Big Ridge State Park needs your opinion on its new Strategic Master Plan. So what is a Strategic master Plan and why should you voice your opinion? The main reason is the plan will drive the changes that occur in the park for the next 10 years and some changes will effect the park for many more years after that. Submit your comments online at https://www.tn.gov/environment/parks-conservation/ppp/form.html.
You can mail comments to Attn: Liz Campbell, WRS TN Tower – 2nd Floor, 312 Rosa L. Parks Blvd.Nashville, TN 3724.
The last date for your opinion to count is November 30. the five areas for comment are as follows: resource stewardship, visitor experience, facilities and amenities, operational excellence (maintenance and management), and other.
You can access the plan at the end of this article or download from https://bit.ly/BigRidgePlan
Pages 10 -12 reveal the current status of the park facilities. Over thirty facilities or attractions were rated by a state scale of excellent, good, fair or poor. No facility received an excellent rating and most were in the fair to poor categories. The plan has a whole section on future maintenance to improve these ratings on pages 6-8. Another assessment of individual resources is given on pages 26-29. Again most resources are fair to poor with a few being critical.
If you enjoy family time and recreation, take a look at the current playground and picnic facilities assessment and what is planned for the future on pages 13 and 14.
If you enjoy history and like to visit or view historical structures then you will want to comment on the structures built by the CCC. According to the plan. many of the structures need to be updated to meet the needs and desires of the public. Check out pages 28-33 for how the park intends to use these structures and which ones may be restored or demolished.
If you like camping, you definitely need to read the section on page 13 under New Assets Needed and let your opinion be known. The plan notes that one bath house is critical and that the utilities are inadequate to sustain the current use.
If you like hiking or strolling through the trails, be sure to state your opinion about the condition of the trails on pages 13, 25 and 26.
If you like fishing in a quiet cove, you will want to comment on the inadequate, poor boat launch and the condition of the boathouse. On page 21 and 22, you can find how these may be addressed. The plan states that the heavy motorized boat usage utilizing Blue Mud boat launch or just enjoying the cove, the wakes have an impact on the shorelines, causing an increased rate of erosion to occur.
By the way, you may want to go by Mayor Bailey’s office and pick up a copy of the proposed Big Ridge State Park Master Plan-ARC Grant. In this proposal Blue Mud will become a kayak boat launch. A new 112 feet wide concrete boat ramp with concrete walkways for floating docks would be built across the lake with a brand new access road from SR61, An RV Park with 95 RV spots and more than 200 truck and boat trailer parking spaces, bath houses, and a playground would also be developed.
You might want to ask if this RV camp and parking lot will be the view across the lake from the current campground and lookout point. Another question might be why would we want more motorboat usage if the wake is eroding the shore.
Comment soon. Deadline is November 30.