House Agriculture & Natural Resources advances farmland preservation fund, wetlands reform and multiple bills; votes at a glance

The House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee met in session and advanced a package of bills, including House Bill 13-25 to establish a Tennessee Farmland Preservation Fund, a wetlands reform measure (House Bill 5-41), a raised minimum age to operate a personal watercraft (House Bill 9-40) and a pilot to track and fund maintenance of commercial paddle-sports access points (House Bill 11-49).

The meeting featured extended testimony on farmland preservation and wetlands. Supporters of the farmland program said the measure would give landowners a voluntary tool to preserve working farms; opponents of the wetlands changes warned of risks to water quality, groundwater recharge and flood protection.

Representative Bridal, sponsor of House Bill 13-25, described the bill as creating “a pathway to save their farmland” and said the program would be voluntary and administered to help place conservation easements on willing landowners’ property. Testimony included farmers and conservation practitioners who urged the committee to approve the fund and to craft rules making the program workable for small and multi-generational farms. Anna Kern, an eighth-generation farm inheritor and conservation advocate, told the committee, “This bill will lessen that burden for folks that need it the most,” citing legal and transactional costs for conservation easements.

Alex Lewis, speaking on behalf of Governor Bill Lee’s office, said the administration expects program rules to prioritize productive land and noted the funds are intended to go to landowners for easements, not as operating grants to nonprofits. “The money in this program will pass to Tennessee landowners,” Lewis said, adding the easements envisioned are permanent and that the program design and eligibility criteria will be developed in rulemaking.

The committee also debated House Bill 5-41, a broad wetlands statute change presented by Representative Vaughn. Supporters — including Build Tennessee Housing and the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce — argued the current regulatory regime increases development costs and said changing some non-federal wetlands rules would reduce mitigation costs that can run into tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars per acre. Mallory Kirby of Build Tennessee Housing said the current mitigation regime “can be a significant contributor” to higher housing prices.

Opponents, including Sarah Houston of Protect Our Aquifer and Ryan Jackwood of the Harpeth Conservancy, said wetlands provide groundwater recharge, buffer flooding and filter pollutants before water reaches aquifers and drinking-water sources. Houston warned of the Memphis-area example where aquifer declines have already affected water quality and said, “Protecting wetlands is critical for West Tennessee’s water future.” George Nolan of the Southern Environmental Law Center urged the committee to retain protections, warning of cumulative and long-term impacts.

On recreational access, Representative Butler’s House Bill 11-49 would create a pilot to track paddle-sports sales tax items and establish a 42¢-per-launch industry investment for ramp maintenance for commercial operators. Tennessee Wildlife Federation and some anglers testified that the measure, as drafted, could limit TWRA’s ability to regulate ramp use and traffic, while outfitter witnesses said maintenance funding and formalized coordination were needed. Horace Tipton, Tennessee Wildlife Federation, said the language could “tie the hands of TWRA” in managing user conflicts; outfitter Blake Parsons said his business already sees negative effects from overcrowding.

Other notable items advanced included: raising the minimum operating age for personal watercraft from 12 to 16 (HB 9-40), new reporting and deadline requirements for septic permit decisions (HB 11-37), a task force on solid waste (HB 6-67), and tighter trespass penalties tied to hunting violations (HB 24). Several bills proceeded to the next committee with recorded roll-call votes.

Votes at a glance - House Bill 13-25, Tennessee Farmland Preservation Fund — Passed; recorded roll-call: 13 ayes, 3 nays; forwarded to Government Operations. Sponsor: Representative Bridal. Key points: voluntary conservation-easement payments to landowners; administration and eligibility to be defined by Department rules; initial funding discussed by members as $25,000,000 (sponsor discussion). Testimony: farmers, forestry representatives, Alex Lewis (Gov. Lee’s office), Anna Kern, Emily Stefanik, Sam Kennedy.

- House Bill 5-41, wetlands regulatory changes — Passed; recorded roll-call: 13 ayes, 3 nays; forwarded to Finance, Ways & Means. Sponsor: Representative Vaughn. Key points: narrows some state permitting for isolated/low-value wetlands, establishes reporting requirements about mitigation recipients, and changes buffer/cumulative-impact calculations (as amended). Substantial witness testimony both pro and con.

- House Bill 9-40, personal watercraft age — Passed; recorded roll-call: 9 ayes, 6 nays; forwarded to Finance, Ways & Means. Amendment: raises minimum age to operate personal watercraft from 12 to 16; technical clarifications from Office of Legal Services clarified that small motors under 8.5 hp remain treated differently under current law.

- House Bill 11-49, paddle-sports pilot and ramp funding — Passed; recorded roll-call: 8 ayes, 6 nays, 1 present not voting; forwarded to Finance, Ways & Means. Key points: pilot to track sales tax nexus for paddle-sports items, and a 42¢ per commercial launch industry investment for TWRA ramp maintenance with a two-year sunset and restrictions on TWRA rulemaking for certain commercial operator requirements (language raised concerns from conservation and angling groups about management authority).

- Other committee actions (selected) - House Bill 1-24 (air permitting clean-up / coal ash language, HB 124) — Passed 15-0; forwarded to Finance. - House Bill 6-67 (solid waste advisory task force) — Passed 15-0; forwarded to Finance, Ways & Means. - House Bill 11-37 (septic permit timeline) — Passed; forwarded to Calendar & Rules (recorded as 13 ayes, 0 nays, 1 present not voting on roll call). - House Bill 11-39 (water softening / small public utility testing change, amended) — Passed; forwarded to Calendar & Rules. - House Bill 24 (increased fines for illegal trespass / game violations) — Passed 14-0; forwarded to Finance, Ways & Means. - House Bill 130 (Food Cottage expansion to allow certain poultry/dairy sales) — Passed; forwarded to Finance, Ways & Means.

What committees will consider next Most bills were advanced to the committee listed above (Finance; Finance, Ways & Means; Government Operations; Calendar & Rules). The Farmland Preservation Fund will require Department rulemaking to define eligibility, payment methodology and program administration before implementation.

Why this matters Lawmakers and witnesses framed the farmland bill as a tool to preserve working agricultural landscapes at a time the state has documented significant farmland loss. Supporters said voluntary, funded easements help farmers remain productive; opponents of wetlands changes argued protections are essential to drinking-water quality, flood mitigation and ecological health. The committee approved measures that change the balance between property-rights tools and environmental safeguards and set up further debate in subsequent committees.

What’s next Bills approved by the committee will proceed to the next assigned committee for fiscal review and additional consideration. Several items—particularly the farmland fund and wetlands changes—will require executive-branch rulemaking and implementation details to be developed before payments or regulatory changes take effect.

Ending note The meeting featured broad participation: landowners, industry representatives, conservation groups and state representatives debated trade-offs between reducing regulatory costs to encourage housing and development, preserving working farms, and sustaining water and wetland functions that support drinking water and flood resilience.