Where does my optimism come from?

I'm a Tennessean, which also means I'm a southerner. I temper the accent for business and strangers, so often folks don't know I'm from the south. Therefore, I hear a lot of the stereotypes and the jokes. Some may be earned, but mostly they're just mischaracterizations and generalizations about my home, my neighbors and my communities that tend to offend me.

Politically, I have always been a blue dot in a red state. Until I left for private industry, I worked only in Republican administrations of both federal and state government. This environment, of which I was both raised and worked, allows me to enjoy and see the nuance and complexities that exist politically, beyond an overly-simplistic characterization of politics as an extreme binary. Ironically, this often makes my friends on both the left and the right bristle! (A former TDEC executive accused me of being "politically naive" once, which has always made me laugh... #lifephilosophy)

In Tennessee, and solidified in my personal experiences at TDEC, I see this expressed most often in our conservation efforts and initiatives. As I prepare to live in another state for the first time in my life, I am perhaps feeling very sentimental about what vestiges of my home state I deeply love. Our conservation ethic stands at the top of that list.

To say we're "perfect" would be misleading, of course. We are not. What we are, though, is historically steeped in a bipartisan effort that has resulted in 57 state parks, over 80 natural areas, some of the most stringent water rules in the US, all of which have resulted in a healthy outdoor recreation economy that has successfully helped our distressed counties reach a more stable economic status. The Bureau of Economic Analysis 2022 report shows that outdoor recreation provides 2.1% additional GDP to Tennessee's economy! This is higher than the national average.

This hasn't happened by accident. For as long as I can remember, our various governors have pursued a variety of environmental and conservation initiatives. While methods and policies around this varied (some with more success than others), the goal was still driven by an understanding that Tennessee's natural environment provides both an innate and economic value to our state, our biodiversity, our citizens and guests... and that it was worth protecting.

The emphasis on economic value, scenic value, and recreation value have varied over the years, of course, but the result is what we see today. This result is something I'm personally quite proud of and was excited to have some small role in during my time in public service.

Two media bytes come to mind for me that exemplify this continued tradition of environmental interest by our political leaders in the state. The first comes from one of our budget hearings (yes, I watch them), where our current Deputy Commissioner of TDEC, Greg Young, was discussing with Governor Bill Lee on the topic of brownfields in the state and federal match to clean them up. The Governor interrupted and asked (paraphrased) "If we provide more match, can we clean up even more?" and went on to explain his interest in a clean and healthy environment in the state of Tennessee. I was delighted!

The more recent example comes from Governor Lee's State of the State address earlier this week. In this video, you see Gov. Lee explaining his personal experiences with our Gold-medal-winning state parks as the preamble to announcing his budget proposals to include more funds for conservation efforts to establish more state parks AND natural areas, and to ensure they are accessible (he means both by ADA standards, as well as by demographics and geography.)

While many news reports like to pick apart, mischaracterize, and politicize current conservation efforts such as the Biden Administration's America the Beautiful Challenge, I see real progress being made in my home state that I believe have a place on the mantle next to other strong examples across our nation. We have strong conservation partnerships between our various environmental agencies, our non-profits (shoutout to the TN Chapter of TNC who helped write our State Wildlife Action Plan), our private industry, and our communities.

The examples above and so many more are what drive my undying optimism about our ability to achieve a national conservation vision, tackle tough issues around climate change, community resilience, and emerge as a global leader on these issues. Is it politically naive? Maybe to an outsider. However, it is my lived experience and the philosophical foundation for my approach in my life, my personal relationships, and my continued work in this field.