Cumberland Plateau probably poised for population boom

Some think the beauty of the area is going to begin attracting more tourists, retirees and telecommuters, who can do their work from anywhere and would like to do it in a pretty, peaceful setting.

During the past two months, Plateau residents, state officials and others have been meeting and discussing the region’s future and how to prepare for it.

“It’s inevitable that it will be discovered. The question is: How can the region grow and accommodate new people and its resources be used without changing the area’s core environmental qualities that will make it so popular?” said Charles Brockett, political science professor at the University of the South in Sewanee.

Brockett spoke at a conference here Friday called “Envisioning the Future of the Cumberland Plateau,” that was attended by about 75 people.

Brockett expects the Plateau to undergo a transformation over the next two to three decades.

Most speakers talked about the need to preserve the region’s beauty, while at the same time accommodating more people.

“We can’t put up gates at the state line,” Franklin County Mayor Monty Adams said. “We’ve got to be ready for the growth. We’ve got to find a way to work together and do it without draconian bonds that some would put into place. We’ve got to find a balance if we’re going to survive.”

Katherine Medlock, executive director of the Alliance for the Cumberlands in Knoxville, agreed. Her group’s focus is both environmental and economic health of the region.

“I think the main thing that is important here is the dialogue. People need to be talking about their future in a way that they haven’t before. And while the government needs to be listening, a lot of the talking should come from residents,” Medlock said.

Dan Barry, a Sewanee resident and business owner, said balancing preservation and growth is hard to achieve.

“Finding this balance is difficult. What are the incentives for me as a landowner not to develop my property but keep it green? There are none,” Barry said. “They say money talks, and it’s a push-pull situation. I want tax savings for not developing, but county leaders want to raise taxes.”

Crossville resident Louise Gorenflo, said Plateau residents have to be vocal about how they want the future of their region to unfold.

“People on the Plateau need to express themselves. We need to come together and express how we feel about what’s happening to our forests, to our towns. We need to do some more grass-roots talking,” she said.