The Middle Nolichucky Watershed Alliance decided Wednesday to seek local funding from the Greene County Commission and other sources.

The Watershed Alliance is a confederation of groups and individuals interested in maintaining and improving water quality of creeks and streams draining into the Nolichucky River.

John B. Jones, who represents the Tennessee Valley Authority on the Alliance, said that TVA, which gave $5,000 in "seed money" last year to help get the organization started, is now evaluating the groups it supports.

Jones encouraged the group to go ahead with legal work needed to establish its non-profit status, using the seed money. "That will be money well spent, out of this year's budget," he said.

Eddie Yokley, who is Greene County's assessor of property, noted that if the Alliance plans to ask for funds from the Greene County Commission from the fiscal 2001-2002 budget, "There is a deadline," he noted, because the new fiscal year begins July 1.

Jones said that evidence of local support for the group's efforts will help him present the Alliance's case for continued TVA funding for another year.

"We need to be concentrating on other forms of funding to keep us going," Jones said, because the TVA seed money is designed primarily to help the group get started, then is likely to decrease.

The group directed its president, County Commissioner Tim Armstrong, to present a funding request, though no amount was specified.

Armstrong said he was willing to do so, but not optimistic about how it would be received, at least not this year.

Creek Cleanup Praised

Susan Vance, executive director of Keep Greene Clean, started the meeting by praising the Alliance's March 17 creek-bank cleanup, during which more than 90 volunteers picked up more than 50 large garbage-can-size plastic bags full of litter.

Vance said she has been involved in many litter-pickup efforts, because of her job, but the creek bank cleanup "beat everything I've ever seen before," despite a very cold morning.

"We've made a major impact on the community," Vance said. "It was a first-class event."

Armstrong said he was also very pleased and surprised at the turnout, which was four or five times what he had expected.

"It shows what we can do as an organization," Armstrong said. "We went above and beyond the expectations of the community," Armstrong said, and, actually, of the group itself.

Rick Mowrey, who represents the Alltrista Zinc Products Co. plant, said that there is a need for another cleanup this year, possibly in late summer.

Armstrong said he would prefer to hold cleanups in cold weather, to avoid contacts with snakes and insects.

Fred Kauffmann, who represents the Greene County Hunting and Fishing Club, said he was disappointed to see that areas that were clean on March 17 are already littered again.