The mission statement of Tennessee state parks reads in part “to protect and preserve the unique natural, cultural and historic resources of Tennessee.” The State Parks Act of 1937, which created the parks, reads in part “that every park under the provisions of this act shall be preserved in its natural condition, so far as to be consistent with its human use and safety, and all improvements shall be of such character as not to harm its inherent recreational values.”
The current development plans for Rocky Fork State Park are not consistent with these provisions and should be revised, with an abundance of public input, until they are. The following fact sheet was recently prepared by three conservation organizations to help raise awareness of the threat Rocky Fork faces. Please feel free to show it to friends or contacts who want or need to know more about what is going on. Feel free to email me if you cannot readily access the document or want a PDF or another format.
Other voices besides our own have begun to be raised and heard on the issue. We appreciate anything and everything you do to help Rocky Fork. Sharing information, even with a few people, goes a long way toward the overall goal of making everyone who loves this place aware of the situation. Thank you!
Rocky Fork Journal 
Learning of this terrible idea to do irreparable damage to such a special place makes me physically sick. I’ve had the good fortune to enjoy some incredible times in Rocky Fork over the better part of the last decade. There is a solitude and grandeur there that I’ve found few other places in eastern North America and it’s there for all to encounter, right now. What a shame that it will be forever lost with this project. I’ve been skeptical of the state and local politicians that have almost lustfully spoken of improvements to the park. Any conservation minded person with a basic knowledge of history knows that the improvements they speak of often involve bulldozers, RV hookups, habitat destruction and piles of fast food garbage lining the roads and streams. I will do my small part to fight this and involve those lovers of wilderness I know to fight as well. As Edward Abbey said, “the idea of wilderness needs no defense, it only needs defenders”.
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Thanks and well said! We couldn’t agree more. Keep talking, it’s a long way from over. Would you mind if Frances shares your comments on Rocky Fork Watershed Almanac, you said it so well.
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Please feel free to do so.
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