TDEC budget hearing highlights state parks, Duck River plan and state-level fusion regulation

The Department of Environment and Conservation told the Finance, Ways and Means Committee on March 11, 2025, that its proposed 2025–26 budget would end the state parks deferred maintenance backlog, fund several new parks, advance a regional water-resource plan for the Duck River and establish a state-level regulatory framework for fusion energy.

TDEC Commissioner David Salyers opened the presentation by summarizing departmental priorities and said recent reforms have reduced permitting delays and cut red tape; he told members the department’s proposed budget “conserves Tennessee, which helps to grow Tennessee.” Deputy and bureau leaders who joined Salyers included Dr. Ronnie Atkins (deputy commissioner, Bureau of Environment), Karen Simo (chief operating officer and deputy commissioner, Bureau of Operations and Strategic Engagement), and Greer Tidwell (deputy commissioner, Bureau of Conservation).

State parks and deferred maintenance: Commissioner Salyers said the budget would eliminate the parks’ deferred maintenance backlog and fully staff two of nine already-named new parks. TDEC listed nine new parks in its planning materials and identified three parks receiving budgeted funding this cycle: Dry Branch (at the Perry–Hickman–Lewis county boundary), a state park at the Cherokee Removal memorial in Meigs County, and a Blueway State Park along the Clinch River. Deputy Commissioner Greer Tidwell and park staff said the department is programming visitor centers, campgrounds and access improvements to fit each park’s resources and local economic capacity. TDEC requested $6.2 million in additional maintenance funding to sustain park operations and to avoid future deferred-maintenance accumulation.

Duck River regional plan and ARPA funds: The department proposed $24.5 million in the budget for regional water work; Salyers said $20 million of that would be used on the Duck River for engineering, hydraulic modeling and regionalization incentives, and an additional $2 million would support a habitat-conservation-related grant match. Salyers said the department has distributed ARPA grants statewide to local drinking-water, wastewater and stormwater systems and reported it has expended $250 million with $685 million currently in approved procurements or underway; he said no recipients are missing required milestones. Committee members asked how Duck River seed money would be used; Salyers described it as incentive funds to help utilities regionalize or pursue other long-term solutions and referenced Executive Order 108, which established a Duck River partnership.

Nuclear regulation and fusion: TDEC said the budget sets up a state regulatory program for fusion energy and includes funding to add staff. The department noted Tennessee is competing with other states to be an early host of operational fusion facilities; TDEC officials referenced private projects under development in the state (the transcript cited a pilot project by a private company at an existing facility). Commissioner Salyers and members said the program aims to regulate more quickly at the state level than the federal process, and the proposal includes funding to stand up that regulatory framework.

Questions from lawmakers covered vacancies and hiring, parks operations, recovery at David Crockett Birthplace State Park (destroyed by Hurricane Hermine/Helene in the transcript), pool repairs and security at T.O. Fuller State Park, shoreline stabilization projects at several parks, and use of ARPA and strategic grants for the megasite and surrounding communities. Deputy Commissioner Karen Simo explained vacancy reporting: of roughly 333 vacancies pulled in February, 274 were vacant less than a year and 59 were long-term vacancies (more than one year). She said the department has repurposed many long-term vacancies since February 2023.

Additional details raised in questioning included: - TDEC said the 9 new parks already named will be tailored to local resources and programmed for visitor centers, campgrounds and water access where appropriate. The three parks receiving line-item funding in TDEC’s request are Dry Branch, the Cherokee Removal memorial park in Meigs County and a Clinch River Blueway State Park. - The department described the Duck River work as a multi-year regional effort; Salyers said overall solutions could cost “hundreds of millions” and take five to 15 years. - TDEC reported ARPA expenditures and an active pipeline of approved procurements; it said it monitors grantees’ milestones and will reassign funds if grantees cannot meet federal deadlines. - For state parks damaged by storms, TDEC staff said master planning and community engagement are underway at David Crockett Birthplace State Park, with insurance proceeds and private fundraising expected to supplement state funding.

No formal committee action on the budget was recorded at the March 11 meeting; the department’s presentation and member questions will inform subsequent appropriation deliberations.