A Conservation Legacy Worth Building On

Dear Wolf River Conservancy Friend,

I recently had the opportunity to join conservation leaders and state officials at Governor Bill Lee’s Conservation Summit at Henry Horton State Park. These gatherings are always valuable, but this year’s summit carried particular significance. Governor Lee is entering the final months of his second term, making this an appropriate moment to reflect on what his administration has accomplished for conservation and what must come next.

Over the course of two terms, Governor Lee has made conservation an important part of Tennessee’s approach to growth. His administration will have established 14 new state parks, the most created under any governor in Tennessee history. These parks protect remarkable landscapes while expanding opportunities for outdoor recreation, environmental education, tourism, and economic development in communities across the state. The administration has also directly conserved more than 64,000 acres, with broader state-supported projects and commitments protecting or advancing nearly 100,000 acres toward permanent conservation.  

Governor Lee’s record extends beyond acreage. His administration established Tennessee’s Office of Outdoor Recreation, strengthened investments in the Tennessee Heritage Conservation Trust Fund, advanced new protections for important rivers, supported the cleanup of rural brownfields, and enacted the Farmland Preservation Act. Together, these actions recognize that conservation and economic growth are not opposing goals.  

Here in the Mid-South, that commitment has translated into tens of millions of dollars for green spaces, parks, trails, outdoor recreation, and land conservation. We have seen state investments help expand public lands and protect some of West Tennessee’s most ecologically valuable forests, wetlands, and waterways.

The Wolf River Conservancy is proud to participate in that work. Our recent transfer of 767 acres into public ownership is one example of what strong public-private partnerships can accomplish. With support from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s Division of Natural Areas, the Tennessee Heritage Conservation Trust Fund, Ducks Unlimited, the OnX Adventure Forever Grant, and our generous supporters, this extraordinary property will become part of an existing Wildlife Management Area and remain protected for the people of Tennessee.

That project is part of a much larger conservation landscape taking shape across West Tennessee. Protected wetlands help absorb floodwaters, improve water quality, provide wildlife habitat, and support the aquifer on which our communities depend. Public lands also ensure that future generations will have places to explore and continue the outdoor traditions that are deeply connected to our regional identity.

Conservation is inherently a long-term endeavor. The land we protect today will outlast any administration, organization, or individual leader. That is why lasting progress depends on cooperation among state agencies, local governments, nonprofit organizations, landowners, businesses, donors, and citizens.

As Governor Lee’s time in office draws to a close, his conservation record deserves recognition. Fourteen new state parks, tens of thousands of acres conserved, major investments in our natural resources, and a stronger statewide conservation infrastructure represent a meaningful legacy.

The responsibility now passes to Tennessee’s next generation of leadership. Our hope is that the next administration will build upon this progress by maintaining strong conservation funding, protecting wetlands and waterways, expanding access to public green spaces, and continuing to work with organizations like ours.

The Governor’s Conservation Summit was a reminder of what Tennessee can accomplish when people come together around the shared belief that growth and conservation can, and must, move forward together. We are grateful for the progress made during Governor Lee’s two terms, and we remain committed to carrying that momentum forward for the Wolf River, the Mid-South, and generations of Tennesseans yet to come.

Erik Houston

Executive Director

Wolf River Conservancy  

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