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Commission adopts naming policy requiring good‑faith notice to honorees and 45/90‑day public-comment windows
Summary
The Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted a naming policy that requires a documented, good‑faith effort to notify honorees or heirs before changes and sets a 45‑day written comment period for new namings and a 90‑day period when a previously named asset would be revoked, removed, revised, or relocated.
The Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission voted to adopt a formal naming policy that requires the commission to make a documented, good‑faith effort to notify an honoree or their heirs before revoking, removing, revising or relocating an existing name and to provide longer public notice when removing a name.
General Counsel Grimes summarized committee amendments and read the key provisions: the policy requires that good‑faith efforts “may include but not be limited to a letter with delivery confirmation sent to surviving heirs and or surviving family that can be identified that details the naming action under consideration, the time period, and mechanism to ensure that the TFWC can consider their preferences and the time period in which a response is needed.” Grimes said those attempts must be documented and maintained.
The commission also adopted a public comment schedule as amended by the Legislative and Public Affairs Committee: a 45‑day written public comment period for proposed namings of assets that have never been named, and a 90‑day written public comment period when a naming is to be revoked, removed, revised or relocated. Grimes said he removed the phrase “at a regularly scheduled meeting” from the amendment language to avoid creating a statutory interpretation constraint on when the commission may amend the policy.
Commissioner Chris Devaney and the committee presented the policy after committee discussion; Commissioner Hank Wright had moved the 90‑day comment requirement in committee and the commission incorporated that change. Chairman Jimmy Granberry called for a roll‑call vote; the policy passed with all present commissioners voting “Aye.”
What the policy does and does not do
- Requires and documents a good‑faith effort to notify honorees or identifiable heirs before taking final action to remove or relocate a name. - Establishes a 45‑day written comment period for new namings and a 90‑day written comment period before revocation/removal/relocation of an existing name. - Does not prescribe a specific notice maintenance mechanism; Grimes said documentation could be maintained at the agency level or otherwise.
Next steps
The commission directed staff to implement the documentation and public‑comment provisions and the policy will be filed and published as adopted.
