Forestry commission lauds Chattanooga’s trees

Members slated to take a look at Greenway Farms in Hixson, discuss urban forestry

DELANO, Tenn. — The Tennessee Forestry Commission is getting both a rural and urban look at Tennessee’s tree life this week, with southeast Tennessee serving as the backdrop for both.

The seven-member commission serves in an advisory capacity to the Tennessee Department of Agriculture and meets four times a year — sometimes more — on matters such as reforestation.

This week’s two-day meeting started with a tour of the state-run East Tennessee Nursery in Polk County on Thursday.

Today, the group’s focus shifts to Chattanooga, where city forester Gene Hyde will offer a tour of Greenway Farms in Hixson and a meeting on the development of urban forestry.

“Chattanooga has really been a leader for a long time, and I credit Gene with a lot of that,” said Dottie Mann, who represents urban forests on the commission. “They just keep planting more and more trees.”

Forestry commission meetings are open meetings under the Sunshine Law, and the public is allowed to attend this morning, when the commission convenes at Greenway Farm at 8 a.m. to discuss the state’s nursery issues, timber sales, recent wildfires and the importance of urban forestry.

“Chattanooga is among the best in the state for urban forestry, and that’s one of the reasons we wanted to come here,” commission chairman Bob Qualman said.

The city’s Take Root urban forestry project won the 2009 Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Award, and studies have credited a years-long dedication to urban tree planting for helping improve the city’s air quality as it emerged from its industrial past.

Contact staff writer David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249.