Land Management

Goal: To have positive effects on land management practices on private, public, & commercial lands in Tennessee, including residential, agricultural, & forested areas- for the benefit of all.

Obstacles:

• Although much information is available about good land management practices for Tennessee, there is limited knowledge among the public about what constitutes these practices and their future implications.
• There are diverse meanings & goals for good land management practices.

Actions of Sierra Club Land Management Committee:

• Action I. Organize & distribute information on appropriate practices for land management in Tennessee
  • Management options
    • Principles
      • Base management on prior land use, goals, prevailing conditions, and “best” management practices (BMP)
      • Optimize carbon management
        
        More plant biomass translates into more above and below ground carbon. The most important strategy is to keep forests as forests.  Planting new trees is one of the most effective ways to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and limit global warming. As forests grow they remove CO2 from the air through photosynthesis, working as a natural reservoir to store carbon.

        
        However poorly managed forests do not store carbon as well as those that are better managed (including thinning and removal of invasive species). See Forest Management for Carbon Benefits | Climate Change Resource Center (usda.gov)

      • Certify or train when appropriate - Excel spreadsheet with training opportunities
      • Use environmentally and guidance for site selection
    • Opportunities
      • Use native plants exclusively. Plants can be obtained from Native Plant Sources_SC.docx
      • Practice no till agriculture
      • Avoid disturbance to High Conservation Value (HCV)areas
      • Use tax breaks when possible to support good management
      • Establish conservation easements
  • Tools for Land Management
    • Reduction of herbicide use
    • Reduction of pesticide use
    • Removal of exotic species
    • Equipment
  • Choice of species
    • Identify goals
    • Consider site conditions
    • Identify & propagate appropriate TN native plants for goals and site
• Action II. Identify best practices for suburban expansion into rural areas
• Action III. Keep up to date on local land management issues in TN as they arise & inform Sierra Club members & others
• Definition of terms