Eastern Tennessee

Despite sharing a border with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, much of the wild forest in eastern Tennessee is still unprotected.

Eastern Tennessee a recreation destination. At Wilderness, we’re working to protect more of this magnificent forest so that visitors can continue to enjoy outstanding recreation and wildlife can continue to thrive.

Why Eastern Tennessee

The forests and wildlands in eastern Tennessee are among the wildest lands east of the Mississippi River. They provide recreation opportunities for millions of visitors each year and help support the local economies. They also help provide clean drinking water for local communities. Despite their incredible value, the eastern Tennessee forests are threatened by logging — and much of them remains unprotected.

Work We Are Doing

Our work in eastern Tennessee is focused on keeping the forests and wildlands of the region — like the Cherokee National Forest — as wild as they can be.

Our Partners

We can’t protect the forests of eastern Tennessee without help from local communities, businesses, decision makers and residents.

  • A support letter for H.R. 908/S. 404, the Green Mountain Lookout Heritage Protection Act, introduced in February by Reps. DelBene and Larsen and Sens. Murray and Cantwell.

  • Dear Representative Gosar:

    On behalf of the National Association of Counties (NACo), I am writing to express our support of the Public Lands Renewable Energy Development Act (H.R. 596). This landmark legislation would extend royalties and lease income from solar and wind projects developed on Federal lands to home states and counties.

  • Dear Representative Gosar:

    We are writing to express our support for sharing with states and counties renewable energy royalty revenues from federal lands. The language contained in the Public Lands Renewable Energy Development Act (HR 596) which you have introduced in the House would enact such revenue sharing.