierraclub.org/1108ts.pdf)
According to the Endangered Species Act, when private landowners, corporations, state or local governments, tribes or other non-federal landowners plan activities that might incidentally harm endangered or threatened wildlife on their land, they are required to obtain an incidental take permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. For such a permit to be given, a Habitat Conservation Plan must first be in place.
A coalition of groups, led by Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, is in the process of developing a "HCP's" for the Cumberland Plateau. As many of the 20 species listed as Threatened and Endangered Species or Management Concern species species are aquatic species,
CFWA has been asked to assist in formulation of the plan. We are committed to help inform the public of the progress of plan formulation, and have been asked to furnish a representative to serve on the "Residential and Development Technical Team" presently drafting the plan.
If you feel you might like to serve as the CFWA representative to the HCP process, for more information please contact John Harwood at 931 528-6395 or cfwa@cfwa-tn.org. The very informative HCP website is: http://www.cumberlandhcp.org/default.html .
Below are a factsheet, and notice of the upcoming workshops around the Cumberland Habitat Conservation Plans, supplied by HCP Outreach Coordinator Emily Woodle.
Are you a landowner, developer, contractor, engineer, landscape architect or surveyor involved in planning and developing more than 1 acre in
Cumberland, Morgan or Scott counties?
If so, then plan to attend these fall workshops where you will:
- Improve your ability to understand, trouble-shoot and implement Best Management Practices (BMPs) required in TDEC’s Construction General Permit and Erosion and Sediment Control Handbook.
- Discuss strengths and challenges of putting BMPs into practice.
- Learn about new tools and resources for watershed protection including better site design, conservation subdivisions and low impact development techniques.
When:
September 16, 2008 at Cumberland Mountain State Park (lunch included) 9:00am-3:00pm cdt*
Key topic of interest: Construction General Permit – Best Management Practices and Trouble-shooting
October 29, 2008
Key topic of interest: Tools for Watershed Protection, Part I. Better site design/Conservation Subdivisions/Low Impact Development
December 4, 2008
Key topic of interest: Tools for Watershed Protection, Part II. Better site design/Conservation Subdivisions/Low Impact Development
Planning to attend any or all meetings? Contact Emily Woodle 865-974-1955 or emilyks@utk.edu, also check out www.cumberlandhcp.org.
Meeting sponsor: Cumberland HCP; partners: Tennessee Water Resources Research Center, UT; TN Dept. of Environment and Conservation; Southeast Watershed Forum
* professional development hours may be available 
