Weed Wrangle TN Valley Authority 2018

Tennessee Valley Authority is going to host their Weed Wrangle®-TVA on March 17th at 10:00 am at the TVA Big Ridge Small Wild Area located at Lake Resort Dr, Hixson, TN 37343. Meet at Greenway Farms and get transported the 2 miles on the greenway by vehicle to the TVA trail location. Send an email to volunteer@tva.gov to register.

Big Ridge Small Wild Area is located off TVA’s Chickamauga Dam, about 10 miles northeast of Chattanooga. TVA protects this area because it is an old growth forest that includes several species of oaks, yellow poplar and shagbark hickory. Old growth forest means the plant community has survived for many years without outside disturbances (logging, intrusion of non-native species, human manipulation, etc.) and is exhibiting natural ecological turnover. The trail offers many wildlife viewing opportunities including wild turkeys, deer, red fox and turtles. TVA manages nearly 293,000 acres of land for the benefit of the public. Some of these lands are designated as TVA Natural Areas—home to the most scenic and ecologically significant resources of the Tennessee Valley. There are four types of these Natural Areas (see below). Of these, the Small Wild Areas are the most accessible for pure public enjoyment.

Four Types of TVA Natural Areas

1. Small Wild Areas
SWAs are sites with exceptional natural, scenic or aesthetic qualities that are suitable for low-impact public use, and where some facilities have been installed to help make the land available to the public (e.g., foot trails, signs, parking areas, backcountry campsites).

2. Habitat Protection Areas
HPAs are established to protect populations of species that have been identified as threatened or endangered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, or that are rare in the state in which they occur. Sometimes geological features are also protected in HPAs.

3. Ecological Study Areas
ESAs are site judged suitable for ecological research or environmental education. Such areas often contain plants or animals of scientific interest.

4. Wildlife Observation Areas
WOAs are sites that have concentrations of viewable wildlife, such as shorebirds, songbirds, or waterfowl. Some hiking trails run through Wildlife Observation Areas—such as the Songbird Trail at Norris Reservoir.

TVA’s stewardship mission includes managing the Tennessee River and the lands along it for multiple benefits, including power generation (Energy); protecting and enhancing cultural and natural resources (Environment); and investing in communities to create and sustain the Valley as a destination for tourism and outdoor recreation (Economic Development). The Tennessee River system includes more than 40,000 square miles of watershed, 11,000 miles of public shoreline and 293,000 acres of waterfront land. These lands entrusted to TVA support recreational activities including as hiking, biking, bird watching and fishing.

The Tennessee Valley Authority is a corporate agency of the United States that provides electricity for business customers and local power companies serving 9 million people in parts of seven southeastern states. TVA receives no taxpayer funding, deriving virtually all of its revenues from sales of electricity. TVA also provides flood control, navigation and land management for the Tennessee River system and assists local power companies and state and local governments with economic development and job creation.