A Season of Giving

This is the time of the year when I look at my giving for the year and make end of year gifts to organizations and causes I support.  I do not belong to a church so I do not tithe or regularly support a church like many people do.  Throughout the year I give to various causes but at the end of the year I take stock of my giving and make most of my donations.

My giving includes support for political causes in which I believe and to good candidates running for office.  Some may think that political contribution are a separate category of giving than charitable causes but I do not agree.  I fear for our country and want to preserve liberty, promote limited government, promote good government, promote justice, protect private property and promote a free market economy.  I want America to remain a unique country.  I do not want our nation to become a "normal" European-type social welfare state. America has been the arsenal of Democracy and the leader of the free world. We are the essential country both in power to do good and as an example of what can be.

There are evil forces in the world.  It is easy to forget how the whole world was on the bring of a nuclear Armageddon at the end of the cold war and how half of the world's population was under communist domination and it is easy to forget the 100 million victims of communism.  While Communism is no longer the primary threat freedom faces at this time, the views that made communism so seductive are alive and well.  People are often ready to follow an ideology that promises to fix everything and they are willing to sacrifice their freedom for an idealistic utopian promise of a better tomorrow.

In my view, resisting tyranny and promoting freedom are every bit as important as finding a cure for a disease or feeding the hungry. We also, however, have a moral obligation, I believe, to help those in need.  I do not think this is a collective obligation. I don't think one gains any merits when the government robs you of your earnings and gives it to someone else. The fact that you are taxed does not satisfy the obligation to be charitable.

If you examine your life and have been blessed and do not give, please consider doing so.  It is so easy to simply not care and not share.  I find that I am blessed when I give. Also, giving makes one more sensitive to the cause to which they give and more vested in results. One has to follow their own heart and where I choose to give, may not be the same place you choose to give but below are some of the organizations I find to be worthy of my support. If you are looking for a place to give where your money will be put to good use, I urge you to consider contributing to the following organizations.

Nashville Rescue Mission is an organization with which we are all familiar.  They are the primary
agency serving Nashville's homeless. They feed them, provide shelter, and provide case management attempting to get people employed and off the street.  They are a faith-based organization and do not receive government funding. The Nashville Rescue Mission saves lives and helps the most unfortunate of our city.

The Beacon Center of Tennessee is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, and independent organization dedicated to providing expert empirical research and timely free market solutions to public policy issues in Tennessee. They have fought for elimination of barriers to the right to earn a living. In the days before Uber and Lyft, when Nashville tried to harass and regulate out of existence a ride-sharing company, Beacon came to the defense of the company. Beacon has successfully pushed for bold reforms in education, healthcare, economic regulation, and tax policy, among many others. They also investigate and expose government waste.

Institute for Justice fights for economic liberty including opposing unreasonable licensing laws that serve to protect certain service industries from competition. They were active in Nashville in the past when they opposed the city's efforts to shut down an early pioneer in alternative transportation.  The city tried to force all providers of ride-sharing services similar to Uber or Lyft to charge a minimum fee of $40 per trip among other measure designed to stamp out alternative transportation and to protect the taxi interest. IJ also was active in Nashville in protecting the rights of a small business owner by the name of Joy Ford when the city wanted to take her music business office and sell the property to a big developer. Currently, IJ is working with The Beacon Center to challenge the city's prohibition against home-based businesses.  Metro's ban makes illegal home recording studios and music teachers giving piano lessens in their home and even a one-chair hair salon. The enforcement of the ban is arbitrary. IJ has also been active in fighting civil forfeiture in which the government may seize one's property and to regain the property the owner must prove he is not engaged in criminal activity.

Judicial Watch uses the open records or freedom of information laws to investigate and uncover misconduct by government officials and litigates to hold politicians and public officials accountable who engage in corrupt activities. They also fight for fair and honest elections and defend voter ID laws and fight illegal sanctuary policies.

Tennessee Parks & Greenways Foundation  is a nonprofit land trust dedicated to protecting

and conserving Tennessee’s natural treasures. It is the oldest accredited, statewide land trust in Tennessee. Through collaboration with members, private landowners, local municipalities, and state and federal agencies, they work to create parks, establish wildlife corridors, expand existing protected public lands, and enhance public recreation opportunities.  Some of the most endangered and beautiful spots in Tennessee have been saved and made publicly accessible due to the work of this organization. 

 Tennessee Eagle Forum. The mission of TEF is "to enable conservative and pro-family men and women to participate in the process of self-government and public-policy making so that America will continue to be a land of individual liberty, respect for family integrity, public and private virtue, and private enterprise."  The organization is highly effective and has a tireless leader in Bobbie Patray.

Victim of Communism Memorial Foundation.  The Berlin Wall fell, but communism didn’t. One

hundred years after the Bolshevik Revolution, one fifth of the world’s population still lives under single-party communist regimes in China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea, and Vietnam. Communist regimes commit the worst and widest-scale human rights abuses on the planet. Communism promises to make everyone equal, but delivers radical inequality. Every time it’s tried, it ends in economic collapse or a police state. From the famines, purges, and gulags of Soviet Russia to Mao’s Great Leap Forward and the Killing Fields of the Khmer Rouge—from the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre to the Castro regime’s 2012 murder of Oswaldo Payá—communists have killed more than 100 million people. Countless more suffered and suffer still. Unfortunately, many are unaware of the record of communism and an entire generation of Americans is open to collectivist ideas because they don’t know the truth. This foundations tries to keep the memory of the evils of communism alive.

The Alzheimer Association  advances research to end Alzheimer's and dementia while enhancing

care for those living with the disease. I support this organization because my wife has been living with dementia for at least 16 years. Misdiagnosed as having Alzheimer's in 2003 it was not until sometime in 2015 that she was correctly diagnosed as having a different condition. By the time the she was properly diagnosed and treated, the brain damage was advanced and not reversible. Advances in diagnosing and treating dementia would have made a big difference in Louella's life and in my life as her caregiver.

.

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Sunset on the South Harpeth, September 26th.

If you like the great outdoors, if want to see Tennessee's natural beauty preserved, see beautiful waterfalls and majestic views saved for public use, and critical habitats protected, and see park lands extended, you need to support The Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation.  

Next weekend TPGF will be hosting one of the best deals I have ever seen in a fund raiser. Since the food and beverage and music and site is donated, the cost can be kept low for TPGF supporters. This would be a great deal even if the money did not go for a good cause. For a donation of $30 you get an outdoor meal served in a beautiful sitting, wine and other adult beverages, music, hay rides and fun around a bonfire.

Please join me in attending this event: 

Hosted on a beautiful farm on the South Harpeth River in Williamson County Saturday, September 26, 2015 - 3:00 PM. Program at 5:00 PM.
 ~ 1920s dairy barn
~ Hike along the South Harpeth River
~ Kayaking
~ Hayride
~ Horseback riding
~ Silent Auction
~ Music by Buckdancer’s Choice and Bevin Gregory & Gray Gordon
~ Bonfire
~ Camping

Tickets are $30 per person. Children twelve and under free. Reservations requested to Steve Walsh at (615) 545-0195 or Kim Holst kim@tenngreen.org. For more information, visit www.tenngreen.org.

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Senator Jack Johnson praises Tennessee Parks and Greenways at Sunset on the South Harpeth event

Saturday night was the fifth annual Sunset on the Harpeth event to raise money for the Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation. TPGF is a non-profit organization that has saved many of the most endangered and beautiful of Tennessee's natural treasures, places like Virgin Fall and Stillhouse Hollow Falls and Cummins Falls and Black Mountain and Devilstep Hollow Cave and others.  In addition to saving specific beautiful places, TPGF has helped keep thousands of acres of rural Tennessee, rural and scenic by encouraging conservation easements and being recipient and guardian of the easement. The founder and Executive Director of the organization is my sister, Kathleen Williams, of whom I could not be more proud.



Senator Jack Johnson; Kathleen Williams, my sister Executive Director of Tennessee Parks and
Greenways Foundation and me (Rod Williams)

The Sunset on the Harpeth is a fun event in a beautiful setting of a lush valley with farms bordering the Harpeth River. The event includes a nature walk and hay rides and canoeing and live music and good food and  a bar and a big bonfire. It gets underway about 4PM. Some people come for the dinner and speech, others stay till late into the evening, and some camp for the night. I did not know it in advance  but was pleased that the keynote speaker at this year's event was Senator Jack Johnson.

Senator Jack Johnson is a Republican and the State Senator Representing Williamson County.  In his remarks, Senator Johnson praised Johnathan  Openheimer for establishing a conservation easement on 1363 area in Williamson County and he said, Mr. Openheimer has taken that acreage and created a business and is creating jobs. “Don’t let anyone tell you that conservation and job creation can’t go together.” 

“One of the things that make Williamson County so appealing is the green space,” he said. “Tennessee is one of the most beautiful States in United States of American,” said Senator Johnson. “We have such incredible Natural Resources and they need to be preserved and  that is why I am happy to be here and why I am happy to write a check to support the Tennessee and Parks Greenway Foundation."

“The great thing about Parks and Greenway Foundation is that they are preserving those valuable resources we have. With this effort, to take the private dollars which you are raising right here today (by being here) and marrying those with certain tax dollars, we are protecting those resources. People are looking to relocate their business, they are looking to relocate their families, and people are coming to Tennessee in droves, and one of the reasons is because of our beautiful natural resources and I am just grateful that you are here today to help us preserve as many of those as possible.”

Randy Hedgepath, the State Naturalist for Tennessee State Parks led a Nature Walk and  shared
 his knowledge of flowers and plants and birds. His humor and personality added to the knowledge
 he imparted. That is me, my niece Becca and by sister Kathleen with her grandson Edmond she is holding.
 We are in the second row of walkers.

I am delighted that Senator Johnson went out of his way to honor and support TPGF. Conservatives and liberals may disagree on some particulars of environmental policy, but there should be little disagreement on conservation and the importance of saving and protecting Tennessee's natural treasures.

This the third of the Sunset on the Harpeth events I have attended. A downpour mid-afternoon swelled the river and canceled any canoeing or nature walk along the river bank but did not distract from the evening and luckily there was no rain during the actual event. It was a beautiful cool evening with a bright moon and I stayed until late in the night. I enjoyed the beautiful outdoor sitting, Blue Grass music, grilled hamburgers and other good fare, and good conversation and adult beverages, and just relaxing.  Having been stressed by my wife's advancing illness, it was great for me to have a fun and relaxing evening and I could not think of a better place to have it.

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"Heal yourself on a Tennessee trail," by Kathleen Williams

Cummins Falls

Kathleen Williams is Founder and Executive Director of the Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation. TPGF has been responsible for saving numerous waterfalls, beautiful vistas, and critical habitats and helping place thousands of acres of land in conservation easements. I reported on the dedication of Cummins Falls in this blog in May of 2012.  Cummins Falls has got to be one of the most beautiful spots on earth. When I die, I think that is where I would like my ashes to be scattered.

Since saving Cummins Falls, TPGF was instrumental in saving Virgin Falls, a water fall that falls out on one cave and into another. It is unique in that it has no upstream or downstream. Many people thought this fall was already protected but it was not. The State had a long-term lease on the property that was set to expire. The falls could have been lost to public use, it not for the work of TPGF.  I have never visited the falls myself but look forward to doing so.



Virgin Falls

Tennessee conservatives who love nature should get behind the work of TPGF. TPGF is privately funded and has no condemnation authority, or coercive authority of any kind, yet has saved many of Tennessee's natural treasures. Kathleen Williams is my sister and I am extremely proud of the work she is doing.

Heal yourself on a Tennessee trail

Kathleen Williams

by Kathleen Williams, Tennessee Voices, The Tennessean, June 6, 2014 - For a healthier path, get on
a trail. Preferably hike in an old forest or near water to get all the benefits. Breathe in the ancient air. One hundred twenty chemical compounds — many unknown — will lower your blood pressure, your diabetes will improve, your mood or attitude will be transformed, you will think more clearly. You’ll be less stressed, more creative, more affectionate, playful, even elated. And you’ll live longer. (link)

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Governor Bill Haslam and other dignitaries dedicate Virgin Falls.

To get an idea of the size of this natural wonder, look in the upper left corner of
this picture. There is a person standing there.

I hate I missed it, but last Wednesday Governor Bill Haslam and other dignitaries gathered and endured chilly temperatures to dedicate Virgin Falls.

I have hiked a lot of beautiful places in Tennessee but have never hiked to Virgin Falls.  My sister is planning to lead a hike to Virgin Falls and some other nearby sites some warm day in January. I look forward to the hike. My sister, Kathleen Williams, is Executive Director of the Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation and her organization was instrumental in saving this site.

My family has  a deep connection to this area. Both sets of  grandparents on my mothers side, the Carters and the Welches, have ties to this part of the country. The nearby area called "Big Bottom" was once farmed by an ancestor of mine and I have a relative who is buried in a cemetery in the area.

The stream that makes Virgin Falls, runs out of cave then falls 110 feet into the mouth of another cave. The area is also home to several endangered and rare plant species.

Below is a link to news coverage of the Dedication.

Geologic wonder dedicated as Virgin Falls State Natural 

Gov. Bill Haslam, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Commissioner Bob Martineau, Deputy Commissioner for Parks and Conservation Brock Hill and representatives from the community endured chilly temperatures Wednesday to celebrate the protection of 1,157 acres through the Virgin Falls State Natural Area, which is adjacent to the Bridgestone/Firestone Centennial Wilderness.

Community celebrates preservation of Virgin Falls  

SPARTA — Bundled up nature-lovers gathered at Welch’s Point in Sparta yesterday morning to celebrate the formal dedication of the Virgin Falls State Natural Area.

“We are celebrating getting Virgin Falls into public land, which many of us thought it was already,” said Mary Lynn Dobson, vice president of the Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation.

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Governor Haslam to Dedicate Virgin Falls State Natural Area Wednesday, Dec. 11.

NASHVILLE. TN Press Release – Governor Bill Haslam, along with leaders from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services and Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation will be officially dedicating the purchase of Virgin Falls State Natural Area this Wednesday, December 11.

Through the support of a number of private/public partnerships, the state acquired the land in November 2012. Prior to that, Virgin Falls had been under private ownership, but managed by the state as a natural area for nearly 40 years. Working closely with the Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation, the state of Tennessee was able to purchase the 1,551-acre parcel near Sparta through a combination of funds from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and private donations.

A favorite hiking destination for decades, Virgin Falls features a waterfall that exits a cave at the top of a cliff and then disappears into a second cave at its base. Nature lovers have noted the existence of unique flora and fauna and amateur geologists have explored the composition and structure of its many caves.

My Comment: I had the good fortune to be at the dedication last year when the state acquired Cummins Falls. Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend tomorrow's dedication ceremonies. I wish I could be there. Kudos to my sister, Kathleen Williams, Director of the Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation, who was instrumental in making this happen. We are fortunate to live in Tennessee which has some of the most precious natural treasures in the world. I think it is important that we save beautiful waterfalls and vistas and critical habitats for future generations. 

If you are reviewing your end of year giving and looking for a good cause to support, join me in contributing the the Tennessee Parks and Greenways foundation and help save Tennessee's natural treasures. Without the work done by TPGF and similar organizations, these natural treasures would be lost for ever. State government is slow and cumbersome. An organization like TPGF can raise private money, purchase the property or option the property and then sell it to the state when the state is ready to purchase it. Without the intermediary roll of TPGF, these treasures would be lost forever.

“This is the fifth land project for our small non-profit foundation in the corridor that connects Fall Creek Falls to Virgin Falls.  We’ve helped protect more than 4,500 acres along the Caney Fork, the Cane Creek Gorge, Welch’s Point and now Virgin Falls,” said Kathleen Williams, Executive Director of the Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation. 

Saving Virgin Falls had been a priority of TPGF for  more than a decade.

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State Of Tennessee Purchases Virgin Falls

An iconic Tennessee waterfall now belongs to the state. ...  The 1,551-acre tract in White County that contains Virgin Falls had been privately owned since the 1970s, though the state had leased it. more

Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation  negotiated and optioned the property on the State’s behalf. If not for their effort, this natural wonder might have been lost as a park forever. My sister Kathleen Williams is the executive director of the Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation and is responsible for saving many Tennessee treasures. I am proud of the work she does. To learn more about Virgin Falls and the work of TPGF, follow this link. 

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Cocktails and Conservation to Protect Virgin Falls

Join me this Wednesday.

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Help Protect Virgin Falls!

Reposted from  Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation 

Virgin Falls

To realize the scale, notice the human figure in the upper left at the top of the falls.

(There is a fundraiser to support this project this Wednesday night September 19, 2012 from 5:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m. at the Belle Meade Carriage House in Nashville, Tennessee. $50 per person. Join me in helping  save a Tennessee treasure. Please RSVP to Jeanne Fitch at (615) 329-4441 or jeanne@tenngreen.org. Rod )


Help Protect Virgin Falls! Our deadline is September 28th!!

Virgin Falls is Tennessee’s premiere scenic wonder and natural attraction!  Formed underground, its stream emerges from a cave, drops 110 feet, and disappears into another cave at the bottom of the falls.  A waterfall with no visible upstream or downstream! Virgin Falls is located on a privately-owned 1,551-acre tract with portions designated as a State Natural Area.  The Wilderness Area also holds numerous other upstream spectacular waterfalls including Big Laurel Falls, Sheep Cave Falls, and Big Branch Falls.  Additional attractions along the trail include caves, rock houses, Virgin Falls Sink, and Sheep Cave Sink! Also the land would conserve over a half mile of the Caney Fork River headwaters and incredible habitat for rare life.

Help protect this destination in a 55,000 acre wilderness.
Located on the Cumberland Plateau near Sparta, TN, it is a priority destination in the Corridor that links Fall Creek Falls to Scott’s Gulf to Bledsoe State Forest.  An impressive forest corridor of more than 55,000 acres will link awe-inspiring 110’ Virgin Falls to the dramatic Fall Creek Falls, the tallest waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains at 256’.  A 54-mile-long distance hiking trail is being developed called the Mid-Cumberland Wilderness Trail to take you through this wilderness corridor.  With your help, we can conserve the most important privately-held feature in the area.  Adding this scenic destination will keep visitors here longer and add to the economic vitality of the entire area.

Its privately-owned so…its future is at risk.
Although the 1,551-acre Virgin Falls State Natural Area is currently managed by the state, it is still privately owned and subject to private development pressures.  Virgin Falls was a “Bowater Pocket wilderness area,” set aside in 1970 for preservation.  The State purchased the lease from Bowater in 2006, but the land was still owned by four different private entities.  When the State’s lease expires, the land will be at risk to development.

We now have a short window of opportunity to purchase this natural treasure and to ensure it remains forever conserved and open to the public. Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation has negotiated and optioned the property on the State’s behalf.  The total cost of the project is $2.9 million but the landowners have discounted the price by more than $800,000.  Thankfully, $1.5 million is available through a state-secured federal grant and TWRA has committed $300,000.  Through the leadership of the Save Virgin Falls Committee, we’ve raised another $85,675.  We’re almost there!  We only need to raise $107,530 by September 28, 2012.  Will you help?

Each acre costs $1,318– a small price to pay for such beauty. Leave a legacy of an acre or a grove of up to 10 acres for this and future generations to enjoy.  Whatever gift you can make will get us one step closer to saving this wild and wonderful land.  We appreciate you.

This has been a priority for the Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation for more than a decade. 
Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation is a statewide non-profit organization founded in 1998 with a mission to conserve Tennessee’s natural treasures.  In the Scott’s Gulf to Fall Creek Falls Corridor, we have secured more than 3,000 acres in four parcels. Conserved tracts include scenic Welch’s Point overlooking Scott’s Gulf, Caney Fork River bottomlands and the vista from Milliken’s Overlook in Fall Creek Falls.  All are open for public access with ownership divided between State Parks and TWRA.  Our most recent successes are the creation of Tennessee’s 54^th State Park:  Cummins Falls State Park and the most-recently established wildlife management area at Short Mountain:  Headwaters WMA.

For more information, contact Kathleen Williams, President & Executive Director, Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation at 615-329-4441 or Steve Walsh, Director of Membership, at 615-545-0195.

To make a secure, tax deductible donation towards this worthy cause, click the PayPal ‘Donate’ link on our website (be sure to include ‘Virgin Falls’ in the note section of your payment). You may also send cash, check or credit card information to:

Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation
117 30th Avenue S. , Nashville, TN 37212

Additional comment:  Many people already think this natural treasure is preserved, but as you can see from reading the above it is not.  The reason that it is important to purchase this property now is because the price is right and the owners are wanting to sell. As time goes on and current owners die and leave their interest to their heirs, the number of people necessary to negotiate a sale, multiplies. If the property is not purchased now, it could be lost forever.

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Sunset on the South Harpeth

If you want to be outdoors on a fall evening in a beautiful rural setting, enjoy some good food and libation and support a good cause for a cheap price, join me. RSVP to the phone number or email below.

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Tennessee is our Eden

This poetic and  poignant speech was given by Kathleen Williams, Executive Director of Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation at the dedication of Cummins Falls State Park on Tuesday, May 22.

Tennessee is so green and lush.  Tennessee is our Eden. As we stand here together today by the banks of beautiful Blackburn Fork River, we are thankful.  Thankful to God.  Thankful for this community who came together to conserve this place of wonder and magic.  And thankful to you Governor Haslam.  You are here at a crucial time for Cummins Falls and for Tennessee and we are grateful. 

Tennessee’s garden is bountiful – we’re river rich.  We have seven of the top eight most biologically-diverse rivers in America.  (That means our rivers have a lot of critters in them.) Tennessee has more species of trees than throughout all of Europe.  Crossed with scenic back roads, blessed with abundant wildlife and dotted with more caves than any other state in North America.  Waterfalls and wildflowers, dragonflies and fireflies to give magic to the night. 

But we know that competing demands threaten our homeland.  So… we are thankful that you Governor Haslam know that what is good for the environment is also good for the economy.  We are thankful for your support of funds for a Forever Green Tennessee.

Conserving Tennessee provides raw materials for undiscovered medicines, for crops, timbers, fibers, soil-restoring vegetation, petroleum substitutes, and other products – and this gives our grandchildren the same economic opportunities that we’ve enjoyed. 

A healthy population needs outdoor recreation and the tonic that wilderness provides. 

People will visit and business will move to Tennessee of its quality of life … its parks, wildlife and greenways.

Tennessee’s economy depends on tourism.  Tourism is the second largest industry in Tennessee, employing 184,000 and generating $14 Billion in economic return. 

And Parks are our most visited attractions. For every $1 invested in state parks, Tennessee gets back $37!  That’s a great pay-off for doing something that is so beneficial in so many ways.  Brock Hill knows it and that is why he is working so hard and doing a great job to make our parks environmentally sensitive and attractive for visitors. 

And increased tourism will more than justify the additional rangers or wildlife officers that new destinations will need. 

Plus, our economy and environmental health both require sustainable, abundant natural resources for pollination, agriculture, cleaner drinking water, renewable resources and the very air we breathe.  Conserving corridors of forests along rivers and ridges is the best way to save the best Tennessee has to offer.

Tennesseans understand this across party lines – when asked 76% of republicans and 82% of democrats support conservation. So Governor Haslam, please know that Tennesseans will support you in every good thing you do to conserve our homeland.   

We have all we need in Tennessee to live  --  wild species and conserved land for our food, water and air.    And we need the sustenance provided by the beauty of a waterfall – Cummins Falls is the 8th largest waterfall in Tennessee and arguably the most beautiful.  People will come and will be blessed by these good tidings.  They’ll swim, paint, be baptised, have an adventure with their kids, fish, exercise their body and spirit.  We thank you Governor Haslam for this gift to Tennessee today and for our grandchildren.  We thank you all for making this possible.

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Cummins Falls, Tennessee's new state park, is safer venue for nature lovers

Woman who lost son glad state took over 

by Elizabeth Bonner, The Tennessean, May. 23, 2012

While others touted the beauty of Cummins Falls during its dedication Tuesday, Carol Hudelston saw a greater purpose in the new state park.

 The Cookeville woman lost her 18-year-old son, Bryan, in an accident at the falls in September 2009. Tears flowing, she joined the crowd Tuesday to show her support for the state takeover of the site and its provisions for visitor protection.(read more)

This is another good report on the dedication of Cummins Falls State Park yesterday. I like this excerpt:

“I can’t tell you how many people have told me, ‘I was baptized there.’ ‘I got engaged there.’ ‘I got my first kiss there,’ ” said Kathleen Williams, president and CEO of Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation. “It’s a magical, wonderful place.”

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Cummins Falls State Park dedicated. Wonderful event!

Today a crowd of dignitaries, nature lovers, and local people gathered in a forest clearing overlooking Cummins Falls to dedicate the opening of a new state park and to celebrate the 75th anniversary of  the Tennessee State Park system. 

Cummins Falls State Park was officially dedicated, becoming the 54th official state park and the first state park opened in 14 years.

Kathleen Williams reads the sign

Cummins Falls State Park is a 211 acre park located nine miles north of Cookeville on the Blackburn Fork State Scenic River in the rolling hills where Putnam and Jackson Counties meet. The falls are dramatic and are the eighth largest waterfall in the state. The roaring stream gives way to a 75 foot drop into a pool at the bottom, which  Travel and Leisure magazine has listed as one of the top 10 best swimming holes in the United States. 

Last year I had the opportunity to hike down to the bottom of river gorge and swim in the cold waters at the foot of the falls. The hike was a challenge and only for the hearty. A new trail the state has built makes the trek less treacherous but still a strenuous hike.

About 500 people attend the dedication.

This beautiful natural treasure would have been lost without the vision and hard work of Kathleen Williams, President and Executive Director of the  Tennessee Parks and Greenway's foundation and supporters of that organization, various donors, and State agencies and elected officials.   

The York Institute Color Guard prepares

for presentation of the Colors.

Once before the land that adjoins the falls had already been sold to a developer but the developer went bankrupt and the property went back on the market. 

Governor Haslam views the falls

Two years ago the property was being sold at public action and TPGP purchased the property outbidding a Kentucky developer.  The Chairman of the Board of TPGF, Dr. Chuck Womack and members of the board of TPGF and other contributors put up the million and half dollars to purchase the land and then raised the money to repay themselves and eventually sold the land to the state at a discounted price. 

That is the process often used to save critical habitats and beautiful vista's and natural treasures such as cave access sites and waterfalls.  

authentic acoustic mountain music 

The state is less nimble and cannot move quickly when needing to do so, or the State can not do the kind of negotiating that a non-profit organization can do.

Governor Bill Haslam dedicates the new park

Today's ceremonies opened with the presentation of the Colors by the World War 1 York Institute Junior ROTC and a moving solo violin performance of the national anthem. 

Kathleen Williams speaks about the

importance of saving our Tennessee

natural treasures.

Various speakers at today's event spoke about the economic return on investment in Tennessee's natural beauty, about the importance of protecting the bio-diversity of our streams and woods and the importance of preserving natures wonders for future generations. Various people were recognized for their contribution is making the park a reality.  Kathleen Williams was praised for her role in saving the land and making the park happen and Governor Haslam was honored for the role his administration played in the decision of the State to purchase the property and turn it into a State park.  

I enjoyed getting to chat with

the Governor after the event.

  

 Prior to and after the ceremony an acoustic band played traditional music and a barbeque meal was provided courtesy of Wildwood Manor Bed and Breakfast.

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Governor Bill Haslam to Dedicate Cummins Falls State Park

 

Please Join Governor Bill Haslam

and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Tennessee State Parks, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, and Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation for

 

The Announcement of Tennessee's 54th and Newest State Park

on the occasion of the 75th Anniversary of Tennessee State Parks

 

CUMMINS FALLS STATE PARK

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

 

Arrive at 11:15 AM

Remarks by Governor Bill Haslam at Noon

Lunch 12:30 PM

 

Located on the beautiful Blackburn Fork State Scenic River, this idyllic 211-acre site in Jackson County will be the 54th state park in Tennessee. This is made possible through the leadership of Governor Bill Haslam, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and through the very generous support of members of the Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation.

Lunch donated by Wildwood Manor Bed and Breakfast.

 

RSVP

 Kelley Clemons at TDEC (615) 532-0111 or kelley.clemons@tn.gov

 

Directions: 1225 Cummins Mill Road, Cookeville, TN 38501. From Interstate 40, take exit 280 to TN-56 north toward Gainesboro for 7.7 miles. Right on TN-290, go 0.9 miles. Left onto Cummins Mill Road for 2.1 miles. Left onto Blackburn Fork Road for 0.2 miles.

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Cummins Falls Saved. Thank You Kathleen.

I was delighted this morning to see in the Tennessean a picture of the falls and the news that Cummins Falls had been purchased by the State. Ann Paine writes that on Monday the Tennessee Building Commission authorized acquisition of the 211-acre tract which contains the falls.

Cummins Falls is a 75-foot cascade with a large swimming hole at the bottom. I had the pleasure of going on a hike to Cummins Falls this spring with my sister Kathleen, brother Don, and their spouses and several of my nieces and nephews and my daughter Rachel. We had a wonderful time. We took a strenuous hike up stream to the falls where we had a picnic on rocks at the edge of the swimming hole. It was a warm day, but the water was bone-chilling cold. I swam at the foot of falls but not for long.

The falls are breath-takingly beautiful and the surrounding woods are also beautiful with an abundance of diverse flowers and variety of trees. Travel and Leisure has listed Cummins Falls as one of the top ten swimming holes in America. The falls are in Jackson County north of Putnam County near Cookeville and  is the largest waterfall in private hands in the state. The volume of water makes it the eighth-largest waterfall in Tennesee.

Kathleen Williams

My sister Kathleen Williams gets the credit for this happening.  She is Director of the Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation. In a nutshell, this is how she is able to save sites like Cummins Falls: TPGF ties up the land with an option to purchase. This takes money. TPGF seeks contributions for land acquistion. After getting an option on the land,  they then try to get the state to purchase it. They only go after highly prized sites that they know the state may be interested in. If the state does not purchase it in a timely manner, then TPGF must raise the money to complete the purchase and then hope the state does purchase it at a later time.  The state moves slow and is less agile than the non-profit TPGF.  Many sites would be lost to developers or subdivided in such a way that the integrity of the site would be destroyed it not for TPGF.

The purchase price of Cummins falls and the surrounding acreage was $1.2 million dollars. I know Kathleen has had sleepless nights worrying about how to raise the money. She has worked tirelessly to raise money and get pledges in order to complete the sale should she have to do so. Making this happen was a major undertaking. This Tennessee treasure is now secure for future generations. In the past, it could only be visited by the few who  knew about it and were daring enough or hardy enough to get to it. Now, many can enjoy it.

Knowing Kathleen, she will celebrate and sleep better tonight knowing this project has reached a successful conclusion and the weight is lifted off of her shoulders. Knowing Kathleen, she is already lusting after the next Tennessee treasure to save.

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Kathleen Williams named Conservationist of the Year by TWF

On Tuesday, April 19, Kathleen Williams will be honored by the Tennessee Wildlife Federation as the Land Conservationist of the Year.  The award will be bestowed at the 46^th Annual TWF Conservation Achievement Awards and Legislative Reception in ceremonies at the War Memorial Auditorium in downtown Nashville at 5 p.m. To attend the reception, call 615-353-1133 or email tnwfintern@tnwf.org.

Each year since 1965, the Tennessee Wildlife Federation (TWF) has honored a select group of leaders in the conservation and stewardship of wildlife and their habitat in Tennessee.

“These awards recognize those individuals and organizations that have made truly meaningful contributions to conservation in Tennessee and to TWF,” says Michael Butler, TWF’s chief executive officer. “The great work of our past winners lives on today, and the current generation is building upon those successes. Without their willingness to take action, we would have failed in our mission, and we are proud to honor their contributions.”

Kathleen is Executive Director of The Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation. TPGF is a statewide non-profit organization that seeks to conserve and protect Tennessee’s rich heritage and natural resources.  It seeks to identify and protect the most beautiful, ecologically-rich, and historically-significant places in Tennessee. It has protected many beautiful vistas, privately-held waterfalls, critical habitats, and worked to place conservation easements on thousands of acres of land. The Foundation is funded by individual donations, grants, and other tax-deductible gifts.


Last year Kathleen was instrumental in getting the State Legislature to restore the land conservation fund whose dedicated funding had been diverted to the general fund.

Kathleen is my sister and I am very proud of the work she is doing. An added bonus of being her brother is that I get to take some beautiful hikes and see some marvelous waterfalls that are little known and not yet open to the public. 

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