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Governor Bill Haslam

Governor Haslam Applauds Legacy Parks Efforts

The Legacy Luncheon on Friday Oct. 14 was a beautiful day to celebrate the support and success of Legacy Parks Foundation. The luncheon was held on the River Bluff, a future park on the south Knoxville waterfront.

Governor Bill Haslam addressed the crowd of more than 500 business and civic leaders and applauded the Legacy Parks Foundation and its supporters for “doing great work. What they do is pretty unique… it’s a treasure.” He explained that “we are about creating places where people want to live and efforts like this of Legacy Parks Foundation are critical to achieving what we want to do.” Haslam also honored Brian Hann of the Appalachian Mountain Bike Club with a state parks and recreations award for his tremendous generosity for the state of Tennessee.

nataliesgarden

Legacy Parks Foundation surprised the crowd with “Natalie’s Garden at River Bluff Park”. The garden is named in honor of Natalie Haslam, whose spirit and belief helped the Foundation purchase and preserve the River Bluff property on Cherokee Trail. Pilot Corporation chose to donate $1 million to parks in celebration of the company’s 50th anniversary at Natalie’s recommendation. The garden celebrates the abundant wildlife and diverse native plants that can be found on the River Bluff’s 70 acres of land. Natalie Haslam has an appreciation and admiration for the simplest gifts of nature. With help from the Garden Club and other volunteers, Legacy Parks will continue identifying and reintroducing native plants on the land. Once the final $80,000 are raised, the property will be donated to the city for public park. Natalie’s Garden at River Bluff Park (PDF) »

carol evans and natalie haslam

Carol Evans, Legacy Parks Foundation executive director, also announced the Legacy Lily project. Each year Oakes Day Lilies will designate one of their signature lilies as the Legacy Lily and will donate a quantity to Legacy Parks Foundation to sell and plant in area parks. Two hundred Red Volunteers, the 2011 Legacy Lily, were planted on the River Bluff property in advance of the luncheon.

 

 

The Legacy Luncheon for the Parks was sponsored by:

Platinum Sponsor

Gold Sponsors

Table Sponsors

Civil War Trust Contributes Armstrong’s Hill Preservation

The Civil War Trust, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting America’s vanishing Civil War battlefields, announced a $10,000 commitment to Legacy Parks Foundation’s effort to purchase the River Bluff property, a70-acre property site of the Civil War battle on Armstrong’s Hill. The contribution was announced today by Foundation executive director Carol Evans during the organization’s annual Legacy Luncheon for the Parks, with keynote speaker Governor Bill Haslam.

Civil War Trust president James Lighthizer gave the following statement to confirm the commitment:

“The Civil War Trust is honored to participate in this landmark acquisition on the site of the Battle of Armstrong’s Hill, and to help complete the vision for urban parkland espoused by the Legacy Parks Foundation. Today, we join Governor Haslam and other civic leaders in praising this group’s inspirational efforts to preserve their community’s irreplaceable historic and natural sites.

Armstrong’s Hill is truly hallowed ground, and the Civil War Trust is proud to be a partner in its protection. In the Legacy Parks Foundation, these battlefields have found a great champion, one that we are confident will continue working to enhance this historic site and, in doing so, encourage heritage tourism and provide recreational opportunities for local residents.”

Since many sites associated with the Knoxville Campaign have been lost to development, in 2009 the Legacy Parks Foundation jumped at the chance to purchase a 70-acre parcel on Armstrong’s Hill that had previously been slated for condominiums. Once fundraising for the project is completed, the site will be donated to the City of Knoxville as a public park. The effort marks the Civil War Trust’s first project associated with the Knoxville Campaign, although it has been involved in the preservation of nearly 2,500 acres across the Volunteer State.

The Civil War Trust is the largest nonprofit battlefield preservation organization in the United States. Its mission is to preserve our nation’s endangered Civil War battlefields and to promote appreciation of these hallowed grounds. To date, the Trust has preserved over 30,000 acres of battlefield in 20 states. Learn more at www.civilwar.org, the home of the Civil War sesquicentennial.

Victor Ashe Presenting Check to Knoxville's Urban Wilderness

Knoxville’s Urban Wilderness South Loop Unveiled

Map of Knoxville’s Urban Wilderness (pdf) »

Knoxville is now one step closer to securing a reputation as an outdoor recreation destination with the announcement of a thirty-plus mile trail system along Knoxville’s south waterfront. Legacy Parks Foundation announced the property acquisitions and private property easements which will allow for thirty miles of natural surface trail connecting five parks and natural areas. This creates an unparalleled outdoor hiking, biking and running venue within two miles of downtown Knoxville.

The new South Loop Trail will be similar in width and surface to the popular John Muir Trail that traverses Tennessee and will connect Ijams Nature Center, Forks of the River Wildlife Management Area, William Hastie Natural Area and Marie Myers Park with trailheads and parking along the route. The South Loop will be designed for bikers, hikers and runners of all levels of experience. Narrower trails within each of the parks will add an additional 15 miles of trails of varying terrain.

A unique partnership among Legacy Parks Foundation, Appalachian Mountain Bike Club, Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency, Ijams Nature Center, City of Knoxville, Knox County, private donors and private land owners allowed the South Loop to be assembled.

Legacy Parks Foundation raised the majority of the money to acquire eight properties from three key donors. Former Knoxville Mayor, and Ambassador to Poland, Victor Ashe was the largest individual donor, continuing his long history of supporting greenways in Knoxville.

“Greenways are a passion of mine as well as the people of Knoxville. This outstanding new greenway in South Knoxville will enhance the quality of life of our city and region. It is an honor to help continue to add greenways in Knoxville even 8 years after I left the Mayor's office. I hope the next Mayor also adopts this policy,” Victor Ashe said.

Two other organizations with a long history of promoting outdoor recreation and creating venues provided significant contributions to the purchase. For the Knox Greenways Coalition, it was an anniversary gift to the community. “In honor of our 20th Anniversary we voted unanimously to contribute $20,000 – half of our treasury – because we share the same mission, to create more greenways and public open space for our citizens,” said Donna Young, Chair of the Knox Greenways Coalition.

The Knoxville Track Club was enthusiastic with their support. “The Knoxville Track Club is thrilled about this investment in the Knoxville Urban Wilderness Corridor. Adding more trails for activity is a great fit with our mission and our vision. The Urban Wilderness Corridor will provide more opportunities for our community to get out and be active and will certainly make Knoxville a healthier place to live and raise a family,” Kristy Altman, managing director of the Knoxville Track Club stated.

With permission of the property owners, the South Loop trail crosses three private properties. Brian Hann, president of the Appalachian Mountain Bike Club, is one of the twelve private property owners who is offering this public access.

“This is the simplest way I can help connect the parks and neighborhoods and create a way for people to get out and enjoy the woods and trails we are fortunate enough to have in Knoxville,” Hann explained.

The City of Knoxville allocated $50,000 toward the property purchase. Knoxville City Councilman Nick Pavlis said it just makes good economic sense. “The outdoor industry is a $6 billion industry in Tennessee. We can grow our share of that industry here in Knoxville with this Urban Wilderness. We also know parks increase property values and provide the types of neighborhoods where people want to live and raise families. Because of the forested ridges, parks, quaint neighborhoods and supportive businesses, South Knoxville is really poised to become know as the best place to live and play.”

The Urban Wilderness project – a 1,000-acre urban forest connecting an existing nature education center, three civil war forts, a state wildlife management area, and ten city parks – promotes the value of parks, recreation, and land conservation as an economic driver for the community, beginning in south Knoxville. The initiative proposed to take advantage of the environmental, cultural, historic and recreational assets within the Urban Wilderness with the goal of spurring tourism, incubating recreation-related businesses, providing new recreational opportunities, and positively impacting the overall health and quality of life for area residents.

Trail construction will begin this winter on the newly acquired properties and will take approximately three years to complete. An extensive system of directional and interpretive signs will be a part of the Urban Wilderness.

The Urban Wilderness is comprised of three key sections with parks, historic areas and amenities within each section.


SOUTH LOOP

The South Loop provides a fifteen-mile multi-use, natural trail system connecting five parks/natural areas. This loop includes unique rock features, mature forests, working farmland, and views of the Tennessee River.

Ross Marble Quarry

Ijams Nature Center

A 300-acre wildlife sanctuary and environmental learning center providing community-wide education, conservation and recreational experiences and includes Ross Marble Quarry and Meads Quarry.


William Hastie Natural Area

William Hastie Natural Area

A 75-acre city park with four-plus miles of trail that is ideal for biking, hiking and trail running.


Marie Myers Park

Marie Myers Park

A passive wooded all-natural park that is preserved by the city as a public nature sanctuary.


Forks of the River

The Forks of the River Wildlife Management Area

600 acres nestled on the south shore of the Tennessee River comprised of open fields and forest.


Legacy Park Lands

Legacy Park Lands

Eight recently-acquired properties that create key connections to create the South Loop.



THE CONNECTOR

The Connector is comprised of existing roads and sidewalks that allowed for bike and pedestrian connection of both loops. Key elements of the Connector are:


BATTLEFIELD LOOP

The West Loop provides an historic and recreational experience with the potential for shops and restaurants located along a major highway and the south waterfront. The loop contains three Civil War forts and a significant city park.

The River Bluff

The River Bluff

A 70-acre tract purchased by Legacy Parks Foundation December 2009, significant as the most expansive view of greenspace and the ridgetop from the city side of the river. Once the funds are raised to complete the purchase, the property will be deeded to the City of Knoxville as a city park.


Fort Stanley Ridge

Fort Stanley

A 22-acre wooded parcel off Chapman Highway containing the Civil War fort where Union troops protected the southern approaches to Knoxville.


Fort Higley

Fort Higley

A seven-acre parcel that served as the western anchor of the Federal line, protecting the city from Confederate troops stationed on Cherokee Heights.


Loghaven

Loghaven

A lush, 95-acre tract rich with historical significance and an abundance of mature hardwoods and native species. If the Corridor property is assembled, the owners, Aslan Foundation, will include the Log Haven property in the Urban Wilderness.


Fort Dickerson Park

Fort Dickerson Park

An 85-acre scenic city park said to be the best preserved of all earthworks forts dating from the Civil War days.

partnership between Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Legacy Parks Foundation and the Appalachian Mountain Bike Club

Model Partnership Creates New Outdoor Destination for Knoxville

Knoxville, Tenn. — A unique, collaborative partnership between Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Legacy Parks Foundation and the Appalachian Mountain Bike Club will expand outdoor recreational opportunities along Knoxville’s south waterfront representatives announced today.

The partnership calls for Legacy Parks Foundation and the Appalachian Mountain Bike Club to design, build and maintain an improved and expanded multi-use trails system within TWRA’s Forks of the River Wildlife Management Area. Once completed, the system will consist of 10 – 13 trails of varied width and difficulty.

“TWRA is exciting about expanding our partnership with Legacy Parks and the Appalachian Mountain Bike Club. TWRA has found over the years that these uses can be compatible with hunting and our wildlife habitat goals. Everyone has recognized that hunting and wildlife habitat is the primary mission for this piece of property and we have developed times and schedules for different uses of the land resulting in no significant user use conflicts. The expansion of new trails and maintenance of other trails will not only make more areas available for recreation but also reduce any environmental issues from old trails causing erosion. This, along with enhanced educational information being placed out on the trails and the commitment for some financial support to continue with exotic plant species removal and other TWRA management goals, make this a win-win partnership,” John Gregory, TWRA Region 4 Manager explained.

Members of the Appalachian Mountain Bike Club will accomplish the majority of trail construction. Over the past three years the Club has constructed and maintained trails in Knoxville and Knox County parks, including William Hastie Natural Area, Concord Park and Ross Marble Quarry.

“We have over 150 members who volunteer an average of 3,000 hours annually to build trails for all users – bikers, hikers, runners and walkers. Our construction leaders have trained at workshops through the International Mountain Bike Club to build state-of-the art trails that take advantage of the topography, beautiful views and interesting features. We work to make them user-friendly and easy to maintain,” Appalachian Mountain Bike Club President Brian Hann explained. “We also look for opportunities to connect neighborhoods and create transportation corridors.”

Construction will be completed in three phases. Initial work will begin this winter on the main connector trail, linking the Will Skelton Greenway to Burnett Creek Road. The second phase will involve reworking the existing trails on the management area followed by phase-three construction of the new Bog Trail in the heart of the property.

Additionally, the two organizations will create and install environmental education and directional signs for the entire system and coordinate trail clean-up and maintenance events. The value of the work and materials invested in the project will exceed $150,000.

“There is tremendous enthusiasm for creating more trails and greenways in Knox County and providing more places for people to get out and play,” Carol Evans, executive director of Legacy Parks Foundation said. “TWRA’s willingness to work with Legacy Parks Foundation and AMBC is a real gift to our community because it opens up places to play right in the heart of our city.”

Legacy Parks Foundation will work with AMBC, and other collaborative groups —including Knoxville Greenway Coalition, Knoxville Track Club outdoor clubs, neighborhood and business organizations and volunteers — to raise the funds and workers to create the trail system. Funding for the first phase has been secured.

City Boosts Urban Wilderness

The city of Knoxville’s new budget includes $250,000 to build and improve greenways and parks in South Knoxville to help establish the area as a destination for lovers of the outdoors. The funds will result in the building of a new 15-mile greenway loop and a new trail to the Fort Dickerson quarry, as well as a new boat ramp and dock access to the quarry lake.

The two projects are designed to boost South Knoxville’s appeal to bikers, hikers and boaters and put South Knoxville on the map as being an outdoor destination for people to come and exercise and experience the great outdoors.

This is a key boost to establishing a 1,000-acre urban wilderness trail along Knoxville’s downtown waterfront that can contain ten parks, nearly twenty miles of recreational trails, three civil war forts, historic settlement sites, and diverse ecological features and recreational amenities. Legacy Parks Foundation is currently concentrating on creating a recreational loop that will connect Ijams Nature Center with William Hastie Natural Area, Marie Myers Park and the Forks of the River Wildlife Management Area. The Foundation hopes to announce the completion of property acquisitions and easements by mid-July.

Legendary Climber Peter Hillary Reminds Us of Our Special Gifts

Peter Hillary has climbed the world's highest mountains and traveled to the farthest-most points on the globe, yet he counts Knoxville as one of his favorite places to be.

“It’s the fresh air, the beautiful landscapes, the civic pride for your parks, and the rich and meaningful experiences that these assets give to visitor, to your children, to yourselves and for the future. These things last a lifetime. Quite frankly, this is an amazing community,” he remarked. Hillary spoke to a crowd of 500 business and civic leaders at Legacy Parks Foundation’s annual Mayors’ Luncheon for the Parks alongside the spectacular Quarry Lake in downtown’s Fort Dickerson Park. He urged those attending to be proactive about preserving what makes Knoxville special. “Here in Knoxville you do have these incredible landscapes right on your back doorstep, and I guess the question is simple, it is a question of what will you do with them. What will you leave as your legacy in this beautiful part of America?” Peter Hillary’s participation at the luncheon was sponsored by Randy Boyd, founder and president/CEO of Radio Systems. Boyd responded to Hillary's remarks by challenging the crowd to start by completing the acquisition of the River Bluff property on Knoxville's south waterfront. The 70-acres was purchased by Legacy Parks Foundation at the end of 2009 and is intended to become a city park once the final $75,000 of the purchase price is raised. The River Bluff Property and Fort Dickerson Park are key venues in the 1,000-acre Urban Wilderness and Historic Corridor being championed by Legacy Parks Foundation.

Legacy Parks Joins 1% for the Planet

1% for the Planet is a growing, global movement of companies that donate 1% of their sales to a network of environmental non-profits worldwide, including Legacy Parks Foundation. Vendors and non-profits find each other through a database of information maintained by 1%'s founders.

We are very grateful to Patagonia for choosing us as a recipient for their Advocacy Days! For each Patagonia shoe sold at River Sports Outfitters between October 14 and October 28, $10 will be donated to Legacy Parks.