Commissioner Hamilton's Remarks at the Obed River Dedication Ceremony

Remarks of Commissioner Milton H. Hamilton, Jr.
State of Tennessee - Commissioner of Environment and Conservation
Friday, March 31, 2000
Dedication Ceremony of Obed and Wild Scenic River
Obed Wild and Scenic River National Park

Good afternoon, and thank you for including me in this important ceremony. Governor Sundquist asked me to congratulate you on your hard work in helping the Obed receive the designation that we are recognizing today.

Since taking office in 1995, Governor Sundquist has worked to preserve rare and unique areas, such as the Obed. Under his administration we have expanded our natural areas by over 90,000 acres.

I’m proud of this record, and also proud to live in a state where committed citizens like you work to make sure that our natural treasures receive the recognition and protection that they deserve.

We are here to celebrate the designation of the Obed Wild and Scenic River as Outstanding National Resource Water, known as an ONRW by bureaucrats like me. This designation, made by the Water Quality Control Board in June 1999, means that the highest level of water quality protection is given to the Obed.

Arriving at this designation wasn’t easy. Many people feared that making the Obed an ONRW would stifle the economy of the surrounding counties. Others were concerned that they would not be able to share in the benefits of using the Obed for their drinking water, if the time came when their current supplies weren’t enough. Some wanted the Obed to be completely set aside for natural and recreational purposes.

We knew that in order to make this designation happen, all voices needed to be heard, and we would all need to see the other’s point of view. I am proud that we were able to do just that.

The environmental community recognized the surrounding counties’ needs for water supply, and the counties agreed that the treasure of the Obed should be protected. The National Park Service provided their support and guidance, as the federal managers of the Obed Wild and Scenic River.

We reached a compromise that allowed designation of the Obed as outstanding water, while ensuring that citizens in the surrounding counties could consider its use for water supply if the need should arise in the future.

This compromise is something we should all be proud of. It protects our natural resources, it protects our citizens, and it just makes sense.

The debate and discussion that led up to the designation of the Obed illustrates a key issue in Tennessee today, and that is the many demands placed upon our waters. Tennessee is and always has been a water rich state.

We are now realizing that this water that we have always taken for granted, to water our fields, nurture our fish and wildlife, provide our electricity, float our canoes and quench our thirst is not boundless. Our bottomless water supply does have a bottom, and the growth in the southeastern United States has shown us the reality of reaching that low point.

Although we have laws in place to protect water quality, we are currently not legally able to regulate water quantity. What this means is that right now you can take water out of one river basin, and put it back in another, or even in another state. The folks downstream lose out in this arrangement.

To enable Tennessee to make sensible decisions about such transfers and to make sure that Tennesseans are being protected, we are currently working to pass legislation that would enable the Department of Environment and Conservation to regulate such transfers. Seven other states in this region have such laws, and now is the time to pass one in Tennessee. I hope we’ll have your support.

You’ll have to forgive me for talking legislation – after 30 years in the General Assembly I just can’t help myself.

The designation that we are celebrating today is a critical step towards protection of the Obed for current and future generations. We must remember that it is just one step. The dedication that you have shown to get to this important day must continue if we are to truly protect the Obed and all of our natural treasures in the future.

I congratulate you, and look forward to working with you in our shared efforts to protect Tennessee’s environment.