Download to review/download the Cookeville Case Study.

Climate Solutions University:
Forest and Water Strategies
Model Forest Policy Program
Cookeville Tennessee Case Study
As written by William Paddock,
Project Director, Model Forest Policy Program
Copyright © 2010. Model Forest Policy Program. All rights reserved.
P.O. Box 328, Sagle Idaho, 83860, www.mfpp.org
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Introduction
The Need for Forest and Water Strategies
MFPP Goals and Objectives
Why Cookeville
Step 1: Deciding to Take Action and Building a Team
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2
3
4
4
5
7
9
Team Building
Team Education and Support Development
Step 2: Assessment Process
Step 3: Strategy Development and Action Plan
Creating Climate Narrative
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9
11
14
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Outcomes and Positive Benefits
Step 4: Implementation
Closing
Attachment A: Letters of Support & Media
Attachment B: Education Calendar
Attachment C: Issue Matrix
Attachment D. City Survey Provides a Few Surprises
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Attachment E: Cookeville Comprehensive Plan – as adopted 2010
Attachment F: Cookeville Climate Impacts Study and Presentation
Attachment G: Cookeville Action Plan for Year 1
Attachment H: Keep Cookeville Cool Program
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Executive Summary
On April 18th, 2006, the City of Cookeville became the first city in the State of Tennessee to sign the U.S. Conference of
Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. Initially signed by Former Mayor Charles Womack, and re-signed by Mayor
Sam Sallee, Cookeville’s participation in the program was a true statement of leadership in the fight against global
climate change.
In 2008, The City of Cookeville and Putnam County took an active step toward climate protection. With the support of
Mayor Sam Sallee and County Executive Kim Blaylock, the Model Forest Policy Program partnered with Cookeville to
develop a group known as the Community Stewardship Project. It was created to help both communities understand
the impacts of climate change on its forests, water, climate, population, health and economy. The partnership was
made possible by grants from the Merck Family Foundation and Patagonia, allowing a half-time MFPP project
coordinator to work with the City of Cookeville over a one-year period.
Members of the Community Stewardship Project included representatives from County and City Governments, Local
Citizens, Retirees, Developers, Architects, Representatives from Tennessee Tech University, Caney Fork Watershed
Association, and J&S Construction. The project was led by Brian Paddock, a local attorney with Paddock and Mastin,
and William Paddock, a Project Manager for the Model Forest Policy Program and the Founder of WAP Sustainability
Consulting, a Nashville based consulting firm that works with corporations and local governments on sustainability
related programs.
From 2008 to 2009, the Community Stewardship met bi-weekly in order to learn and understand how climate change
would impact both communities. Experts from across the state and throughout the country, including the Southern
Forest Research Station, Oak Ridge National Laboratories, Cumberland River Compact, The Climate Project, the
University of Maryland, and the EPA were engaged to provide valuable information to the members of the Community
Stewardship Project. The Community Stewardship Project authored the “Cookeville Climate Change Impacts Study”
which evaluated the current and anticipated impacts of climate change for the city and county. This was the first study
of its kind in the State of Tennessee. The study was designed to help Cookeville take necessary steps in preparing for
climate change in the most economically responsible and environmentally beneficial manner.
As a response to this activity, the City Planning Commission took on the task of revising the City’s Land Use
Comprehensive Plan in order to create programs, policies, and ordinances to reflect the findings of the Cookeville
Climate Change Impacts Study. The effort was led by City Planner James Mills, the commission Chairman James Stafne,
and members of the Model Forest Policy Program, Cumberland River Compact and representatives of the Community
Stewardship Project. In 2010, Cookeville’s Comprehensive Plan 2030 was the first in Tennessee to contain provisions
addressing the impacts of climate change. Implementation of the plan will create incremental change over the next 20
years that better equips the city and county to adapt to climate impacts.
Going forward, the work continues in Cookeville with the members of the Community Stewardship Project, with
leadership by the local Caney Fork Watershed Association, and with support from the Cumberland River Compact and
the World Wildlife Fund.
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Introduction
The Model Forest Policy Program (MFPP) is a nonprofit organization that advocates for economic development and
private land forest practices that restore and sustain healthy productive forests, clean and abundant water supplies,
and thriving climate resilient communities where people want to live. Since 2000, MFPP has been actively working to
provide resources to southern private forestland owners and grass roots organizations in response to serious threats
to forest ecosystems in the southeast.
Prior to its formation in 2000, MFPP recognized that in many states, the lack of forest policy or use of state voluntary
Best Management Practices was leading to forest practices inadequate to protect forests or water in the Southeast. In
response, MFPP took on the challenge of finding sound policy solutions as the only viable, long-term solution to
achieve the much-needed corrections to improve how private forests are managed. MFPP conducted an in-depth
forest policy analysis and created the comprehensive Model Forest Policy Tool Kit to guide policy reform efforts.
MFPP built the capacity of Southeastern grassroots forests groups to address forest policy reform, assisted by the
expert policy guidance provided by the MFPP Advisory Committee.
In addition, MFPP provided training in media skills, lobbying, legislative campaign development, forest economics,
forest law, and forest science. In 2005, it became clear that a much broader constituency was necessary to effect forest
policy change. Toward that end, MFPP enlarged its target audience to include watershed groups, and local
governments, and to focus on the benefits to local economies, and water quality and quantity. MFPP produced its first
DVD: Landowner's Guide to Sustainable Forestry: Maximizing Profits while Protecting Water Quality.
In November 2006, Ms. Jenny Russell of the Merck Family Fund urged MFPP to focus on the role of forests in global
warming. In 2007, four staff and advisors trained with Al Gore to present his PowerPoint presentation on the science
of climate change. With further research the critical role of forest and water resources in climate adaptation became
very clear and became the focus of the MFPP mission. It became clear that the elements of forest and water were not
being included in climate action plans starting to be created around the country. The leaders in climate action
planning, including King County Washington, encouraged MFPP to create case studies that demonstrated the role that
forest and waters could play in climate action strategies.
Rising to that challenge, MFPP undertook two pilot community case study projects. The first was conducted in the
rural Bonner County Idaho community. That first pilot community resulted in a very innovative watershed overlay
policy that is still in the implementation phase. The second case study is the Cookeville, TN project being reported
here.
The Need for Forest and Water Strategies
As local governments now scramble to address climate solutions, the critical role of forests in water protection and
climate resilience is often being left out of climate action planning. MFPP is addressing that critical need by
broadening its work to a national scope, and amassing case studies for nation-wide distribution.
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The goal of the Model Forest Policy Program over the next decade is to activate local governments and community
leaders for forest and water protection. MFPP is partnering with local, state, regional, and national watershed and
water quality groups and local governments by showing them how policies and practices that protect forested areas
also provide long term, cost-effective climate resilience. Forest protect offers resilience through improved source
water protection for community drinking water, preserved ground water and habitat, enhanced tourism and
recreation, sequestered carbon dioxide, cleaner air, healthy soils, and flood prevention - all issues important to
stabilizing climate change impacts at the local level.
The motivation behind these case studies increases as negative climate change impacts continue to build the case for
climate adaptation planning at the local community level. Through definitive reports from the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and obvious impacts of climate change such as retreating glaciers, rising sea level, and
record breaking hurricanes, the world has finally begun to wake up to the reality of climate change. Many cities across
the United States are beginning to feel the impacts of climate change. Record heat waves, and more intense storms,
floods, and droughts are stressing both communities and ecosystems. In the southeast, severe drought in 2007
coupled with higher temperatures have stressed city water supplies, caused drastic agricultural losses, impacted river
ecosystems, and compromised industrial water users such as power suppliers and manufacturing facilities. Water
stressed forested landscapes have become more vulnerable to insect invasions, forest fires, and fragmentation from
development.
In response to these pressures, as of 2010, 1044 mayors have taken a leadership role by signing the U.S. Mayor’s
Climate Protection Agreement and pledging to create a local Climate Action Plan. A few outstanding cities are moving
forward with those action plans. Seattle in King County, Washington is one of those leaders. They pioneered an
effective planning process and published Preparing for Climate Change: A Guidebook for Local, Regional and
State Governments (http://www.cses.washington.edu/cig/fpt/guidebook.shtml). This guidebook offers a template
for community leaders by recommending a detailed and easy to understand process for climate change preparedness
using familiar and available resources and tools. This valuable resource was developed through the collaboration of
the Climate Impacts Group, King County, and ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability. Together they crafted a
process that can be adapted to the particular needs and constraints of cities and counties across the country.
In spite of these promising early leadership efforts, progress is slow in most cities, which have yet to mobilize into
action. They lack regional models to follow, they lack resources, and they often lack local champions to push the
process to fruition. Furthermore, among those cities that are moving forward, their focus is largely limited to energy
or transportation programs. Although important, those programs alone are not sufficient to turn the tide on climate
change in the rapidly closing window of time left to avert disaster and prepare for impacts that cannot be prevented.
MFPP Goals and Objectives
There are three important and urgent contributions that the Model Forest Policy Program [MFPP] can provide to help
overcome the obstacles, recruit more city and county action planning, and increase the effectiveness of those plans.
1) Forest Protection and Stewardship in Climate Planning: First and foremost is the missing element of strong
forest stewardship practices to mitigate and adapt to climate change. The inclusion of forest protection is critical
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to preserve water resources, sequester carbon, and maintain natural habitat in the face of extreme climate pressures
yet to come. It is also critical because the need for climate action calls for every possible mitigation tool to be utilized
in the very near future. Communities cannot afford to start now with only a few tools and bring in land use planning
later on. A comprehensive approach is called for from the outset.
Compounding the need for climate adaptation planning is the fact that two thirds of U.S. fresh water originates on
forested land. Forests offer a myriad of ecosystem services that must be protected and amplified. Forests store
significant carbon dioxide, regulate snow melt and water runoff, buffer and filter pollution and sediment entering
streams, act as sponges to replenish groundwater, and cool water temperatures. With the addition of forest and water
strategies in climate action plans, critical water resources will be conserved, flooding and flood damage may be
reduced, climate mitigation will accelerate, and habitat will be saved.
The 2008 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports clearly indicate an approximate 10-year period
to control green house gas emissions and reverse climate change momentum to avoid drastic impacts to the physical
processes of the planet. This 10-year window of effective mitigation assumes that all possible resources and methods
will be brought to bear on the causes of climate change. Yet to date, the existing guidance documents and reports,
including Preparing for Climate Change from King County, have failed to adequately incorporate water and forest
linkages into their action planning strategies. A thorough literature review by MFPP did not find sufficient climate
action guidance that fully addressed forest stewardship as a vital aspect of source water protection. The authors of
Preparing for Climate Change have acknowledged this deficiency and eagerly embraced the goals of MFPP to bring
that component to the foreground through local partnership efforts with particular cities. The work of this project will
be incorporated as a case study into the online version of Preparing for Climate Change, into future iterations of the
book, and serve as a resource to communities across the country. The concept of this project has been enthusiastically
received by all the principle authors, and they expressed a keen desire to utilize the case study as soon as possible.
2) Regional Case Study Models: The second missing element that hinders local city or county action is a lack of
regional case studies to bolster confidence among cautious local leaders. While northwest, northeast and
California case studies are acknowledged, other regions of the country see their local conditions as being very
different. Regional conditions and local politics can slow the pace of progress. However, the existence of a regional
case study with a similar sized city or county can go a long way toward encouraging other local governments in the
same region to take on the challenge. Indeed regional competition to be the “greenest” or “healthiest” city in your
region can be a significant motivator. MFPP addressed this need by conducting two case studies. The first case study
in Bonner County, Idaho is located in a conservative western state and serves as an excellent example of how a small
population county in the west can form the political momentum to tackle climate action planning, using a local
champion as a catalyst and local elected officials as the leaders. The second case study, reported here, focuses on the
moderately sized southeastern city of Cookeville, Tennessee. It addresses the critical issues of forest protection on the
Cumberland Plateau and simultaneously serves as a model for the many moderate sized towns throughout the
southeast region by impacting the Land Use Comprehensive Planning Process and building political will for climate
adaptation planning.
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3) Local Climate Action Partnerships: The third missing element in climate action planning is partnerships
with local stakeholders who can act as champions, educators and change agents to support what the
community leaders want to accomplish. In the case of the Cookeville project, the natural stakeholder partnership is
with local watershed groups with the shared goals of watershed protection through forest stewardship and
conservation land use practices. By working in concert with local watershed groups, the Cookeville project identified
ways to mobilize grassroots support and bolster the efforts of local governments to change policies and practices
across a wide array of issues.
By designing and implementing all three of these missing elements in this southeast case study project, MFPP feels
they have helped advance southeast regional climate action planning both in terms of number of communities
engaged and in their level of effectiveness.
Why Cookeville?
The southeastern U.S. has been particularly hard hit by climate change, with exceptionally severe storm events,
flooding and drought conditions beginning in 2006 that continued into 2008. In 2010, massive winter storms, a major
500-year flood event in Nashville, and the second hottest summer on record continue to build the case for a changing
climate through extreme weather events. This is consistent with the IPCC predictions for the southeast region to
become hotter and drier, and with increased major storm events as climate change progresses. With the Cumberland
Plateau forests already stressed from fragmentation due to rampant development and poor harvesting practices,
climate change further threatens Appalachian forests with induced drought, fire, flooding, insect damage and changes
in hydrologic function.
In the state of Tennessee, the City of Cookeville is one of six cities that have signed the U.S. Mayor’s Climate Protection
Agreement. With a population of around 30,000, the city of Cookeville covers 21 square miles (14,050 acres) and sits
inside Putnam County along the Highlands of Tennessee in the Upper Cumberland River Basin. It is dependent on the
Center Hill Reservoir for its water supply, which is a forested watershed under considerable development pressure
from sprawl and secondary vacation homes. From 1990 to 2020 the city is projected to have a 70% growth rate. The
Cookeville Comprehensive Plan 2020 (written in 2005) calls for annexation of an additional 18,500 acres into its
urban growth region. This annexed area includes considerable forest cover at risk or being lost to poorly planned
growth. The opportunity to partner with Cookeville to help them formulate climate action plans that accommodate
growth while still protecting and increasing forestland cover for the sake of their water supply, climate stability, and
wildlife habitat and economic health is a classic case example.
Cookeville also is located inside the Cumberland River Basin where an MFPP partner group, the Cumberland River
Compact, was already working cooperatively with MFPP on forest, water and climate issues. The support of this
regional watershed group was an important factor in choosing Cookeville as a pilot community. The final support for
this location was the interest in the funders in supporting efforts to protect rural Appalachian communities with
significant forest resources under threat.
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To summarize, this project addressed the urgent need to increase the number and effectiveness of climate action
planning in the southeast by:
1) Incorporating missing water and forest strategies into climate action planning for both mitigation and
adaptation,
2) Promoting community climate action in the southeast now through a regional on-the-ground success story;
and
3) Pioneering the incorporation of watershed organization partnerships with cities and counties to boost the
process with local stakeholder champions in the effort.
The primary goal was to assist the City of Cookeville with incorporating forest and water strategies into Climate
Action Planning.
The objectives for the Cookeville pilot community project were as follows.
1: Lead the formation of a land use subcommittee on the Climate Action Planning Committee
2: Provide educational programming and assessment tools to subcommittee
3: Assist with assessment of forest and water opportunities and vulnerabilities
4: Determine policy and / or educational strategies to address forest and water issues
4: Participate in revisions of land use planning policies and ordinances
5: Employ the national tools of MFPP to enhance the Cookeville initiative
6: Work in partnership with local watershed groups and stakeholder groups to conduct public outreach that
supports the policy changes and/or landowner practice changes called for in climate action plans.
In Cookeville, MFPP employed the four-step process outlined in Preparing for Climate Change and added an
emphasis on building a local team in the first step. The four steps of the community process are: 1) Community
decides to take leadership action; 2) Local conditions are assessed for resource vulnerabilities and action
opportunities for forest, water and land use planning and practices; 3) Strategies and recommendations are
developed; and 4) Actions are implemented, monitored and evaluated for impacts and benefits.
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Step 1: Deciding to Take Action and Building a Team
MFPP initiated the action when they brought a part-time project leader on board, who began the Cookeville project by
talking with Sam Sallee, the Mayor of Cookeville, and Kim Blaylock, the Putnam County Executive. Both expressed
enthusiastic support for this project and provided letters of support to accompany the project proposals [See
Attachment A: Letters of Support]. Both were active partners and incorporated the work of this project into their
overall climate action planning efforts.
Team Building
In November of 2008, the focus was to build a team composed of a mix of concerned citizens, business leaders, elected
officials and other key stakeholders that could help navigate the local landscape. Through various meetings, MFPP was
able to identify two groups of people; the first would be the specific team members, while the second would be subject
matter experts and outside resources. Both would play critical roles in the Cookeville process.
One of the first initiatives for the MFPP staff was the creation of a name for the project. In early December, the
Cookeville, Putnam County Project became known as the “Community Stewardship Project”. Using the term,
“stewardship”, MFPP hoped to attract the type of community leaders that would help this project progress versus
using more politicized and contested terms such as “climate”, global warming” and “climate change”. In addition to the
stewardship project, MFPP expanded its capabilities by creating an advisory team composed of key government
leaders and subject matter experts. This advisory group was instrumental in the identification of key community
leaders who all had an acute interest in the work of MFPP.
By early January, a team representing various industries and skills was created that included the following.
Green Business Consultant
Environmental Lawyer
Concerned Citizen
Chamber of Commerce
Local Store Owner
University Student
Media Editor
County Planning Commissioner
Local Architect
University Professor
Local Caver
Local Builder
Retired Doctor
Local Developer
Tourism Expert
Stormwater Engineer
Once the working group was established, efforts were made to identify speakers and educational opportunities for the
Community Stewardship Project Members. MFPP designed an educational calendar [Attachment B: Educational
Calendar], as a way to track and plan these sessions. This calendar served as the guide for all educational
programming and events over the 10-month period.
Team Education and Support Development
In order for this program to be successful, MFPP and the Community Stewardship Project developed a two-part
education and support building strategy. The first step was to determine the local tone and attitude of the community
in order to develop the business case for forest, water and climate protection in Cookeville. The second step was to
use this business case to secure a firm commitment from the Mayor that would lead to support of other city offices,
specifically the city council.
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Once this strategy was in place the Community Stewardship Project elected to leverage a changing community
landscape that had been affected by rising operation costs, a struggling economy, push for job creation, more
competitive economic development and a focus on the environment, renewable energy and green jobs. Within the
state of Tennessee, the state had been facing a significant budget deficit, jobs were being eliminated and the states
unemployment rate was at the highest it had been in the last half century. On a local level, nearby cities had been
fighting to keep jobs local and in the face of a changing employment landscape that included a significant loss of
manufacturing and trade jobs.
From 2006-2009, six other Tennessee communities had chosen to sign the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement
and launched very public campaigns, formed committees and begun to take steps to develop local climate action
plans. The Community Stewardship Project approached the Mayor to inform him that this leadership position was
being lost due to a lack of coordinated effort. Fortunately, the opportunity for Cookeville was not lost.
In addition, six months prior to beginning the MFPP Project, two other communities in Tennessee, Clarksville and
Cleveland, were selected as homes for new photovoltaic manufacturing facilities. These sites would bring
approximately 1,500 jobs to the state of Tennessee. Both communities were selected for their ability to provide a
skilled workforce and a welcoming community. Residents in the City felt this was a core offering of the city of
Cookeville.
About two hours southeast of Cookeville, Volkswagen had recently announced the decision to locate its largest U.S.
facility in Chattanooga. Volkswagen cited that they appreciated the cities sustainability initiative and felt that both
Volkswagen and the City of Chattanooga carried similar interest on the environment. The Community Stewardship
Project highlighted to the City of Cookeville that in order to remain competitive in the economic development arena,
Cookeville must begin to take strides in the environmental and social sustainability arenas in order to remain
economically competitive.
The Community Stewardship Project offered to the City of Cookeville funded staff time and resources through MFPP
resources in order to create a more robust community sustainability program that focuses on the core offerings of the
community. As noted most eloquently through the Chamber of Commerce’s Highlands Initiative, the community is
blessed with an overwhelming level of natural resources that offers a unique economic opportunity for tourism and
business.
The overlying theme developed by the Community Stewardship Project was that the City of Cookeville must create an
environmental and social strategy in order to secure the economic viability of the region. This support would come in
the form of a written commitment that was drafted by the Community Stewardship Members and signed by the
Mayor. The Commitment was designed as a five-spoke strategy that focused on quality of life, forests, water, economic
development and energy. Once executed it would need to be recognized by local and regional media outlets and
become a familiar strategy within city operations.
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The Mayor’s Cookeville Commitment was worded as follows.
1. Preservation of our Quality of Life. With little argument, the City of Cookeville has access to some of the most pristine
natural resources in all of Tennessee. We enjoy a pleasant climate, ample outdoor recreation activities, abundant wildlife
all embodied under our highly desired quality of life. This is something worth protecting. As our city grows and changes, it
is important to keep focus on what has made us great.
2. Enhanced Economic Development Opportunities. As our city continues to grow, it is important that we continue to
attract skilled jobs to our area. With the opening of our new “green” business park, the creation of the fifth interchange,
and the work going on in Nashville to lure green collar jobs to our state, the City of Cookeville must compete to bring
these jobs to our community. Placing focus on this economic development will benefit us all. It will help create sustainable
jobs for our citizens and bring new energy and opportunity to our region.
3. Conservation and improvement to our urban forest environment. There are an overwhelming number of reports
acknowledging the value of trees. They clean our water, provide shade that reduces our energy usage, and clean the air
we breathe. In addition, they help raise property values, and help our city and citizens save money in a number of ways. If
we are to preserve the quality of life in our community, we must focus on the resources that lend to that level of quality.
The trees of our urban forest are a key component to Cookeville’s quality of life.
4. Protection of the quality and quantity of our water resources. This initiative is designed to protect the quality of
our water for the long-term, for my children and yours. This effort is designed to preserve the quality of water for our
community, helping reduce droughts and floods that could potentially affect our quantity of water, and keeping the cost
of potable water affordable for all.
5. Reduction of total energy usage for the entire City of Cookeville. Over the last two years, we have all experienced
rapid changes in the cost of energy in our homes, in our businesses and in our city. Energy conservation is no longer a
laughing matter and has a direct impact on the economics of our city. As a community, we will work to create options and
incentives for becoming more energy efficient. Helping you reduce the amount of your paycheck spent each month on
energy, and allowing you to spend more of that money doing the things you want to do.
Step 2: Assessment Process
The Community Stewardship Project Team utilized the climate action planning process outlined in Preparing for
Climate Change, as its guiding process to complete the local forest, water and climate assessment. This template had
been successfully replicated in other cities and made for a good fit for the goals of this project. The major difference
was that MFPP would be among the first to incorporate broad sustainable forestry and water strategies into the
climate action planning process.
The assessment process started with education modules as directed by the MFPP education calendar. MFPP elected to
work closely with the Cumberland River Compact through their Local Officials Curriculum Program to design a set of
programs to educate local officials on green infrastructure issues related to forests and water. MFPP leveraged funds
from a Patagonia Grant to support the assistance of the Cumberland River Compact and deployed the program in June
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of 2009. Similar programs were developed for the members of the Community Stewardship Project. The goal was to
create concurrent education processes.
For example, The Cumberland River Compact’s first session engaged the Cookeville Planning Commission and was
focused on Stormwater and the new MS4 Stormwater permits that are being piloted in Tennessee by the EPA. These
new permits created stronger restrictions on stormwater and forced communities into a higher level of compliance.
The outcome of the session was to push the City Planning Commission to more actively explore green infrastructure
options as a more cost effective approach for stormwater management.
The Community Stewardship Project team also utilized MFPP’s extensive Forest Stewardship Toolkit and educational
materials to focus on forest stewardship for climate and water protection. MFPP cultivated beneficial partnerships
with watershed and other stakeholder groups in Tennessee that were useful in the assessment process. Further, the
local advisory team was critical in providing up-to-date research and reports that were specific to Cookeville and the
Cumberland Plateau.
For the specific forest, water and climate assessment, MFPP partnered with the Southern Forest Research Station, the
Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, and Oak Ridge National Laboratories to identify the local
climate change impacts on forests, water, climate, health, economics and populations. Other groups engaged included
The Climate Change Research Network at Vanderbilt University and The Climate Project.
The nearby Tennessee Technological University (TTU) was also a strong local asset with a strong environmental
program and student environmental groups. Professors at TTU had already conducted several studies that were very
helpful, including a watershed analysis using EPA CADDIS programs, a history of land use patterns using NRCS
historical records, and a limited study looking at carbon sequestration estimates from local forest land practices. The
TTU Center for Management, Utilization and Protection of Water Resources as well as the TTU Environment and
Biology PhD programs proved to be excellent sources of expertise during the data gathering and analysis phases of the
project. The Land Use Analysis Lab at Sewanee University also provided valuable land use pattern information. MFPP
took full advantage of these university connections to look for a common sense way to address the very complex
carbon sequestration questions inherent in this project. MFPP Education Director and master forester, Clint Trammel,
also provided valuable resources, as the project team was able to draw upon his 30 plus years of forest management
expertise to provide online seminars on carbon and other sustainable forestry topics.
Existing work that Cookeville had already completed provided excellent data sources for the local assessment.
 The City Council joined ICLEI and started to inventory their greenhouse gas emissions.
 The Urban Tree Board had an active education program with support from the U.S. Forest Service but still lacked
a paid urban forester for the city.
 To meet MS4 stormwater permit requirements, Cookeville instituted a grading permit, improved stormwater
ordinances with a new 60-foot riparian buffer zone ordinance, and hired a city engineer to monitor and enforce
stormwater regulations.
 Some progress was being made to encourage more rain gardens and use of pervious paving materials.
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Some of the critical research findings included the following:
From the Southern Forest Research Station, Tennessee’s forests covered an estimated 13.78 million acres (52 percent) of
the State in 2004. In 1999, forests covered an estimated 13.85 million acres, about 247,000 acres more than they covered
in 1989. Although it appears that forest land area decreased by about 66,000 acres (approximately 103 square miles)
between 1999 and 2004, the 2004 estimate statistically represents no change and is better viewed as a “leveling off” of
the historical trend of increasing forest land since 1971.
The IPCC 2007 studies project to 2100 a general decline in forest productivity and a shift in species composition for
Tennessee.
About 72% of the Cumberland Plateau and Mountains of Tennessee timberland is held in nonindustrial private forest
land ownership (Schweitzer 2000)
Ownership Categories on the plateau (and mountains) are diverse, with 23% in public ownership, 21% in large private
ownership and 56% in small private ownership (Druckenbrod et. Al. 2006)
The reliability of water supply networks may be compromised, influencing agricultural production, as well as availability
of water for household and industrial uses. (University of Maryland, Tennessee Economic Impacts of Climate Change
Report)
The State of Tennessee has already seen a 54 percent increase in its water treatment needs between 2000 and 2004. The
EPA reports that the state needed $1.13 billion in 2004 to meet its current wastewater treatment needs (USEPA 2004).
As climate change impacts accelerate, the cost of clean water will likely rise. For example, a study in Texas showed that
increased pollution required a 27 percent increase in treatment expenditures (Dearmont et al. 1997).
The watersheds are already in trouble in the state with many of the aquifers being 15 percent or more impaired. The
state’s rivers are likewise susceptible. About 147 miles of rivers are closed off to the public because of bacterial
contamination. An additional 119 river miles are closed because fish are contaminated with mercury or PCBs (Tennessee
Department of Environment 2008a).
Flooding is most likely to occur in the center of the state where an array of rivers and streams has carved out the
Tennessee Valley. The Tennessee Valley Authority estimates that it prevents $230 million in flood damage each year and
has taken steps to adapt to future needs (TVA 2007).
However, the TVA simply does not have the capacity to deal with all flood threats. As evidenced by the floods in
Chattanooga in May of 2003, which caused $18 million in damage, the dams are not a cure-all for flooding in the region.
The 2003 flood’s total economic damages are almost double the direct costs at $34 million (RESI 2008).
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Tennessee's greatest challenge is likely to be in adapting to the effects that climate change may have on water resources
and infrastructure. (Tennessee Department of Environment, (2008b), ‘The Status of water quality in Tennessee.)
As our research came together we recognized the need to change the message behind climate change. Influenced by
the document, Sell the Sizzle, a Guide to Communicating Climate Change, we chose not to focus on “climate hell”
and look for the opportunity that climate change could present. When the team looked at all findings together, a very
clear story emerged. A few sound bites from our story are as follows.
“There will be winners and losers as the Climate Changes, and according to our research, congratulations, Cookeville is a
winner. Whereas other parts of the country will experience droughts, Cookeville will get 30% more rainfall annually. In
some parts of the country, temperatures will rise 7-8 degrees Celsius, in Cookeville, that number will be 2-3 degrees.”
“As a winner of Climate Change, you need to be thinking now about the impacts of being a winner. Not only will climate
refugees flock to your city, but your healthcare systems, land, water, and forests will be jeopardized unless you take action
today to prevent such happenings.”
The results of this study were compiled into a report entitled “Cookeville Climate Change Impacts Study”. The results
of this assessment allowed the data and information needed to synthesize and develop an appropriate action plan to
address the most pressing forest, water and climate issues in Cookeville.
Step 3: Strategy Development and Action Plan
The take home message for Cookeville was that migration influx from the coasts and severe development pressures
may be the most immediate and damaging climate impact for the middle Tennessee region. The longer-term impacts
of overall ecological degradation and economic hardships will eventually hit Cookeville, like every other region, but
may take longer to manifest in this region. The good news was that steps taken now to reduce the impacts of growth
and development would also move Cookeville toward climate adaptation and mitigation in the long run as well.
Based on these findings from the Cookeville Climate Change Impacts Study and the Community Assessment, the
Community Stewardship Project developed the following objectives and goals to address climate adaptation in
Cookeville.
1. Revise Cookeville’s Decade-Old Land Use Comprehensive Plan with Climate Change Provisions.
Members of the Community Stewardship Project along with MFPP staff, and the Cumberland River Compact made
significant contributions to the comprehensive revision to the City’s decade old Land Use Comprehensive Plan.
Revisions were made to the sections on Natural Features, Future Growth, Transportation, and Factors Affecting
Development. Additionally, the new plan contains a first-ever section entitled Environment and Climate Change that
reflects the research of MFPP and the Community Stewardship Project. Within this section, the community
acknowledges that climate change is real and will have potential impacts on the livability of the community. This was
a major accomplishment for such a conservative southern community.
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2. Expand the Mayor’s Keep Cookeville Cool Program
Prior to the revision of the Land Use Comprehensive Plan, members of the Community Stewardship Project and MFPP
worked with the Mayor of Cookeville to create a program that would provide educational opportunities for citizens
and establish a framework for City Officials to acknowledge and address Climate Change as a local government. “Keep
Cookeville Cool” was a five part strategy that focused on the protection of forests and water, preparing the community
to address the impacts of climate change, enhancing economic development opportunities and preserving the current
quality of life. This program serves as the Community Stewardship Project’s legacy as it created a call to action for
local officials, created an open dialogue on environmental and sustainability issues and transformed local officials’
behaviors into acknowledging the need for more proactive environmental management. The Keep Cookeville Cool
Program will be supported locally by the Caney Fork Watershed Association, the Alliance for the Cumberlands and
members of the Community Stewardship Project, working together as the ownership group for future forest, water
and climate issues in Cookeville.
3. Promote Going Green as a Community Advantage
Within the state of Tennessee, local communities have become increasingly competitive to go “green”. Cities like
Nashville, Chattanooga and Franklin have made aggressive commitments that are designed to enhance the
sustainability of each municipality. A key trigger for MFPP in Cookeville was to help local officials compete in this
market in order to recruit new businesses, win state and federal funds, and stay attractive as a progressive city.
Through working with MFPP, the City of Cookeville has been able to tout a strategic initiative that focuses on
protection of natural features and low cost sustainability strategies with big paybacks using minimal investment.
Through sharing this story with groups like ICLEI, State Planning Agencies, and the TN Department of Forestry,
Cookeville has been recognized for its efforts and is considered to be a sustainability leader within the state.
4. Build Capacity around Forests, Water and Climate Issues
The project built local capacity for ongoing forest water and climate protection that will continue through a multiownership approach between the Community Stewardship Project, its affiliates, and through the Keep Cookeville Cool
program. Additionally, our work was able to leverage funds from Patagonia and the World Wildlife Fund that allowed
us to partner with the Cumberland River Compact to provide additional local official education programs on updated
storm water management practices, green infrastructure, and low impact development extending into 2010. We were
able to utilize the Cumberland River Compact’s expertise to provide 6 public education forums, policy
recommendations for the city’s land use comprehensive plan, and establish a sustaining relationship for future efforts
in Cookeville.
5. Educate on Local Climate Impacts
We created one of the first local analyses of climate impacts to water and forests in the State of Tennessee. This scale
of analysis has not been done in most communities and its message has been shared with over a dozen communities
in Tennessee. As a result, Sumner County, TN will be participating in a climate adaptation planning program with
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MFPP in 2010, called Climate Solutions University: Forest and Water Strategies, as one of six communities across the
nation to replicate this four step model as a class together.
The Community Stewardship Project and the Model Forest Policy Program recognized the need for two
complimentary strategies for Cookeville. The first was education and the second was policy.
For Policy Strategies, the MFPP team took a local leadership role with the land use planning subcommittee and
worked to integrate land use planning with climate action planning. The basic steps for MFPP city interaction
paralleled the fours step process as follows:
 help identify leaders and form the land use subcommittee
 educate community leaders on basic forest and water issues as they relate to climate change
 analyze and convey local, specific land use, forest and water information
 formulate potential climate action strategies focused on forest and water stewardship
 conduct education and outreach to support the policy change or enhanced landowner practices identified
The five-person city council and land use planning committee were the focus of educational outreach along with
various city agency staff, local business community, and the public at large. MFPP coordinated with a number of local
stakeholder groups to create an effective outreach strategy that was educational in approach and focused on the
common sense benefits to all, rather than a hard-edged regulatory approach.
For education strategies, MFPP worked closely with the Cumberland River Compact, a regional nonprofit that works
for water quality throughout the Cumberland River Basin. This non-confrontational group had existing educational
programs on sustainable building and a local official’s water curriculum that proved to be an excellent complement to
the forest stewardship materials designed by MFPP. The Compact’s Building Outside the Box program offered MFPP
and Cookeville a wide array of training programs across the spectrum of sustainable building, which they call the
“Continuum of Care.” This includes information from smart growth planning to low impact development to green
building programs to green infrastructure and sustainable landscape design and maintenance. The Compact’s Local
Officials Curriculum offers direct support to local MS4 stormwater programs along with model codes and ordinances
and other water education materials. The Compact does not take a leadership role on forestry issues but was very
enthusiastic about working with MFPP to broaden their outreach into the Cookeville area with related educational
programs. The local Caney Fork Watershed Association [CFWA], a nonprofit group that the Compact helped to
establish through its stakeholder process, also played a role in this educational programming. With local CFWA
involvement, one of the outcomes of the project was leaving in place a stronger, more effective local watershed group
to continue efforts far beyond this project.
Other key team members included forest and water policy assistance provided by MFPP Policy Advisors Toby Thaler
and Brian Paddock, a local Cookeville attorney, who has worked with conservation policy in Tennessee for many
decades. Together they both offered policy research and revision advice based on local statues and known national
precedent. MFPP staff supplied the Forest Stewardship policy and educational materials, and the forest management
skills of our Education Director, Clint Trammel, with his new online web seminars.
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Creating Climate Narrative
One highlight of the Community Stewardship Project was the focus on how climate change was talked about in
Cookeville. Recognizing that climate change was a highly politicized issue in a deeply conservative town, choosing to
focus on stewardship vs. sustainability, and placing value on natural resources like forests and water vs. general
topics like environmentalism forced the team to create a new narrative around climate change. Turning back to the
agreement to create a “climate heaven” versus “a climate hell”, the team took deep scientific research and turned it
into a story of population migrations and competition for natural resources. To date, the Cookeville Climate Story has
been very well received and prompts a unique action oriented response from southern conservatives. The Cookeville
Climate Story is a component of the Cookeville Climate Impacts study and is given via a Keynote Presentation that
translates this story into a blend of narrative, best available science and facts.
Outcomes and Positive Benefits
The outcomes of this project directly benefitted Cookeville and indirectly benefitted Putnam County while influencing
the climate action plans for many other similar cities across the region. To summarize the positive outcomes:
1: Cookeville incorporated forest and water strategies into its climate action planning through improvements
to the Land Use Comprehensive Plan.
2: Stronger land use policies included measures such as protective riparian buffer zones, forest preservation
provisions, low impact development ordinances, and source water protection codes built on principles of low
impact development and green infrastructure.
3: Citizens of Cookeville were engaged and supported forest and water protection. This issue became a focal
issue in a 2009 survey of the community where protection of natural resources, specifically trees and forest
was the primary concern. [See Attachment D. City Survey Provides a Few Surprises].
4: The outcomes of the Cookeville experience were incorporated into national dissemination programs.
5: Outreach to Appalachian cities helped promote climate action planning with water & forest strategies.
6: Over time, the total protected forest land cover and stable water supplies will increase across the region
due to new policies and implementation actions.
7: A stronger, more effective local watershed association will continue local on the ground efforts.
Comparing MFPP’s work in Bonner County and the work completed in Cookeville, success of both of these case studies
showed impacts in the following ways.
1) A functional land use subcommittee was created that successfully integrated forest and water strategies
into the overall climate action plan for the community.
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2) A successful educational campaign was created that built public support for policy changes and more
sustainable landowner practices.
3) Incorporation of the Bonner County and Cookeville case studies for national dissemination helps other
communities by providing a resource and case example for completion of the same type of process.
4) Both case studies led to the replication of the process in other locations and helped establish a framework
for expanded protection of forested lands and watersheds that mitigates and adapts to climate change
conditions.
5) Case study information is being incorporated into the Climate Solutions University: Forest and Water
Strategies distance learning and coaching program that replicates the process with multiple communities
each year.
Step 4: Implementation
The Model Forest Policy Program started with the following goals and objectives and shares the final objectives
achieved in Cookeville over the twelve month period.
Goal 1: To assist City of Cookeville with incorporating forest and water strategies into Climate Action
Planning.
Objectives Achieved:
1: Created a community-working group called the Community Stewardship Project comprised of 15 business and
community leaders.
2: Provided 8 educational programs to local officials and other members of the community.
3: Performed an assessment of forest and water opportunities and vulnerabilities for both the City and County.
4: Drafted formal recommendations for policy and / or educational strategies to address forest and water issues
for use in the City of Cookeville’s Land Use Comprehensive Plan.
4: Participated in four revision sessions of land use planning policies and ordinances with the City Planning
Commission.
5: Distributed regionally and national tools created by MFPP to enhance the Cookeville initiative.
6: Worked in partnership with the Cumberland River Compact to conduct six public outreach events that support
the policy changes and/or landowner practice changes called for in climate action plans.
Goal 2: Incorporate Cookeville case study into national models outreach program
Objectives Achieved:
1: Documented the process, lessons learned and case study materials for national distribution through Climate
Solutions University. Currently we are working with six additional communities’ to share these lessons, including
Sumner County, TN in 2010 and the Middle Nolichucky Watershed Alliance in Greene County, TN.
2: Presented Cookeville case study to national and regional conferences for ICLEI, The River Network, The Climate
Project and Patagonia.
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3: Encouraged regional replication leading to participation in Climate Solutions University by Sumner County, TN
in 2010 and the Middle Nolichucky Watershed Alliance in Greene County, TN in 2011.
Closing
Looking back over the Cookeville Project, the Model Forest Policy Program has delivered a tremendous amount of
value to the Cookeville and Putnam County communities. The Community Stewardship Project represented a common
sense approach to tackling their local forests, water and climate issues. Further, MFPP’s ability to organize citizen
support for the protection of forests and water resources prompted the Mayor of Cookeville to create the “Keep
Cookeville Cool” Program. This program was announced publically to the entire community in a letter from Mayor
Sam Sallee. This city initiative was critical as it provided a foundation of legitimacy for the Community Stewardship
Project and opened doors and opportunities that would have otherwise been a challenge.
The mayor’s program focused on five key issues that included the protection and enhancement of forested areas, the
protection of water quality and water quantity, the acknowledgement of climate change and its potential impacts on
the area, and a defined commitment to protect and preserve the current quality of life for all citizens. The work for
this program was completed through the Community Stewardship Project and supported by local officials and
decision makers.
The Community Stewardship Project provided MFPP with the local support and grassroots capacity to quickly and
efficiently influence key decision makers in critical roles in both the city and the county. Further, the members of the
Community Stewardship Project provided MFPP with the credibility to influence those decision makers through the
revision of the city’s Land Use Comprehensive Plan and a dialogue on the state of the County’s Subdivision
Requirements. The longer term goal of completing a thorough revision of the County Subdivision Requirements is still
underway and a small team of local citizens has assembled to generate a set of recommendations over the next few
months.
Reflecting on the initial project plan, MFPP’s goal was to take an existing process developed by King County
Washington, ICLEI, the University of Washington and published in Preparing for Climate Change: a Guidebook for
Local, Regional and State Governments, and test this process in Cookeville and Putnam County with a unique focus on
natural resources. MFPP executed this process in a very effective manner and learned valuable lessons that are
prepared for showcasing and sharing with additional communities over the next year. In short, MFPP’s success lay in
its ability to tailor an approach to meet the needs, personality, and larger goals and objectives of the local community.
As MFPP continues its work, it has developed an online education forum entitled Climate Solutions University: Forest
and Water Strategies whereby it works with six communities nationwide in sharing the lessons learned by MFPP in
both Tennessee and Idaho through a 10-month, distance-learning program that provides monthly webinars,
teleconferences, presentations, white papers, planning tools and discussion forums.
As mentioned, the MFPP Project in Cookeville and Putnam County reproduced the four-step process outlined in
Preparing for Climate Change: a Guidebook for Local, Regional and State Governments. This four-step process
included organizing a team, assessing local conditions, making recommendations, and measuring impacts. With the
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benefit of hindsight, MFPP recognizes that the most impactful portions of the Cookeville project were the assessment
of local conditions and making policy recommendations. MFPP’s approach was to first build grassroots capacity and
then assess local conditions. However it discovered that members of the Community Stewardship Project were less
interested in the assessment and education process and more interested in the implementation and recommendation
portion of the process. Members of the project stated that they felt MFPP staff was more capable of assessing local
conditions and delivering the key messages to the group, rather than going through a slow and cumbersome process
of exploring the complex relationship of forests, water and climate issues in both Cookeville and Putnam County.
Duplicating the process, MFPP would continue to build grassroots capacity, recognizing the critical role of building a
team of well connected and passionate individuals. However, MFPP would lead with the assessment of local
conditions in order to build a more effective message for the members of a group like the Community Stewardship
Project. MFPP believes this would accelerate the recommendations phase and provide an opportunity for greater
change to local policies and existing processes. In the future, MFPP would want to create a process that identifies the
key priorities and concerns of the community at large. For instance, our staff linked future climate change impacts in
Cookeville and Putnam County to health, population, and economics in addition to forests, water and climate. In the
future, MFPP see’s that localized message development is the role of the local team.
Communities interest in learning more are encouraged to find up to date information and sign-up for the e-newsletter
from the Model Forest Policy Program at www.mfpp.org.
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