For some time, the Cumberland Trail State Park and the Cumberland Trail Conference have been battling commercial rock harvesting along the trail, which is a state park. It seems the state did not acquire the mineral rights when acquring the property for the park (a very dumb idea if you ask me). But corporate interests have intepreted mineral rights as
- right to remove the rock (mainly limestone), laying on the ground as well as under it
- right to not restore what they tear up
At the very least, these companies should be required to rehab the area. Miles of the Cumberland Trail have been closed due to these companies operations in the state park. This really torks me, as most of the Cumberland Trail has been built by volunteers. I’ve even participated in building the trail, though not as frequently as I’d like.
The Tennessee Court of Appeals has reverse a lower court’s ruling in the first bright spot in a very bizarre saga.
HT: The Tennessean: Rock Harvesting in park dealt a blow