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TDEC wins approval for sole-source wetland screening tool contract with SkyTech
Summary
The Department of Environment and Conservation won committee approval to establish a sole-source contract with SkyTech LLC to develop a statewide wetland screening and geospatial analysis tool, prompting questions from lawmakers about post-deregulation protections for wetlands.
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) received committee approval to establish a sole-source contract with SkyTech LLC to develop a wetland screening tool and geospatial analysis platform. The three-year contract includes two one-year renewal options and a maximum liability of $2,331,900, TDEC told the committee.
TDEC legislative director Allie Williamson and Richard Cochran of the Division of Water Resources said the tool builds on an initial public version already available on the department's website. Cochran said the tool maps predicted wetlands across the state and is intended to give landowners, developers and local officials an early indication of where wetlands may exist; final decisions still require ground verification.
Senator Kimball expressed concern that recent legislative changes had deregulated a large share of wetlands in Tennessee and said regulators should adopt a conservative approach when using the new data to guide permitting and development decisions. Representative Yarbrough asked why the contract was sole-source; TDEC said SkyTech had produced the initial statewide model, used AI to extract verified wetland delineations from legacy permitting documents, and developed an approach aligned to TDEC's permitting and mitigation workflows. TDEC said SkyTech's prior work and institutional knowledge made it uniquely positioned to accelerate refinements and improve accuracy.
Committee members voted to approve the sole-source contract after discussion. The transcript records the chair announcing approval; no roll-call tally appears in the record.
Why this matters: The screening tool aims to provide earlier, better state data on wetlands to inform development and permitting decisions after recent changes to wetland oversight. Lawmakers asked for conservative use of the tool and for the department to continue validating predictions with field verification.
What to watch: TDEC said the tool would be refined to improve accuracy; the committee's questions indicate legislators will monitor how the tool is used in permitting and mitigation decisions.
