4B. Heritage Trust Fund helps protect Savage Gulf viewshed,Collins River
[Extracted from the TDEC web site]

The Heritage Conservation Trust Fund, created in 2005, is a brain child of Governor Phil Bredesen. Among other things, the Fund provides grants to public and private partners to help leverage available funds for the conservation and protection of priority land across Tennessee.
Recently the governor announced that four projects protecting approximately 1,975 acres have been approved for $3.8 million in grant funding. One of the grants, for $1.5 million, will go to the South Cumberland State Park and Natural Area's Savage Gulf Project, Grundy County, to protect the viewsheds along the bluff lines of Savage Gulf, an established state natural area.
The 1,250-acre project will permanently preserve scenic vistas of the Big Creek Gulf and will protect the Collins State Scenic River, which The Nature Conservancy has listed among the U.S. watershed hot spots with 10 or more at-risk imperiled aquatic species. The Collins is home to 11 at-risk fish and mussel species, including four listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Savage Gulf is an officially recognized National Natural Landmark, and its trails have National Recreation Trail System status. The stage road in Savage Gulf is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the virgin timber tract has been described as the best and largest virgin forest left in the mixed mesophytic region of the Eastern deciduous forest.
News about the Heritage Conservation Trust Fund. On June 1, Marie Stringer Yeagle was appointed the Fund's first Executive Director. Yeagle previously served in Gov. Bredesen's policy office, where she concentrated on land conservation issues and served as a liaison between the Governor's Office and the Trust Fund Board.

5. OTHER TENNESSEE ISSUES

5A. Alliance for the Cumberlands coordinates planning for wildlife conservation in Northern Cumberlands
[Contributed by Sandra Goss]

TCWP was instrumental in the formation of, and continues to be involved in, the Alliance for the Cumberlands. Last month, at their meeting at Tennessee Tech, the Alliance discussed release of the recently completed Tennessee-Kentucky Conservation Action Plan. This document describes the process used to mesh the two states' Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy plans for the Northern Cumberland region. The project was coordinated by the Alliance and funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in partnership with the Doris Duke Charitable Trust. Objectives were to identify shared priorities and collaborative conservation opportunities, and to prioritize and enhance the implementation of conservation strategies.
Priority areas were based on Kentucky's “Conservation Areas” and Tennessee's “Habitat Prioritization.”  A list of stresses and sources of stress that were common to the two plans was compiled. Next, a list of Common Conservation Actions was generated to help guide conservation efforts.
The project concluded that there is a large number (236) of species of concern; that more data are needed on species distribution in the region; and that much of the entire project area is important for conservation efforts. The two highest priority conservation actions are land protection via ownership or easements, and research.
Next steps in the project will be to produce a brochure for outreach efforts, to determine how to use this planning effort to strengthen other projects, how to use partnerships to achieve the goals set forth, how to raise the awareness of the need for wildlife conservation in the region, and how to use the products of the project to increase funding for land protection and research.

5B. Rocky Fork threatened by development

The 10,000-acre Rocky Fork area, located in Unicoi County near Erwin and Greeneville, lies within National Forest boundaries but is still privately owned and completely unprotected. It is subject to numerous threats, including purchase for development of an exclusive gated community. Rocky Fork's 4,700-foot ridgelines provide stunning scenic views, and the area contains more than 16 miles of blue-ribbon trout streams (see NL270 ¶2D for other features). The Southern Appalachian Highland Conservancy (SAHC), the Appalachian Trail Conference, and other groups are engaged in a multi-pronged effort to obtain funding to protect this outstanding area. Depending on the FY'08 Interior Appropriation (see NL273 ¶4A and ¶9A, this NL), $7 million for Rocky Fork land acquisition may become available from the LWCF. The Tennessee Heritage Conservation Trust Fund has awarded a $6 million grant. Foundation money and individual contributions are also being sought.

5C. Mountaintop removal may be slowed by court decision
[Information from EarthJustice]

In March, a federal judge ruled for the plaintiffs in a lawsuit that charged the Army Corps of Engineers with violating the Clean Water Act by granting permits for mountaintop removal (MTR) mining. This type of mining dumps tons of overburden into headwater streams, and causes flooding and rockslides that destroy properties downstream. By the government's own (conservative) estimates, by 2002, MTR had destroyed an area the size of Delaware and had permanently buried 1,200 miles of streams.
The judge's ruling requires the Corps of Engineers to reevaluate its practice of rubberstamping permission for MTR. More than 600 pending mining permits in Appalachia (including Tennessee) will be affected. A New York Times editorial stated: “ . . . a federal judge has inspired hopes that this destruction can be halted . . . The greater hope is that the government can be persuaded to stop the practice altogether.” An Op-Ed contributor to the New York Times (Erik Reece, 5/5/07) suggested that a carbon tax be levied on Appalachian coal bought and burned by utility companies, and that this tax should be used to finance rebuilding of topsoil, reforestation, and resuscitation of communities in Appalachia

5D. Meeting on proposed Lighthouse Lodge in Norris Dam State Park

Background, from NL273 ¶4C. The “Lighthouse” convention center and hotel complex in Norris Dam SP is a development promoted by, among others, the Campbell County Commission. The project will supposedly include a hotel, restaurant, wedding chapel, ice rink, fake waterfall, 70' lighthouse, and tram to the marina. The public land on which it would be located was conveyed from TVA to the Park with an easement that requires that TVA approve any plans in writing. Furthermore, only the State Park can propose plans to TVA. Thus, the position that will be taken by TDEC (of which State Parks is a Division) is critical.]
Meeting report by Sandra Goss. There was standing room only at the June 25 meeting held by Campbell County officials to discuss the proposed Lighthouse Lodge at Norris Dam. Of the more than 80 attendees, the vast majority were visibly and audibly opposed to the project.
Presentations were made by lodge folks, including the engineering company, Barge Waggoner, the hotel management company, and the landscaper.
There were some new developments in these presentations. Among these were plans for the lodge building to be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified; for the lighthouse height to be 30 feet; and for the number of rooms to be 77, rather than the 100+ originally proposed
A TDEC representative said that the state will have to see if a change in the Norris Dam State Park Management Plan is warranted to provide for the new accommodations. This is important and might provide another opportunity for comment.
TCWP has submitted comments opposing the project, as have a number of TCWP members and sister organizations.  Thanks to everyone for your efforts on this.

5E. Tenn. voters support expenditures to conserve natural resources

Results of a poll of 600 registered Tennessee voters, conducted in February, indicate support for the state's natural resources, even if this requires expeditures. [The polling firm was Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin & Assoc.]

5F. Organization news: capsules

6. US FOREST SERVICE

6A. Lawsuit seeks to halt ORV damage in the Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests
[Based on an AP story]

The US Forest Service (USFS) is being sued by a several groups (Trout Unlimited, the Southern Appalachian Biodiversity Project, and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility), represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), for violating the Clean Water Act through insufficient regulation of off-road vehicles (ORVs). ORVs are permitted on an excessive number of trails in both the Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests, and erosion from these trails is polluting streams in the Tellico River watershed. The groups believe that the number of ORV trails must be significantly reduced, and that no ORVs at all should be allowed in the forests during the wettest season.
On June 28, plaintiffs gave notice to the USFS that a lawsuit would be filed after a 60-day waiting period.

6B. Bill introduced to provide permanent protection for National Forest roadless areas

Although the court has ruled that the Bush Administration's repeal of the 2001 Roadless Rule was illegal (NL270 ¶7), the Rule is still threatened on a number of fronts, including an appeal by the Administration (NL273 ¶7A). What is clearly needed is to give the Rule the force of law, and this requires new legislation. The Congress recently moved a step in that direction. A bipartisan bill introduced in May by Reps. Inslee (D-WA), Shays (R-CT), Miller (D-CA), Kirk (R-IL), Hinchey (D-NY) and Ramstad (R-MN) has to date been co-sponsored by about 140 House members of both parties. The companion bill in the Senate, introduced by Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and John Warner (R-VA), has more than 16 co-sponsors.
These bills provide permanent protection for 58.5 million acres of inventoried roadless areas -- pristine forest land -- in 39 states. In Tennessee's Cherokee National Forest, there are 85,000 acres of inventoried roadless areas.
The National Forest System already contains over 380,000 miles of mapped roads and 60,000 miles of unmapped logging roads -- enough to circle the globe 17 times. Only 21% of these roads meet adequate road maintenance standards. The current road maintenance backlog is estimated at $10 billion, with 16 states maintaining a backlog of $100 million each.
A significant feature of the recently introduced Roadless Areas bill is that it includes 9.3 million acres of North America's only coastal temperate rainforest -- Alaska's Tongass National Forest. The Tongass was not included in the original (2001) Roadless Rule developed by the Clinton Administration, and it was not covered by the recent Court ruling that restored the Rule (NL270 ¶7). Over the years, timber sales have been proposed for the Tongass, but have been averted through the action of conservation groups. Most recently, plans to move forward on 9 timber sales in Tongass roadless areas this summer have been dropped, or at least delayed until the Forest issues an amended Land Management Plan.

7. TVA

7A. Strategic Plan now has more emphasis on decreasing greenhouse gases, but TVA's actions don't

TVA's draft 10-year Strategic Plan revealed a preoccupation with producing ever more electric power that was trumping what should be the agency's objective of environmental stewardship. Consequently, TCWP submitted comments that concluded: “We challenge TVA to meet its specific prediction of a 2% annual growth in energy demand by setting specific green goals for meeting this demand. The increased demand should be met through energy efficiency and by addition of power sources that do not produce greenhouse gases” (NL273 ¶6A).
TCWP's comments were not the only ones that decried TVA's lack of emphasis on environmental stewardship. Six weeks ago, the TVA Board responded to this public pressure by vowing to become a national leader on energy efficiency in five years. They have also planned to increase TVA's clean energy generation.
So far, however, TVA's actions have not been in accord with these sentiments for taking a new direction. Insead of supporting efforts in the Senate to increase utiilization of renewable energy, the agency opposed them. Specifically, TVA and its power distributors fought against the Bingaman amendment that would have required utility companies to obtain 15% of their electricity from non-polluting, renewable sources by 2020 (¶8A, this NL).

7B. Meeting planned on the upcoming Watts Bar Plan

The Draft Watts Bar Land Management Plan was released in May 2005, but finalization of the Plan has been repeatedly delayed. A major delay was caused by the need to allow TVA to develop its Land Policy (NL271 ¶4A), and then to review the Watts Bar Plan for conformance with that Policy. Release of the revised Plan was expected for early July (NL273 ¶6B). This date was then pushed back a month to avoid confusion between the Land Management Plan and the EIS for the proposed restart of Unit 2 at the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant.
The final EIS for the Land Management Plan will come out the first week in August, with a 45-day comment period to follow. As planned earlier, TCWP and AFORR will co-sponsor an information session with TVA officials, but the meeting has had to be rescheduled for August 23. It will be held at 7 p.m. in the Craft Room of the Oak Ridge Civic Center.

7C. TVA names Ombudsman

TVA Senior Vice President of Corporate Responsibility & Diversity, Peyton Hairston, has been named as ombudsman for external TVA stakeholders. The ombudsman will give citizens an independent channel for reporting concerns and complaints about TVA activities that impact the public. He will also facilitate discussion and mediation of issues of concern to external stakeholders.
The ombudsman will determine if a complaint has merit and attempt to resolve it, working with the affected TVA organization. If this fails, he will present a proposed resolution to the CEO.

8. ENERGY BILL and GLOBAL WARMING

8A. Senate Energy Bill achieved a lot but needs strengthening

What the bill achieved
On June 21, the Senate, by a vote of 65 to 27 adopted a measure that will increase the corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standard of America's cars, trucks, and SUVs to 35 miles per gallon by 2020. This was the first substantial increase since 1975; the current CAFE standard is 25 mpg. The auto companies had easily defeated earlier attempts to raise the CAFE standards, but did not succeed this time. The measure still has to pass the House and be signed by the President. The House bill will, hopefully, close certain unnecessary loopholes in the Senate bill that could undermine the new 35 mpg standard.
Proven technologies are available to meet the 35 mph standard while maintaining size and acceleration of today's vehicles and improving safety. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), these technologies are estimated to add $1,100 to the price of an average vehicle in 2019, but that investment would be recovered in less than 3 years of driving by the savings in fuel cost. In 2025, the decrease in greenhouse gas emissions will be equivalent to taking 50 million of today's vehicles off the road.
Other advances for clean, efficient energy contained in the Senate bill include, (a) significant expansion of biofuels production and requirements that vehicles be capable of running off biofuels (however, stronger safeguards are needed against global warming pollution generated in the production and use of biofuels -- ¶8C, below)), (b) new appliance and lighting efficiency standards. and (c) a requirement that the federal government accelerate use of efficient lighting in public buildings.
Another piece of good news is that the Senate rejected an attempt by Sen. Bunning (R-KY) to encourage conversion of coal into a liquid fuel. The expensive process for accomplishing this liquefaction produces nearly twice as much global-warming pollution per gallon of fuel as does the use of petroleum fuels. Moreover, as pointed out by EarthJustice, a largely ignored fact in the debate is that use of more coal also means more mining, and particularly mining such as mountaintop removal that has already devastated huge portions of Appalachia (see also ¶5C, this NL).
What the bill failed to do
A concerted effort to include a requirement for utilities to produce at least 15% (20% would have been better) of their electricity from clean, renewable sources failed because obstruction by a minority, primarily a group of Republican senators from the South. Opposition by TVA and its power distributors (¶7A, this NL) was a big factor in this outcome. Hopefully, enough public sentiment can support efforts to include a renewable-energy requirement for utilities in the House bill. To date, 23 states and the District of Columbia have already adopted renewable energy standards. Clearly, a national standard would be one of the most powerful solutions to global warming.
During the energy debate, Tennessee's senators talked about money that would leave the state if we were to use the required amount of clean, renewable energy. Yet, most of the 40 million tons of coal that TVA burns each year comes from outside Tennessee. According to SACE, one of several scenario that meets the proposed standard would be 1,100 megawatts of biomass, produced by crops such as switchgrass grown by local Tennessee farmers, in combination with just four wind farms of 40 turbines each.
Sen. Alexander believes that wind power doesn't make sense in Tennessee. “The only places in Tennessee suitable . . . to generate any electricity at all are our most scenic mountaintops from Chattanooga to the Tri-Cities,” he writes. “Not only do we need to preserve this vista for future generations, but our tourist industry knows that vista generates jobs today - visitors come to see the Great Smoky Mountains, not the wind turbines.” Sen. Alexander has a point, and he has, in fact been an effective advocate for increasing visibility in the Smokies by cleaning up air pollution (e.g., NL273 ¶7C). Fortunate for the Smokies and the Cherokee National Forest is the absence of coal from this mountain chain. But elsewhere (e.g., in the Cumberlands), one needs to ask whether mountaintop removal for coal mining is preferable to wind turbines.

8B. The upcoming House energy bill needs to be stronger than the Senate bill

The Senate Energy bill needs to be strengthened on several scores. (a) Loopholes need to be removed from the CAFE standards. (b) A renewable energy standard for electric power generation must be included. (c) Provisions must be added to ensure that the production and use of alternative fuels generate few or no greenhouse gases (see ¶8C, below). The Union of Concerned Scientists provides some specifics in their recommendations for what a sound House energy package must contain:
* The Fuel Economy Reform Act (H.R. 1506). The Senate's 35 mile per gallon average fuel economy standard for cars and trucks by 2020 could be undermined by unneeded loopholes. The House should lock in this target and reject any weaker standards.
* A renewable energy standard (H.R. 969) that requires 20% of our electricity to come from clean, renewable sources by 2020.
* A low-carbon fuel standard that measures the environmental and health effects of all alternative fuels and ensures they contribute to reducing global warming pollution.
A strong Energy Bill is a needed first step toward ensuring an economy-wide cut in global warming pollution of at least 80% by mid century—the goal we need to reach in order to avoid the worst effects of climate change.

8C. Even more thoughts on biofuels

In past Newsletters (NL273 ¶8F, NL272 ¶8G), we have extensively discussed the possible problems with the production and use of various kinds of biofuels. In the push to replace gasoline from the Middle East, the other objective – to reduce greenhouse gases – is often forgotten. Some kinds of biofuels, specifically corn-based ethanol, are worse than gasoline. The agriculture for corn-ethanol production (use of machinery, fertilizers, pesticides) is very energy consumptive. The fuel demand drives up the price of corn, impacting poor people across the globe.
A Bingaman amendment to the Senate energy committee bill required production of biofuels with at least 20% less greenhouse gas pollution than emitted by gasoline. The fate of this amendment in the final bill is uncertain at this time.
Another factor to be considered is the impact of biofuels production on the landscape. The upcoming SAMAB (Southern Appalachian Man and the Biosphere) October conference (see ¶12, below) has a session entitled “Biofuel Demand and the Southern Appalachian Landscape.” Papers to be presented will discuss what a growing demand for biofuels means for land use, farm sustainability, and the ecology of the Southern Appalachians.
[The following information from NL273 ¶8F is worth repeating.] Mandating an increase in fuel-efficiency standards could be more effective than switching to corn ethanol. An analysis by Lester R. Brown, president of the Earth Policy Institute, finds that increasing automobile fuel efficiency by just 20% would be equivalent to converting the entire US grain harvest into ethanol. If the gas-mileage provisions of the Senate bill (¶8A, above) remain in the final energy bill, the CAFE standard will have been increased by about 40%, not just 20%.

8D. Bush's new stance on global warming is not all that new
[Based on NY Times articles of May 26, June 1, and June 4]

For the meeting of the Group-of-8 industrialized nations, Germany, backed by Britain and Japan proposed cutting global greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2050, and these nations were expected to be joined by Italy, France, and probably others. The USA, however, expressed “fundamental opposition” to this proposal in what the NY Times called “unusually harsh language,” leaving many European diplomats furious.
Just a few days later, on June 30, Pres. Bush announced in Washington that he would help, beginning this fall, to convene a series of meetings of the world's 10-15 biggest emitters of greenhouse gases (including India and China) to develop a “global strategy” for dealing with climate change. He expressed the general hope that the nations would voluntarily establish nonbinding targets.
What was new was his statement that he now finds the evidence for a link between climate change and human activity to be increasingly persuasive, and that he acknowledges the need for real reduction in greenhouse gases. However, he considers regulatory restraints unnecessary and is convinced that technology holds most of the answers. By contrast, most experts regard measures such as mandated caps on emissions to be necessary conditions for technological progress. And, unless the USA adopts limits on domestic emissions, it will not be taken seriously as the leader in any climate meetings. Pre. Bush's plan to convene meetings of 10-15 nations this fall is seen by some as an attempt to circumvent or derail the second phase of the Kyoto Protocol talks, which are scheduled to take place in Bali near the end of this year. The current Kyoto timetables will expire in 2012, and the Bali talks, leading to a renewed formalized treaty, are seen as essential for developing a continued and more stringent global approach and for assuring accountability.

8E. Global-warming capsules

9. OTHER NATIONAL ISSUES

9A. Bush budget drastically reduces LWCF, but Congress is trying to restore it

The Bush budget presented to Congress has drastic reductions in proposed appropriations for the Land & Water Conservation Fund, the main vehicle for land acquisition by various natural resource agencies. In the table below (from Common Ground, vol.18. No.2) numbers are rounded to nearest tenth of million dollars. While the Bush budget is compared with the FY'07 budget (last column), it is instructive also to compare it with the FY'06 budget.

Agency	Final FY'06	Final FY'07	Bush FY'08	Change from '07
LWCF land acquisition spending
BLM	8.6	8.6	1.6	-81%
FWS	28.0	28.0	8.0	-36%
NPS
State	29.6	29.6	0	-100%
Federal	17.4	34.4	22.5	-35%
USFS	43.0	8.8	17.0	+93%
Total	126.6	109.5	59.1	-46%
Forest Legacy Program
	56.5	9.3	29.3	+216%

Note that the total LWCF appropriation requested by the Bush Administration is less than $60 million. The recently passed House Interior Appropriations bill, however, includes more than $200 million for the LWCF

9B. Interior Appropriations Bill passes House

Altogether, the House Interior Appropriation amounted to $27.6 billion (the bill includes record funding for national parks), considerably above what the President asked for, and thus possibly subject to a veto. The House saved money by limiting spending on road-building in the Tongass National Forest, our largest and most magnificent temperate rain forest (also, see ¶6B, above).
The Senate has yet to finalize an Interior Appropriation. It is to be hoped that good features of the House bill are retained, and that Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) is unable to restore the Tongass road-building money.

9C. Bald Eagle recovery: The Endangered Species Act has worked!

On June 28, the bald eagle was officially removed from the federal list of endangered and threatened species. In 1967, due to habitat destruction and the widespread use of DDT, there were only 417 breeding pairs in the continental United States. Now, thanks to protections under the Endangered Species Act, there are nearly 10,000 breeding pairs, with some in each state. Because there is some worry about the consequences of removal from the list of threatened species, eagle populations will be monitored closely for the next five years. Property rights groups had hoped that the bird's removal from the list would free up eagle habitat for residential and commercial development. It is not clear to what extent this will be the case, since the birds will continue to enjoy the protections provided by an older law, The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.

9D. Clean Water Protection Act to keep mining waste out of streams
[Information from SOCM]

In 2002, the Army Corps of Engineers and EPA changed the definition of waste in a way that allowed mining operators to dump overburden into streams. The effects of mountaintop removal coal mining have already buried 1,200 miles of streams in Appalachia (see also ¶5C and ¶8A, this NL). Recently, Representatives Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Christopher Shays (R-CT) introduced the Clean Water Protection Act, which expressly forbids this practice. Following a visit to Washington by a group of coalfield citizens, the number of co-sponsors of this bill grew to 79, but more are needed.

10. THE OAK RIDGE AREA

DOE releases Assessment on ED-6 (east of the BORCE)
[Contributed by Sandra Goss and Frank Hensley]

DOE recently released the Final Environmental Assessment (EA) of the conveyance of Parcel ED-6 to the City of Oak Ridge. ED-6, which consisted of 362 acres, has been of interest to TCWP because of its location, east of the Black Oak Ridge Conservation Easement (BORCE) and between the Turnpike and the North Boundary Trail.
Some concerns expressed in TCWP's comments on the Draft EA have now been addressed in a positive manner in the Final EA, and we commend DOE for making the following adjustments:
1) The proposed boundary road between BORCE and ED-6 was eliminated.
2) The western boundary of ED-6 was changed so as to follow the natural land contours. This reduced the acreage from 362 to 336 acres and left significant deep forest for the BORCE.
Property transfer involving ED-6 was addressed in the 2002 study by the Oak Ridge Land Use Planning Focus Group. The study covered only 5,000 acres (excluding Horizon Center and East Tennessee Technology Park) of the 30,000 acre Oak Ridge Reservation (0RR). This piecemeal approach ignores the cumulative impact of individual land transfers on the natural resources of the ORR and surrounding lands and waters, including the Breeder Reactor Site and the BORCE. It is imperative that a Reservation-wide Land Management Plan that involves public participation be undertaken immediately. Such a plan, recommended by the 2002 Focus Group, would also insure that current and future research that requires large areas of unspoiled land, such as climate research, can be conducted on the ORR.

11. TCWP NEWS

11A. Nominating Committee welcomes your input
[Contributed by Sandra Goss]

Our Nominating Committee, a trio of dedicated TCWP folks (Jenny Freeman, Jo Ann Thompson, and Linda LaForest) is starting work on the slate of candidates for TCWP's 2008 Officers and Directors. The Committee members would greatly welcome suggestions from the membership.

11B. Volunteer Opportunities: we need YOU!

TCWP is as good as its volunteers. Even though we have a talented, super-hard-working, dedicated, intelligent, personable (and many other adjectives!) Executive Director, we depend on volunteer effort for much of what we can accomplish.
There are numerous volunteer opportunities in TCWP, ranging from one-time jobs to sustained effort, and from physical to intellectual tasks. Help is needed on the Service Committee, the ad hoc Water Issues groups, the Mailing Committee, and the Trails/Wild Areas Work Crews. Whatever your talents - or even if you haven't figured yours out yet -- we need you!

11C. Upcoming activities
[Contributed by Sandra Goss]

[For additional information on any of the listed events, contact Sandra at 865-522-3809, or at sandra@sandrakgoss.com]
Creek Adventure for all ages – Saturday, July 21
Explore the wonders of pristine Clifty Creek near Harriman at a free event that provides opportunities to hike, wade, and learn stream ecology. With help from TVA aquatic biologists, participants can catch bugs, crawdads, and colorful fish, and enjoy the natural beauty of a Tennessee stream with a rocky bluff and wildflowers. The hiking will be limited in distance and optional. Participants can meet at 9:00 a.m. for carpooling in the old Food City parking lot on S. Illinois Ave. near the Oak Ridge Turnpike, or at 10:00 a.m. at Clifty Creek. Bring 1) old sneakers to wear in the creek, 2) lunch, 3) bug spray and 4) sun block. This will be an especially good outing for families with children. Waders will be available on site if you don't want to get wet. We expect to return at about 1:30 pm. For driving directions or other information, visit http://www.tcwp.org/, or call 865-522-3809.
Melton Lake Tree-identification outing -- Saturday, August 18
Renowned area botanist and TCWP Board member Larry Pounds will lead an early-morning tree-identification outing along Melton Lake Greenway. We'll walk 1 to 1.5 miles on an on an 8 ft.-wide asphalt trail along the western shore of the lake. The outing is co-sponsored by Greenways Oak Ridge. Participants should meet at 8 a.m. in the parking lot across from the River Run entrance.
Pigeon River Rafting Trip – Saturday, August 18
In what looks as if it might become a tradition, TCWP is once again able to offer an attractive rate for a rafting trip down the Pigeon River. The trip, on a section of Class III/IV water, will be on rafts that seat 7 people plus a guide. Each rafter will be provided a helmet, lifejacket, and paddle, and must be at least 8 years old, or weigh at least 70 pounds. An orientation session will precede the rafting experience. This trip is made possible through the generosity of Davy Hansen and Wildwater Ltd., and is arranged by TCWP member Mike Kohlenberger. Advance reservations, by August 10, are required. The cost is $17 per person, which includes a tip for the guide. Call or e-mail Sandra to reserve seats on a raft.
Review of Watts Bar Management Plan – August 23
TCWP and AFORR will co-sponsor an information session with TVA officials to review the revised Watts Bar Draft Management Plan. This session, originally scheduled for July 26 (NL273 ¶6B), had to be rescheduled for August 23 (¶7B, this NL). It will be held at 7 p.m. in the Craft Room of the Oak Ridge Civic Center.
Program on Birds of Prey – Thursday, September 13
This program will be presented by the Clinch River Raptor Center at 7:00 p.m. in the Civic Center Craft Room. The program is free and open to the public. Six non-releasable birds (a red-tailed hawk, a great horned owl, two screech owls, and two kestrels) are used in the Center's educational outreach programs
The Clinch River Raptor Center, initiated in 1984 as a part of the Anderson County Schools ecology curriculum, uses student and community volunteers to rehabilitate injured birds of prey. Located at Clinton Middle School, the center houses injured birds such as great horned owls, barred owls, screech owls, red-tailed hawks, red-shouldered hawks, Cooper's hawks, sharp-shinned hawks, and American kestrels.
Exotics extirpation on National Public Lands Day – Saturday, September 29
Over the years, working with TVA staff, TCWP volunteers have replaced exotic invasives with native plants in the Worthington Cemetery Ecological Study Area near Elza Gate. This year, again, we will celebrate National Public Lands Day with our traditional removal of exotic plants. Assemble at 9:00 a.m. in the parking lot/picnic area south of the Turnpike (Hiway 95) just east of the Melton Lake traffic light. Some tools will be available, but bring gloves, and loppers if you have them. After your morning's work, you may enjoy a complementary pizza lunch at noon in the picnic area.

11D. We thank our volunteers!
[Contributed by Sandra Goss]

Thanks and a tip of the hat to the numerous volunteers who helped with our efforts over the past several weeks.
Manning the Secret City Festival booth: Virginia Dale, Charlie Hensley, Frank Hensley, Hal Smith and Becky Van Dyke.
Assembling NL273 in May: Carol Grametbauer, Frank Hensley, Charlie Klabunde, Dick Raridon, Hal Smith, Helen and Ken Warren.
Producing the booklet Obed Wild & Scenic River in Peril: Cindy Kendrick and Lee Russell (writing and layout); Frank Hensley (map); Charlie Klabunde (digitalizing photographs); Jimmy Groton (conversion to PDF format).
Thanks also to those of you who called, wrote, faxed, and e-mailed in response to our various e-mail alerts and Newsletter action calls. Working together, we are making a positive difference in our natural world

11E. New tax benefit for charitable givers who make withdrawals from tax-deferred accounts
[Contributed by TCWP Treasurer, Charlie Klabunde]

A relatively new tax provision that currently expires at the end of 2007 allows those who are withdrawing money from IRA's, SEP's, and 401K's to make charitable contributions straight from the investment firm, with no tax penalty incurred or due on the withdrawn amount. One can instruct one's investment firm to make the donation to an approved charity. This can be done by the investment firm, and the contribution is not part of one's taxable income. If one is over age 70½ and must make at least a minimum withdrawal each year, such charitable transfers can count toward the required withdrawal. TCWP is such an approved charity.

11F. Special mentions of TCWP members

Linda LaForest
This is the second consecutive Newsletter mention for Linda, who was TCWP Executive Director in the 1990s and now serves on the TCWP Activities Committee. Soon after she became head veterinarian at the McArthur Animal Hospital (NL273 ¶10C), the business was sold. Linda has now started a veterinary house-call business for Oak Ridge and the surrounding area. Such a practice is ideal for people with healthy pets who wish to avoid the inconvenience of taking their pets to a veterinarian's office. General health care provided in house calls includes vaccinations, certain testing, heartworm prevention, deworming, etc. Linda can be reached at 300-8910 or at tnvetonthego@gmail.com.
Susan Donnelly
Susan has for some time been ably serving as TCWP's Trail Steward for Oak Ridge's 11-mile North Ridge Trail (which TCWP developed and maintains). We always knew she was a great runner, but now she has got national exposure through being on the cover of UltraRunning, July/August 2007. The caption reads: Susan Donnelly at the Massanutten 100 Mile. If you want to see it, visit http://www.ultrarunning.com/ultra/issues/
Rich Norby
Rich Norby, who, along with his wife, Councilwoman Ellen Smith, has been active in AFORR and TCWP, has recently been named a UT-Battelle Corporate Fellow. Rich is science team leader for Experimental Ecology at ORNL.
Cindy Kendrick
During her three-year term (2003 through 2005) as president, Cindy greatly invigorated TCWP, and she continues to serve most actively on the TCWP Board. In her “other” life, working at ORNL, Cindy has recently changed jobs. After ably leading the Concerns Program for 3 years, she left that program in May to join the Technology Transfer and Economic Development Directorate where she is providing assistance to the important User Facilities Program.

11G. Community Shares Workplace Campaigns to kick off late Sept.5; TCWP can benefit
[Contributed by Sandra Goss]

Community Shares, a federation of community groups that work together to raise money cooperatively for their programs, will begin their workplace campaigns this fall.
TCWP is a member group of Community Shares, and benefits when you make charitable gifts to Community Shares.
Look for opportunities at your workplace to give to Community Shares and please remember TCWP. If your workplace does not have Community Shares as a giving option, ask your human services department to include it. For more information about Community Shares, see http://www.communitysharestn.org , or call 865-522-1604.
There will be a campaign kick-off reception on Wednesday, September 5 from 4-6:30 at the Laurel Theatre in the Fort Sanders neighborhood of Knoxville. All member groups will have information about their organizations. TCWP members are invited to attend.

12. CALENDAR; RESOURCES