[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6619447,"mediaKeyId","2836134-a94cfd4a3d6a9c598fd3d6b2f4a7cf55","parentId",2836134,"title","House committee advances bill to create Tennessee Farmland Preservation Fund after hours of testimony","audioSeconds",2933,"startMs",857000,"endMs",3790000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2836134-a94cfd4a3d6a9c598fd3d6b2f4a7cf55&start=857&end=3790","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2836134-a94cfd4a3d6a9c598fd3d6b2f4a7cf55/thumbnail_857000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6619447/Tennessee/House-committee-advances-bill-to-create-Tennessee-Farmland-Preservation-Fund-after-hours-of-testimony","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6619447-634da62d901391a407267ce9a78c945d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440281&Signature=BIDmKfRpbdve7-jm1U26r9HMjIVsK0iOoHw233EVwnwTWQWZLIK3GZ60nw1m6iz96BdEJFUhEzizDMydtYzmUmsmmkEzMyoQS5ngL~Jj6Zk5RzypGVz1cMaLLEESuofg1eze8nmejTWFciZTEBkuAkpekm8vXRZuQceQiVqkDaQzjhzH3SCn6bcqsH-VVN53hyYncEw1quZkxZ6WVozgawQTpQ-JxOtHuBsv9gg8ZCpFvg-WyHd0oJffSmbyNwXGfxGRn5YJjAmQdhxNIKEt7IZyJ4PfHoz~zDr9HTckB3nuDXDKSBR6kJz8jmnAP6CPqedlJ0r92FcW9pg4gkp-Ug__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","TN House of Representatives","date","2025-04-01T16:38:16.42Z","article","House Bill 1325, the Tennessee Farmland Preservation Fund, was advanced out of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee after extended testimony from farmers, foresters and a representative of the governor's office.

The bill would create a grant-based program to help landowners place voluntary conservation easements on agricultural and forested property, and authorize the Tennessee Department of Agriculture to administer a Farmland Preservation Trust to fund those easements.

Supporters said the measure would help Tennessee families keep working farms and forestland in production. \"This bill will lessen that burden for folks that need it the most,\" said Anna Kern, identifying herself as \"an eighth generation farm inheritor and a conservation advocate,\" describing her family's 1,000-acre operation and saying conservation easements helped preserve land and farm operations through generations. Emily Stefanik, a conservation project manager and Tennessee Forestry Association member, told committee members that fragmentation from development is a growing challenge for forest land owners and that state investment could support generational ownership of timber and forest products. Sam Kennedy, a multi-generation producer and Murray County Farm Bureau board member, said he supports giving the Department of Agriculture a specific mission to study and initiate farmland-preservation programs.

Alex Lewis of Governor Bill Lee's office said program design would vary by property and that payments would normally compensate landowners for the difference between a property's highest-and-best-market value and its use value with an easement. \"The money in this program will pass to Tennessee landowners,\" Lewis said, adding the administration envisions payments to farmers and forest owners, not operating grants to nonprofits.

Committee members asked repeated questions about prioritization, geographic distribution and how payment levels would be set. Representative Brenda Fritz asked for a concrete example of likely payments for a 100-acre tract at $10,000 per acre; witnesses and the governor's office repeated that values and compensation would depend on site-specific appraisals and market conditions. Representative Lynn Hart and others pressed about who would be eligible, how the program would treat family farms, whether the program could be used to displace local planning decisions, and whether easements would be permanent. Lewis, representing the administration, said participation would be voluntary and that the easements proposed are permanent, though enforcement and any judicial remedies would remain available under existing law.

The committee adopted an amendment from subcommittee and then passed the bill on a recorded vote of 13 ayes and 3 nays. The bill now moves to the Finance, Ways and Means Committee.

Supporters said HB 1325 is intended to reduce the legal and transaction costs that make conservation easements impractical for many farmers, while opponents said the bill leaves too many program details to future rulemaking and questioned whether state funds should be used in this way.

Votes and next steps: The committee approved HB 1325 as amended by voice and roll call; it will be considered next by the Finance, Ways and Means Committee.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee- April 1, 2025- House Hearing Room 1","oneSentenceSummary","House Bill 1325, the Tennessee Farmland Preservation Fund, was advanced out of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee after extended testimony from farmers, foresters and a representative of the governor's office.","taxTitle","Agriculture & Natural Resources, House of Representatives, Committees, Legislative, Tennessee","taxId",29609,"location","Tennessee","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6619438,"Committee advances contentious wetlands bill after hours of testimony from conservationists and developers",3407,7418000,10825000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2836134-a94cfd4a3d6a9c598fd3d6b2f4a7cf55&start=7418&end=10825","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2836134-a94cfd4a3d6a9c598fd3d6b2f4a7cf55/thumbnail_7418000.jpg","/articles/6619438/Tennessee/Committee-advances-contentious-wetlands-bill-after-hours-of-testimony-from-conservationists-and-developers","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6619438-dd08f472e00046fc9fe6c5414e7a8143/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440281&Signature=I794qi4CVXjjHeqGA893bHtPhokD2lr4IITxJSo0HmFQDPPMQtPB5YiAvkIP~hYxj6r8v-mr9UbH4U1SmTdgNUEMPREN7dyADbOOP-vR7vFnin7wve8gITo0FLmsJIgDfXcNJOjT7qRZZmQSgBcl8oItNORGAkfCURD0N3dnU4NRfk43AqKb4r22DR~jl0KYVQ~NLnHB3m6~xdlsn7Vr4-w0Mtzf-buBRoqO3mYjvTS96NtoReR8GhI3zDhf2~7jvXAjUs73U5ZaG7U8P7q3LaotBwl1XJlgAksRIp2YLHjZ56~BmHJXGnAkrL76mCQq8H~DZGbt093Z0~5z0IVeWg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A major rewrite of Tennessee's wetlands regulatory framework was advanced out of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee after prolonged testimony from environmental groups, water advocates, developers, lawyers and business associations.

Representative Todd Vaughn, the bill's sponsor, said the legislation is intended to reduce regulatory costs for landowners while preserving protections for higher-value wetlands. \"What this bill does is...reduce or eliminate the amount of mitigation required for the alteration of the lowest value wetlands,\" he said, and the measure directs reporting on where mitigation dollars go and prescribes methodology for wetland resource inventories.

Scientists and environmental advocates warned the committee that narrowing wetlands protections would risk water quality, groundwater recharge and flood protection. Sarah Houston, executive director of Protect Our Aquifer, testified that wetlands play a critical role in recharging the Memphis aquifer and filtering contaminants: \"We must protect the wetlands that sustain it,\" she said. Ryan Jackwood of the Harpeth Conservancy described national examples where wetland loss was linked to water-quality crises; he recounted Ohio's 2014 Toledo tap-water advisory and said restoring wetlands has required large state investments there.

Environmental lawyers and consultants, including George Nolan of the Southern Environmental Law Center and James Ward of MRW Environmental, told the committee that removing protections for small or isolated wetlands would worsen flooding and reduce water quality. Nolan said the percentage of Tennessee waterways assessed as polluted has increased over time and argued the bill would \"make matters worse by removing legal protections for the spongy filters that clean our drinking water.\"

Developers and housing-industry representatives said the current permitting and mitigation regime imposes large costs that are passed to homebuyers, contributing to higher housing prices. Mallory Kirby of Build Tennessee Housing cited Environmental Law Institute data on mitigation cost and said mitigation ratios and delays can scuttle housing projects. RJ Gibson of the Tennessee Chamber said the bill is a \"balanced approach\" to reduce compliance costs while retaining protections for higher-value resources.

Committee members debated multiple technical provisions, including an exemption for \"low-value\" isolated wetlands under a size threshold, whether cumulative impacts across a site should be aggregated and how the bill would treat artificial features like tractor ruts or manmade ponds. Opponents warned the measure contained large loopholes allowing multiple small wetlands on the same property to be removed without mitigation or notice.

After hours of testimony and questioning, the committee approved the bill as amended on a roll-call vote of 13 ayes and 3 nays. The bill will now move to Finance, Ways and Means.

Supporters said the bill will reduce regulatory costs and help lower housing prices; opponents said it risks public drinking-water protections, flood resilience and habitat protection. Several witnesses asked the committee to require more data transparency and careful geographic nuance before changing statewide wetlands protections.","House Bill 541, a proposed narrowing of Tennessee's state wetlands protection for many isolated wetlands, moved from the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee after lengthy testimony from scientists, conservation groups, developers and business organizations.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6619442,"Committee advances paddlesports pilot after contested testimony over ramp access and fees",964,5176000,6140000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2836134-a94cfd4a3d6a9c598fd3d6b2f4a7cf55&start=5176&end=6140","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2836134-a94cfd4a3d6a9c598fd3d6b2f4a7cf55/thumbnail_5176000.jpg","/articles/6619442/Tennessee/Committee-advances-paddlesports-pilot-after-contested-testimony-over-ramp-access-and-fees","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6619442-08b5269268f9f73f7379e15f6161fcd4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440281&Signature=BFIBRHAGEs2yOBaeDc-xVh2Srb0CT~YQHu67E1iYwvE2ycc5A8PvOyKMP7UZPzl~vuPCBiNjA4JYXWJoY2TnZE6kyDsHrHebF7KXbqCxksZew83cYJA-j0UtkefhJtbW9xH-A8x4gSN~YUMrk8RAFezNNShDmBLAiND5~UwYxb6w3u4AWFHmivb7fVqUWXAhpfJ2I~xs3I-kgcTEi~21RXhcam6B0zU-rfRg-riIlsqK4SInKDOyEp6NZiLxl0YzC0Bd1cok0m~FtaYRhRrz6qoeze~Wmb48ZV2gDbozRDgWcBrE~2C5LEVv88Y6wk6C7S-8flvmfic1uGxX0tb4LQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","House Bill 1149, as amended, was advanced by the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee after a contentious exchange between commercial paddlesports operators and fishing and conservation advocates over whether the bill would limit the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency's ability to manage conflicts at boat ramps.

The bill establishes a Department of Revenue pilot to track sales-tax revenue from a defined list of paddlesports items and authorizes a voluntary contribution mechanism by commercial paddlesports operators (described in testimony as an industry offer of $0.42 per put-in) to help the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) maintain and operate public boat ramps. The amendment includes a two-year restriction preventing TWRA from adjusting the contribution in rulemaking during the pilot.

Sponsor Representative Andy Butler described the measure as a way to make commercial paddlesports operators pay into ramp upkeep: \"They've come to the table and offered to invest 42¢ for every time a kayak or a canoe gets put in the water...so TWRA will be able to maintain and police the ramps,\" he said. The amendment narrows the contribution language and adds a two-year sunset on TWRA's restriction.

Representatives of the Tennessee Wildlife Federation and a fly-shop owner urged the committee to preserve TWRA's authority to manage ramps to avoid user conflicts. Horace Tipton of the Tennessee Wildlife Federation warned that the bill, as drafted, could tie TWRA's hands and prevent targeted local solutions for differing river conditions: \"We do read this as potentially prioritizing one group's access over another by not allowing TWRA specifically to restrict commercial paddle craft operators,\" he said. Fly-shop owner Blake Parsons said commercial overcrowding has already affected his business and argued that TWRA oversight is funded in large part by anglers and should remain robust.

Representative Butler said TWRA was neutral on the legislation and that the bill does not give priority parking or ramp access to commercial operators. He and proponents said the pilot will provide better revenue data and a voluntary industry contribution to maintain ramps used by all river users.

The committee accepted testimony from industry representatives who said the pilot will help quantify the state's collection from paddlesports items and allow commercial operators to invest in ramp maintenance rather than pay traditional fees. Opponents said the language allowing TWRA restrictions to be limited could reduce the agency's ability to regulate ramp access and resolve conflicts among anglers, boaters and commercial outfitters.

The bill passed on a roll-call vote of 8 ayes, 6 nays and 1 present not voting, and moves to Finance, Ways and Means. TWRA and industry groups said they have discussed the measure informally; several conservation and angling groups urged changes to preserve local management options and to ensure parking and ramp regulation remain balanced for all users.","House Bill 1149, which creates a pilot to track paddle-sports sales-tax revenue and a voluntary contribution to maintain boat ramps, passed the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee amid objections from anglers and conservation groups who said the measure could limit TWRA's ability to manage ramp conflicts.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":93,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6619433,"Votes at a glance: committee advances multiple bills on agriculture, water and outdoor recreation",5319,821000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2836134-a94cfd4a3d6a9c598fd3d6b2f4a7cf55&start=821&end=6140","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2836134-a94cfd4a3d6a9c598fd3d6b2f4a7cf55/thumbnail_821000.jpg","/articles/6619433/Tennessee/Votes-at-a-glance-committee-advances-multiple-bills-on-agriculture-water-and-outdoor-recreation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6619433-1a64f54b1802d753db4afe2514f3d7bc/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440281&Signature=WkWbenaF2la9ovFdaZ1iTeEA-CUKls5gMZXx3uP95Zl57wUTKPczIZ0jZVpoolHi~sOp5d~d4FRglNQqsfhPwRjESljDP0TA7cgDd1YXue0Pvi~ZrTRaGW-XUXuBbJPKor86VegYWCIS-krLjvCcwGWLQp2PyJSVnOCF36UkCiZ80Zn8x8mHrrQggyr2wryTzVwPP-iBTvPKNhVgh9t-4r~BDZAP8uIFWyjSjmA0xsWSsLfBY3CVyFIMK4plv3SRrFA6Lw4CHNaGUhk6fIWuQlVUd8W0YtJah5oJSugHDKzVPdiM0p~YuT6ZciSWJ3~qj7emn6WMAwJR40N9EZnWdQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee considered multiple items and voted to advance them to the next committee listed. The items below record the committee action, the roll-call tally where recorded in the transcript, and the committee destination.

- House Bill 0124 — Amend air pollution fees and coal-ash cleanup language. Vote: 15 ayes, 0 nays. Outcome: Passed; sent to Finance.

- House Bill 0940 — Raise minimum age to operate personal watercraft from 12 to 16; amended to change age. Vote: 9 ayes, 6 nays. Outcome: Passed; sent to Finance, Ways and Means.

- House Bill 0667 — Advisory task force on solid waste. Vote: 15 ayes, 0 nays. Outcome: Passed; sent to Finance, Ways and Means.

- House Bill 1137 — Require TDEC to act on septic permit applications for systems under 750 gallons within 10 business days (as amended). Vote: 13 ayes, 0 nays, 1 present not voting. Outcome: Passed; sent to Calendar and Rules.

- House Bill 1139 — Clarify monitoring for an apartment complex water-softening system and avoid jeopardizing federal funding; amendment removed fiscal risk. Vote: 15 ayes, 0 nays. Outcome: Passed; sent to Calendar and Rules.

- House Bill 024 — Increase penalties for hunting trespass and related game/fish violations. Vote: 14 ayes, 0 nays. Outcome: Passed; sent to Finance, Ways and Means.

- House Bill 0130 — Expand food-cottage/home-made-food sales to include poultry and dairy under specified labeling and safety rules (as amended). Vote: 15 ayes, 0 nays. Outcome: Passed; sent to Finance, Ways and Means.

- House Bill 0543 — Utility-services board and protections for customers served by utilities outside jurisdictional boundaries (as amended). Vote: 14 ayes, 1 nay, 1 present not voting. Outcome: Passed; sent to Finance, Ways and Means.

- House Bill 0612 — Apply general-permit credit concept to stream mitigation for small stream alterations; example cited involving Arlington. Vote: 14 ayes, 1 nay, 1 present not voting. Outcome: Passed; sent to Calendar and Rules.

- House Bill 0882 — Exempt certain small farm activities (topsoil, pond building under 3 acres) on green-belt property from TDEC regulation. Vote: 12 ayes, 1 nay, 1 present not voting. Outcome: Passed; sent to Finance, Ways and Means.

- House Bill 0175 — Allow Commission rulemaking to permit drone use to recover wounded deer on private land (recovery-only carveout). Vote: 15 ayes, 0 nays. Outcome: Passed; sent to Government Operations.

- House Bill 0799 — Reelfoot Lake blind licensing: confirm arrangement and allow commercial licenses where blind ownership reverts to state on death. Vote: 15 ayes, 0 nays. Outcome: Passed; sent to Government Operations.

- House Bill 0804 — Create department permit and labeling requirements for cell-cultured protein (lab-grown meat) and prohibit sale labeled as meat without permit; record: 13 ayes, 0 nays, 1 present not voting. Outcome: Passed; sent to Government Operations.

- House Bill 0894 — Reconstitute a groundwater-management board and add a sunset; vote recorded as 14 ayes, 0 nays, 1 present not voting. Outcome: Passed; sent to Government Operations.

- House Bill 0896 — Sound-Science and Regulation Act: require state rules affecting water and waste to be based on specified \"best available science\" standards. Vote: 13 ayes, 2 nays (recorded in roll call). Outcome: Passed; sent to Calendar and Rules.

- House Bill 0747 — Energy-policy and related provisions (as amended); committee vote recorded 11 ayes, 2 nays. Outcome: Passed; sent to Finance, Ways and Means.

Where the committee used roll-call, tallies above are from the committee clerk's roll recorded in the transcript. Several bills were amended on the floor before final committee votes; the amended language is noted where applicable. The committee referred most bills to Finance, Ways and Means or Calendar and Rules per the clerk's announcements.","The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee passed a number of bills during the session; the summary below lists each bill, a one-line description, the committee's recorded vote, and next committee stop where specified.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

House committee advances bill to create Tennessee Farmland Preservation Fund after hours of testimony

Committee advances contentious wetlands bill after hours of testimony from conservationists and developers

Committee advances paddlesports pilot after contested testimony over ramp access and fees

Votes at a glance: committee advances multiple bills on agriculture, water and outdoor recreation