The Tennessee Department of Agriculture's Division of Forestry is doubling down on efforts to protect Pickett State Forest with renewed restrictions, continuing to ban public motorized vehicle use and camping in the forest's northwestern reaches until February 1, 2025; this decision comes in the wake of significant ecological damage attributed to off-road vehicle activity. According to a recent announcement by State Forester Heather Slayton, the damage done by ATVs and UTVs has led to increased erosion, degradation of water quality, and threats to forest health and visitor safety.
While foot traffic and horseback riding will remain permissible in the affected section of the forest, the extension aims to provide time for the completion of an ongoing rehabilitation project, which is currently reported to be 60% complete, the division has so far devoted over 1,300 hours to repairing roads insert mitigating harm to the forest ecosystem and has hauled more than 1,500 tons of rock into the forest, as efforts continue to rehabilitate the damaged landscapes. As vehicular harms go beyond Pickett, state authorities are also assessing the extent of similar abuses across the state forest system, which encompasses 15 forests and around 168,000 acres.
The changes follow an order mandated by Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-07-01-.05, which has the goal of preserving the integrity of the forest and ensuring the safety of its visitors, enforcement will be present in the region, with law enforcement officials poised to enforce the new regulations and address any violations, which could lead to fines or criminal prosecution. According to the Tennessee Department of Agriculture clarifies that the restriction is targeted at the northwest corner of the forest beyond a newly installed gate at the juncture of Redmond Rim Road and Redmond Mountain Road.
