Our interest in birding and wild and scenic places has found an exciting new opportunity here in Northeast Tennessee. Last Friday, the Tennessee Chapter of The Nature Conservancy stepped up and bought the 8,600 acres of Doe Mountain property in Johnson County, TN in what has been reported as a step to buy and develop the project into a multi-use tourist attraction for all-terrain vehicles, biking, horseback riding and hiking. The Nature Conservancy paid $8,800,000 for the property. Last December, Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, R-Blountville, said the Doe Mountain venture could have a similar economic impact as Southwest Virginia's 34-mile Virginia Creeper Trail, which is open to hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding. He envisioned spin-off businesses like campgrounds, restaurants and bike shops. The Doe Mountain property was a planned residential development that fell through, according to Ramsey. It was owned by a South Carolina interest known as Doe Mountain Development, LLC which purchased the property in March 2006. The land is described as on Highway 67, Doe Mountain/Neva Valley. It is a tract that extends from Neva to Watauga Lake. The governor's administration has set aside $8.5 million in the state's current budget, plus $300,000 in a supplemental appropriation to purchase the property from The Nature Conservancy. According to the Conservancy State Director Gina Hancock, she said the plan is for The Nature Conservancy to buy the property and "hold it until the state buys it from us." This is one of the major operation approaches which The Nature Conservancy has operated under for many years. They quickly come forward to purchase land holdings that governments and others are not able to acquire immediately. The state has passed legislation creating a Doe Mountain Recreation Authority to manage the property. The authority's 15-member board includes appointments by the governor, legislature and local government to reflect conservation , outdoor recreation and economic development interests. The Nature Conservancy will also have a seat on the board. Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has previous used the private property to oversee Doe Mountain as a wildlife management area. TWRA will also hold a seat as well as the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and Department of Economic and Community Development. The authority will have the power to develop the property and issue bonds if needed, according to recent legislation. The Nature Conservancy, Governor Haslam and Lieutenant Governor Ramsey are committed to finding strategies for protecting Doe Mountain while also developing multirecreational opportunities for the public. The vision for Doe Mountain involves engaging the state's land managers and the local community in developing a multi-use recreation approach that will include scenic touring by ATVs, mountain biking, hiking, horseback riding and other activities. The goal will be to develop a management plan for the mountain that will set up the appropriate locations for different activities as well as build in protective management approaches that protect water quality and maintain a largely intact forest cover.