Sent: Wednesday, August 01, 2007 10:36 AM
Subject: URGENT CALL FOR ROCKY FORK HELP!
Dear Friends and Rocky Fork Supporters,
A full decade of very hard work for the preservation and permanent
protection of the largest and last unprotected wild place of its kind in
the
southern Appalachians could be about to pay off. For all who have made
saving Rocky Fork the preeminent regional conservation goal of our time,
this will be cause for much celebration.
So before I ask one more time for your help in finally achieving this, I
want to express my deep, heartfelt gratitude and appreciation for all that
you have done to support this critical work. You have helped make sure
that
saving Rocky Fork has been seen as the high priority, regional issue that
it
truly is.
We are now closer than ever to realizing our two long-standing goals:
1) Permanent preservation of Rocky Fork's extraordinary 10,000-acres of
vital watershed, unsurpassed wildlife habitat and stunning beauty.
2) Achieving a major national designation for the tract that will bring
substantial economic benefits to not only Unicoi County, but the entire
surrounding region.
But I must tell you that to actually achieve these goals, we urgently
need
to send a positive, but loud and clear message to our three federal
legislators, Congressman David Davis, Senator Lamar Alexander and Senator
Bob Corker.
The conservation purchase of Rocky Fork depends greatly on funding
appropriations from both the state and federal government. Immediately,
we
most need to insure that Davis, Alexander and Corker give their full
support
to the effort by requesting the necessary federal funding to complete the
purchase. Their failure to request this funding could mean the forever
loss
of this amazing natural and national treasure, as the unrelenting, gated
resort developers stand waiting for us to fail.
It is absolutely critical that these three officials hear from us today,
tomorrow at the latest. Congress leaves for its one month summer recess
next week. Timing in the purchase effort requires immediate assurance of
Davis/Alexander/Corker support for the federal funding.
First, please call the office of each (extremely important because of the
impact a call makes and the time involved in security processing of mail)
and be sure to thank them for their leadership and support in the effort
to
preserve Rocky Fork, and then express in your own words any or all of the
following 5 points. Please follow your call with a brief letter expressing
the same.
1) Rocky Fork is the last remaining unprotected tract of mountain land of
its size and kind in the southern Appalachians.
2) For generations, Rocky Fork, though privately owned, has been managed
by TWRA for public use and enjoyment for hunting, fishing, hiking,
swimming,
wildlife viewing and biking.
3) Rocky Fork is now believed to have wildlife diversity greater than
almost any other place in the Appalachians. It is critical native brook
trout, Peregrine falcon and black bear range.
4) At least 10 miles of Rocky Fork's spectacular ridgelines form the
now-famous viewshed of the I-26 corridor entering NE Tennessee from North
Carolina.
5) If Rocky Fork is designated as a national recreation area, surrounding
economic development via greatly increased tourism and more appropriate
residential and commercial growth will provide much-needed jobs and
revenue
to Unicoi County and the surrounding area.
Please, once again, lend your help with this urgent matter and first
call,
then write them immediately. The reward is just ahead if we all pull
together one more time to make our long-held wishes for preservation of
this
one-of-a-kind treasure known to those who have the power to bring it
about.
Below is the contact information for our three legislators, and you will
find this and much more at www.saverockyfork.org.
Thank you again.
Peace and blessings!
David Ramsey
423-743-6570
Representative David Davis
514 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
(202) 225-6356
Contact Representative Davis
Senator Lamar Alexander
302 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-4944
Senator Bob Corker
185 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-3344
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