Last week, Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-TN) introduced an act that would expand two existing wilderness areas, designating nearly 7,500 acres in Tennessee’s First Congressional District as wilderness.
The Tennessee Wilderness Act of 2016 would expand the Big Laurel Branch Wilderness, which is located in Carter and Johnson Counties, and the Sampson Mountain Wilderness, which is located in Washington and Unicoi Counties. Both of these wilderness areas are located within the Cherokee National Forest and have been listed as proposed wilderness additions since 2010.
“As an avid outdoorsman, I strongly believe we must protect the beautiful lands we’re fortunate to have in East Tennessee,” said Roe. “Though these particular lands have been treated as wilderness for more than a decade, it’s important to officially protect them.”
“I believe it’s also important that we continue to allow permit holders the ability to hunt and fish on the land, which is why the bill includes specific language to protect these privileges. I’m proud to join Senators Alexander and Corker in this important effort, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to keep Tennessee beautiful for years and generations to come.”
U.S. Senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker had previously introduced the bill in the Senate last March, and in previous years, with additional tracts included to protect a total of nearly 20,000 acres. The act was approved by the Senate Energy and Natural Resource Committee and the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, but in 2014, was not considered on the Senate floor.
Roe’s introduction of the bill to designate these local tracts has potential to benefit local sportsmen and outdoors enthusiasts alike, while having no anticipated impact on private land, as these areas have been treated as wilderness for over a decade.
Designating an area as wilderness is the highest level of federal conservation protection for a piece of land. These two tracts have enjoyed Congressional wilderness designation since 1986.
The Big Laurel Branch Wilderness is currently 6,365 acres and includes 5.8 miles of the Appalachian Trail as well as a southern border along Watauga Lake. The area includes cascading waterfalls, valleys, views of cliffs and the forested Iron Mountain. This area stands to gain 4,446 acres, if the act passes.
Sampson Mountain Wilderness includes 7,967 acres and stands to gain 2,922 acres. Its terrain features five mountain streams, several waterfalls with some dramatic cascades, dense pine and hardwood forest cover including 536 acres of old growth. Areas are decorated with wildflowers like flame azalea, rhododendron and laurel, and trout fishing is abundant. Black bears are present in greater numbers than any other area North of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and enjoy the blueberries which grow in abundance. Numerous trails exist, but many are not well-maintained according to wilderness.net (a site maintained by the University of Montana and the U.S. Forest Service.)
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) has assured that it has volunteers willing to maintain trails in these areas, according to Tiffany McGuffee Haverly, Roe’s Communication Director.
“The Appalachian Trail Conservancy believes that wilderness is the best protection available for the A.T.,” said Morgan Sommerville, Southern Regional Director of the ATC. “We want to thank Congressman Roe for protecting the incredible lands and waters surrounding this iconic footpath. We endorse new wilderness designations along the A.T. as long as enough volunteers are available to help maintain the Trail. Happily, regarding the expansions of the Big Laurel Branch and Sampson Mountain Wilderness Areas in the Cherokee National Forest, new volunteers are rising to the challenge.”
Haverly also said activities like hiking, camping, hunting and fishing will not be affected by the Act; permits will still be managed by the state as in other wilderness areas, she said. The U.S. Forest Service will manage the land with assistance from volunteers.
The act (H.R.4545) was introduced on February 11, which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources as well as to the Committee on Agriculture.