Bringing it Home

Volunteer on National Public Lands Day

Pumping bike pedals, hiking uphill or casting a fishing line – there are many ways to enjoy TVA’s public lands and waters. 

“Public land helps make the Valley region the best place to live, work and play,” Rebecca Hayden, TVA director of public land management, said.

And on Saturday, Sept. 27, there’s a way to give back.

National Public Lands Day offers opportunities for people to show a little love for the places they call home.

Held on the fourth Saturday of each September since 1994, the day offers a chance to head outdoors to improve the lakeshores, rivers and lands that people enjoy year-round.

Mission of stewardship

Across the Valley region, people flock to the mountains, rivers, lakes and streams.

They stand in shimmering tailwaters, casting fly lines. They ease miles downriver in kayaks and race across reservoirs in motorboats, towing kids who shriek with spray-soaked joy.

On land, they fly down forested trails on mountain bikes. Pitch tents in shady campsites and peer into leaves to follow birdsong.

TVA’s mission since its creation in 1933 has included stewarding the environment, alongside economic development and energy production.

Over the last century, it’s helped to build a legacy of public lands for all to enjoy.

"TVA is more than a power company,” Milli Warren, TVA senior land management program manager, said. “TVA's stewardship of 293,000 acres of public land enhances quality of life for people in the Valley region by providing opportunities for water access and recreation."

‘Our Outdoor Home’

TVA’s public lands offer recreation to people all across the Valley region.

That’s why this year’s National Environmental Education Foundation theme – "Our Outdoor Home" – is a great fit.

More and more people call the Valley region home, as this area is growing faster than almost any other in the nation.

And it’s easy to see why.

Rich natural resources like those TVA manages attract businesses and residents alike.

High-quality outdoor experiences help create prosperous, resilient economies.

Across the region, recreation brings in about $11.4 billion annually, Hayden said.

As TVA invests in local partnerships – supporting fish hatcheries that raise trout released into TVA dam tailwaters, for example – each dollar spent brings $75 to the local economy.

Investing in the Valley

TVA’s scientists and land managers invest directly in these natural resources, too.

They monitor rivers and reservoirs, because the clean water that aquatic creatures depend on is the same water that people drink – and it's also water that powers hydroelectric dams and cools nuclear power plants.

TVA’s experts build trails and accessible docks. They manage forest and grasslands, and they support pollinators, bats, endangered fish and mussel recovery projects – and so much more.

Multiplied across the Valley region, TVA’s investments bring tens of thousands of jobs and create millions of opportunities for adventure outdoors.

And now it’s your turn.

This National Public Lands Day, everyone can invest time in the outdoors.