August 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 38

TENNESSEE RIVER
Building the Tennessee RiverLine Step by Step
The vision for the Tennessee RiverLine is
to establish a continuous system of paddling,
hiking and biking trails that spans the route
of the 652-mile Tennessee River through the
four states of Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi
and Kentucky.
So, how does the Tennessee RiverLine intend
to reach this ambitious goal? They've
developed the Tennessee RiverTowns Program
to inspire and coordinate effort and
investment over time. The three-stage program
requires activity and reporting for five
major benchmarks:
Local Leadership - Each enrolled community
establishes and convenes a team of
community leaders and residents who build
capacity, raise awareness of and recruit support
for the Tennessee RiverLine through
local programs, advocacy and vision implementation.
River
Stewardship - Communities inspire
new generations of Tennessee River stewards
by organizing events and programs, such as
cleanups, invasive plant removals and shoreline
plantings that raise awareness of threats
posed to the river's health.
River Animation - Communities bring the
river to life and promote healthy lifestyles
through programs, events and resources that
break down common barriers to Tennessee
River experiences. An emphasis is placed on
hosting community paddle events that promote
river use by populations underserved
by outdoor recreation opportunities.
Advocacy - Communities elevate the visTop
and middle photos: In
Clifton, Tennessee, people take
part in a Tennessee RiverTowns
river cleanup program.
Bottom photo: In Paducah,
Kentucky, people attend a community
input workshop hosted
by Tennessee RiverLine.
ibility of the Tennessee RiverLine vision and
the economic development, public health,
equitable access and environmental stewardship
benefits Tennessee RiverLine promises
to local, state and federal leadership.
Local Development Along the Tennessee
River - Over the course of the program's three
stages, communities incrementally discover,
implement, operate and promote a local vision
for North America's next great regional trail
system that includes a local water trail, supporting
amenities and services, public riverfront
parks and connective greenway systems.
For more information about Tennessee
RiverLine, visit TNRiverLine.org.
option for every household.
Part of the investment from UT
Knoxville and TVA was used to
purchase five fleets of 60 total kayaks
for Tennessee River communities,
so that free kayaking opportunities
can be made available to people
of all backgrounds, household incomes
and experience levels.
On May 22, 2021, more than 100
members of the Latino community
in East Tennessee and around the
Southeast paddled for the first time
with the Tennessee RiverLine's combined
kayak fleet. Individual fleets
of 12 kayaks have been granted to
Roane and Benton County, Tennessee;
Bridgeport and The Shoals, Alabama;
and Paducah/McCracken
County, Kentucky. These fleets support
programs in these and neighboring
Tennessee River communities
and can be combined to support
larger regional events that promote
equitable river access.
Collet says his team is researching
additional opportunities to make
recreation gear more accessible, including
a kayak-share program at
kayak launches along the Tennessee
RiverLine - similar to bike-share
programs established in downtown
areas or at trailheads nationwide.
Empowering Communities
in Environmental
Stewardship
In 2020,
Tennessee
RiverTowns
which
provides
RiverLine
launched its new multi-stage Tennessee
Program,
a
collaborative
framework for communities to celebrate
their identities as river towns
through a coordinated effort and
a demonstrated commitment as
stewards of the river's environmental
health. Fifteen communities enrolled
in the program's inaugural
cohort, and new communities can
apply to the program each summer.
38 Parks & Recreation | A UGUS T 2 0 2 1
| PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G
http://www.TNRiverLine.org
August 2021 - Parks & Recreation

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