Ownership Of Land

Along Nolichucky River

Is Disputed By Some

By NELSON MORAIS

Staff Writer

Several owners of valuable properties along the Nolichucky River were very vocal Thursday in expressing opposition to some parcels of land bordering the waterway being developed for public recreation over the next 10 years -- or longer -- by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) or other government agencies.

The landowners, who raised questions at a public hearing held by TVA, said additional recreational development would destroy the river's natural habitats and the serenity the homeowners enjoy.

The property-owners also expressed other concerns, including the basic question of whether they or the TVA owns some of the land along the river.

TVA is seeking input from the public on possible recreational development, or other uses, of 13 tracts of land scattered along the river, as well as several more tracts located upstream from the Nolichucky Reservoir.

Five adults, including one accompanied by a young daughter, questioned Tennessee Valley Authority resource specialist Chris Cooper at the public hearing.

Cooper and Laura Smith, from the communications department of TVA, held the public hearing to discuss a 10-year land-use plan being prepared by the agency for 18 "uncommitted" parcels of land along the Nolichucky, almost all which are currently in their natural state.

TVA-Owned Property

The large public utility says it owns 1,143 acres in a total of 37 parcels along the Nolichucky, all of it in Greene County. Nineteen of the parcels are already "committed" to specific uses.

Some property-owners said they have deeds and titles to private property and even small islets in the river that TVA claims belong to the utility.

Lyza Pascucci, who said she owns 55 acres adjacent to the river, including about 2,500 feet of shoreline, said, "Why am I paying taxes (if it's) your (TVA's) property?"

Cooper replied, "Good question."

Pascucci said, "We've got hundreds of thousands of dollars involved" in the property owned by her and her husband.

'Can't Survey Everything'

Cooper said TVA is responsible to manage 293,000 acres. "We can't survey everything," he said. He conceded, "We have a hard time with [real estate brokers] selling land owned by TVA."

Pascucci said, "I have 55 acres I'm paying taxes on right down to the shoreline. I am just representative of many people who have this problem" of disputed ownership.

"I've got the title and deed saying we own it," she said.

Pascucci also said "out-of-staters" who buy homes in Greene County and move here believe they're buying what is expensive land that in reality belongs to TVA and is not legally for sale to private individuals.

TVA's Smith urged those present to contact TVA officials with their concerns and give her, Cooper or others at the public utility written comments expressing their concerns.

"We'll talk to anyone on a case-by-case basis," Smith said.

Kate Agmann said, "If you own the land, aren't you responsible for cleaning it up?"

Replied Cooper, "We want to keep it clean."

Pascucci said she was also worried that TVA would turn over some its land to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA), bringing more beer cans, cups and other debris from inconsiderate hunters and fishermen, and destroying rookeries or nests, such as the one nest of Great Blue Herons on an islet in the Nolichucky River. She showed a photograph of the nest to Cooper at the public meeting.

'Not A Done Deal'

Cooper said, "TVA, not the TWRA, has zoned the riverside land for recreational development. This is not a done deal."

He added, "Just because they (TWRA) have expressed an interest [in developing land recreationally], doesn't mean they have an advantage in getting it."

"We're just a little group of people," Pascucci said of those present. "How do we alert others? How do we dispute property lines?"

Reiterated Smith with TVA, "That will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis."

Other Topics Discussed

The discussion of land-use proposals for the river was the hottest topic among three topics discussed at the normally-low-key monthly meeting of the Middle Nolichucky Watershed Alliance.

The other two topics were Rocky Fork, which is a 10,000-acre tract of undeveloped mountain land in Greene and Unicoi counties, and an update on the distribution of a Growth Readiness Report compiled by the MNWA in 2007.

Early on in the meeting, when invited by Cooper, interested parties moved from the MNWA meeting in a back room of the Greene County Soil Conservation offices to an adjacent kitchen area/break room to query Cooper about TVA's tentative proposals from TWRA to develop for public recreation some points along the Nolichucky's shoreline.

Land Management Plan

According to TVA's literature, "the scope of the land management plan will include all of the TVA-managed public land, approximately 3,100 acres, on Douglas and Nolichucky Reservoirs."

Cooper said the reason for Thursday's meeting and the forms made available for written comments from individuals, organizations and government agencies through July 1 was to "really guide our decision-making."

A "scoping report" comprised of the written comments, or a summary of them, including a description of alternatives being proposed, will be issued by TVA in September, he said.

The next step would be to prepare a draft environmental impact statement for March 2009.

That will be followed by a 45-day public review, similar to the current 30-day one, and then another public meeting.

A final version of the plan, with either no changes or some changes, was expected to be completed by winter 2009, Cooper said.

The land management plan includes plans for land around the Douglas reservoir as well, Cooper said.

He recognized that there are conflicting interests, either for development --- or no development -- of the Nolichucky River shoreline for public recreation.

Optional uses include developed public recreation, natural resource conservation, industrial, shoreline access, and others, he said.

Develop Recreationally?

"Some want it recreational; others, natural," he said. He said the final decision on use of the land by TVA's board of directors would hinge on finding the maximum "public benefit."

Cooper is a former watershed representative partner with the MNWA, a semi-activist group that seeks to preserve the Nolichucky and its watershed.

He said, "There is a high demand from (some) people -- the public -- who want to fish on the Nolichucky River. A lot of people like to fish and hunt."

Among concerns raised by property-owners at Thursday's meeting were what they claimed was already an overabundance of careless hunters and fishermen who leave beer cans and other debris for them and other property owners along the river to pick up.

How To Contact TVA

Smith and Cooper encouraged those present and others to send their comments by July 1 to TVA.

They should reference the parcel number on the draft maps they have available for the Douglas-Nolichucky Tributary Reservoirs Land Management Plan under discussion to: http://www.tva.com .

To get on the TVA mailing list for this land management plan, call 1-866-601-4612 or email TVA at Douglas-Nolichucky_Reservoirs@tva.gov.

Written comments can also be mailed to: TVA, NEPA Services, 400 West Summit Hill Drive (WT 11D-K), Knoxville, TN 37902.

For additional information, contact Rick Toennisson at (865) 632-8517 or email him at (ritoennisson@tva.gov)