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TWRA tells House committee it manages 1.6 million acres and uses partnerships to deliver habitat projects
Summary
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency officials told the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee they manage roughly 1.6 million acres, operate nearly 130 WMAs, rely on partnerships and Pittman–Robertson funds for habitat projects, and use tools such as controlled fire, timber cutting and disking.
Jason Maxon, executive director of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, told the committee TWRA "manage[s] 1,600,000 acres of public land" and described how the agency operates with federal and state partners to manage wildlife and habitat.
Maxon said TWRA directly oversees about 550,000 acres of state-owned property and works with partners including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, Department of Defense and Tennessee State Parks to manage other lands. He said the agency manages nearly 130 WMAs and that most are open for hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation with seasonal closures for particular refuges.
The director highlighted an early-successional habitat project in North Cumberland that spanned two years; TWRA leveraged Pittman–Robertson excise-tax match dollars and partner donations, and Maxon said the NWTF contributed $45,500. He outlined primary management tools—timber cuttings, plowing/disking and planting, prescribed fire, and targeted chemical controls—and said those tools are used on rotational schedules to benefit multiple species.
Maxon also said many WMA managers have four-year degrees or advanced degrees and that TWRA produces science-based management plans that can span from one to 100 years depending on objective and habitat type.
