A Conservation Coalition is forming to protect and enhance one of East Tennessee’s most valuable resources- the French Broad River. Partners are collaborating to create an Open Space corridor of river and land, enhanced for recreation and rural preservation that would include a Blueway, equestrian trail, wildlife refuge, historic sites, natural areas, parks and agricultural land. This Conservation Corridor would also help Knox County realize its goals for development by growing smart, attracting investment, boosting tourism, protecting farms, safeguarding the environment, and supporting economic growth. Partners include the Seven Islands Foundation, the French Broad Preservation Association, TWRA, NRCS, Water Quality Forum, Great Smoky Mountain Regional Greenway Board, and Knox County Government. Community stewardship and voluntary support of the Conservation
Corridor are key strengths of this project, as reflected in the French Broad Task Force, an effort currently underway to look at conservation options that build on public private partnerships, and the integration of conservation and development.
Five Functional Catergories of Open Space
1. Natural Resource Protection
2. Natural Resource Management
3. Protection of Public Health & Safety
4. Outdoor Recreation (active/ passive)
5. Defin
