Public Chapter 237
SENATE BILL NO. 1674
By Gilbert, Williams, Elsea, McNally, Atchley, Person, Jordan, Haun, Carter, Ramsey, Leatherwood, Gilbert, Miller
Substituted for: House Bill No. 1251
By McAfee, Davis, Haley, Hargett, Pleasant, McDaniel, Stamps, Walley, Ford, Wood, Patton, Kerr, Beavers, Kent, Bird, Clabough, McKee, Newton, Scroggs, Halteman Harwell, Walker, Boyer, Mumpower, Roach, Ralph Cole, Newton, Rhinehart, Rinks
AN ACT To add certain areas to the enumeration of state natural areas and
to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 11-14-108.BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 11-14-108(b)(1), is amended by adding the following as appropriately designated subsections:
( ) GHOST RIVER (section of the Wolf River). An area of approximately 2,000 acres located in Fayette County that supports high quality bottomland hardwood forest and forested wetland communities occurring along scenic meanders of the Wolf River. The Bald Cypress-Tupelo Forest Community is a dominant natural feature established along river, swamp, and lake habitats and is representative of unaltered pristine river systems.
( ) DEVIL'S BACKBONE. A forest of approximately 950 acres with a high diversity of upland community types representative of the western Highland Rim. It is located in Lewis County west of the Natchez Trace Parkway. Its prominent topographic features are numerous dry rocky ridges with moderate to steep slopes which form hollows with several perennial streams. The department will develop a plan for the development and management of the additional acreage east of the Natchez Trace in consultation with Lewis County.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 11-14-108(b)(2), is amended by adding the following as appropriately designated subsections:
( ) WILLIAM L. DAVENPORT REFUGE. An area of approximately 120 acres in Polk County that includes a southern Appalachian bog community. This plant community is considered globally rare. It is characterized by an open canopy and is covered by a mat of large cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) interspersed with tawny cotton-grass (Eriophorum virginicum), and alder (Alder serrulata) at the bog's edge.
( ) WALKER BRANCH DRAGONFLY AND DAMSELFLY PRESERVE. This is approximately 225 acres in Hardin County near the Tennessee River. This site has forested wetland communities including Tupelo gum (Nyssa aquatica) and Bald cypress (Taxodium distichium) with surrounding floodplain and upland forest community types. There are upland seeps, which combined with these many other forest communities, provide unique habitat for more than 37 species of dragonflies and damselflies.
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.