Stronger Communities, Stronger Economy: Tennessee’s Nature-Based Solutions

Tennessee is proving that strategic investments in nature deliver measurable gains in both human health and economic resilience. From rebuilding soil through no-till farming to restoring forests and grasslands that filter air and capture carbon, the state is proving that natural (nature-based) systems are vital infrastructure for human well-being. As Chair of The Nature Conservancy’s global board—and with my wife Tracy serving on its Tennessee board—I’ve seen firsthand how aligning science, policy, and stewardship can create healthier people, stronger communities, and a more sustainable future.

Across the world, communities are confronting intertwined environmental, economic, and health challenges. A hotter planet brings more than heat waves. It increases stress on the heart and lungs, expands the reach of infectious diseases, and threatens food and water security. These are global concerns. But the impacts are deeply local – felt in our farms, forests, and neighborhoods.

Nature as Infrastructure

Nature-based solutions—actions that protect, restore, and manage natural systems to solve social challenges – are among the most effective, evidence-driven strategies we have for addressing these challenges. Whether the goal is to restore ecosystems, strengthen public health, or build economic resilience, nature consistently proves to be our most powerful ally.

In Tennessee, we do not have to look far to see these ideas in action. Our rich agricultural base, vast forests, diverse grasslands, and strong research network, make us uniquely positioned to help lead this movement. Around the world, I’ve witnessed The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) work to transform landscapes. But here at home, where my wife Tracy helps guide the Tennessee chapter, I’ve seen how partnerships among scientists, policymakers, and land stewards demonstrate how natural systems serve as living infrastructure for healthier, more resilient communities.

Restoring Streams, Rivers, and Wetlands

In the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, local, state, and federal agencies began efforts to drain millions of acres of wetlands and straighten miles of Tennessee’s streams and rivers (a practice known as channelization). The goal was to increase viable farmland and reduce flooding. But nothing could have been further from the truth. As a result of these efforts, 60% of Tennessee’s wetlands were drained, and all or part of 11 out of our 12 tributaries to the Mississippi River were channelized.

Today, the consequences of these past decisions, well intended at the time, are clear. Less predictable weather patterns have resulted in an increase in the frequency and intensity of severe weather events, leading to more frequent floods, degraded water quality, and habitat loss. And indeed, in Tennessee, this deadly flooding has become all too often the norm rather than the exception.

But there is good news. Nature can rapidly reverse these legacy misadventures. Intentionally restoring channelized streams and rivers (like Lytle Creek and Trace Creek), and their adjacent wetlands, slows water on the landscape – lowering flood profiles, recharging groundwater, and improving habitat for fish and wildlife. Nature heals, if allowed to. These systems, in addition, store carbon and stabilize local climates. Once again, natural infrastructure proves to be one of the most efficient, cost-effective, and enduring forms of resilience we have in our toolkit in a world of changing climate.

Restoring Soil Health with Regenerative Agriculture

Healthy soils are the foundation of agriculture, economic stability, and human well-being. The USDA defines soil health as “the continued capacity of the soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans.” In a single handful of soil, billions of unseen organisms work in silent harmony to sustain our food, our climate, and the fragile balance of life itself. Yet across the country, agricultural soils have lost much of their original organic carbon, a decline that weakens food production, pollutes water, and contributes to climate instability.

Tennessee helps reverse this trend through no-till farming. The University of Tennessee’s AgResearch and Education Center at Milan pioneered no-till farming, where farmers plant directly into crop residue to preserve soil structure, reduce erosion, and boost microbial activity, all while maintaining, and often improving, yields. Tennessee is the national leader in this technique, with 93 percent of agricultural tillage practices falling into the no-till category. The average for the entire U.S., comparatively, is 73.4 percent.

Across the state, farmers are also adopting cover crops through Farmers for Soil Health, a national initiative led locally by Agricenter International in Memphis and directed by Dr. Ben West of Jackson, Tennessee. The use of cover crops improves soil structure, increases carbon storage, and reduces dependence on synthetic fertilizers, thereby enhancing both productivity and environmental performance.

And in East Tennessee, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, researchers are extending this science through “SoilCosms,” monitoring systems that track microbial activity and carbon cycling. Their work helps us understand how the smallest organisms in our soil can play a role in reducing atmospheric carbon and building climate resilience.

Other practices like rotational grazing that allow for rest and regrowth, and vegetated buffers to slow runoff and erosion, improve the health of our farmlands. Another example is livestock integration, which combines crop and livestock production on the same land, allowing animals to feed on remaining plants and cover crops left after a harvest, while their manure becomes natural fertilizer. This sustainable approach reduces feed costs and more effectively manages farm waste, all while improving soil health and yielding healthier crops and more nutritious food.

The public health dividends are real, and Tennessee farmers are leading the way.

Incentivizing Better Forest Management

Tennessee’s forest programs are a masterclass in how environmental restoration delivers overlapping benefits for climate, biodiversity, and human health. Forests filter drinking water, cool cities, and provide clean air that reduces respiratory disease. They are also powerful carbon sinks and sanctuaries that restore mental and emotional health.

The Nature Conservancy manages more than 140,000 acres of forests in Tennessee, capturing roughly one metric ton of carbon per acre each year (the equivalent of removing tens of thousands of cars from the road). At TNC sites such as Chestnut Mountain and the Cumberland Forest, restoration strategies combine habitat protection, prescribed burns that reduce wildfire risk, and the reintroduction of native species like oak and shortleaf pine. These nature-based actions strengthen both ecological and human resilience, protecting the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the landscapes we love.

Maintaining healthy, well-managed forests remains one of the simplest and most effective natural defenses against atmospheric carbon. While carbon markets and emerging technologies seek to monetize sequestration, the steady stewardship of forested acres is the proven, nature-based solution. Mature forests store vast reserves of carbon, which, when managed responsibly, remain locked away in both standing trees and long-lived forestry products. Meanwhile, active management that regenerates younger trees enhances growth and increases carbon uptake, creating a dynamic and sustainable carbon cycle.

Roughly 83 percent of Tennessee’s forests are privately owned, and 53 percent of our state is forested. Consequently, maximal conservation success depends on partnership. Through the Family Forest Carbon Program, private landowners are rewarded for sustainable management practices and for keeping forests intact for at least two decades. To date, 77 Tennessee landowners have enrolled more than 15,000 acres. The program reflects a simple truth: many of the natural resources that shape our shared health are held in private hands, and incentive-based programs that reward stewardship can unlock previously untapped large-scale conservation benefits, while at the same time supporting rural livelihoods.

Rediscovering Tennessee’s Grasslands

While forests have long defined Tennessee’s conservation story, emerging research led by Austin Peay State University’s Southeastern Grasslands Institute (SGI) is bringing new attention to one of the state’s most overlooked natural treasures: our native grasslands. Grasslands, part of what Harvard biologist E.O. Wilson called the “Southern Grassland Biome,” once formed wonderful mosaics with Tennessee’s forests and wetlands, supporting remarkable biodiversity.

Grasslands rank among the most productive ecosystems on Earth. They store carbon deep within their roots, filter water, absorb floodwaters, and provide critical habitat for pollinators and wildlife. Current mapping efforts in Tennessee are helping scientists identify where these ecosystems once thrived, so restoration efforts can be precisely targeted. Findings suggest that while native grasslands cover less than 30% of the state’s landscape (7.5 million acres), they support over half of Tennessee’s plant and animal species.

In collaboration with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and Auburn University’s Forest and Fire Ecology Lab, SGI is advancing cutting-edge research on carbon storage in Tennessee’s grasslands, savannas, and woodlands. Already this work is leading to revolutionary awareness that open grassy ecosystems can be just as effective, and in some cases more effective, than forests in storing carbon.

As with all nature-based solutions, grassland restoration delivers tangible unique mental and physical health benefits. Projects led by SGI and TNC are emerging across the state from Chattanooga and Clarksville to Franklin, Jackson, and Nashville, providing open spaces that strengthen community well-being and connection to nature.

By rediscovering these ecosystems, Tennessee is actively rebalancing its conservation portfolio. Restoring even small remnants of native grasslands can yield outsized returns: healthier soils, reduced flooding, richer biodiversity, and stronger rural economies. Across Tennessee, innovative partnerships among farmers, small businesses, universities, conservation organizations, and corporate partners like Google are bringing these lands back to life, demonstrating that working lands can both feed people and heal the planet.

Scaling Common Sense, Science Based Solutions

Good science alone is not enough. Lasting change requires policy that aligns incentives and makes conservation practical. Federal programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentive Program and the Conservation Stewardship Program have shown that voluntary, incentive-based models work because they empower farmers and landowners to make decisions that fit local conditions.

The reThink Soil Roadmap builds on this model, recommending policies that close research gaps, reward stewardship through new market systems, and integrate conservation into economic and health planning. These same principles guide Tennessee’s statewide approach: strong research institutions, pragmatic policy, and collaboration between public and private sectors.

When implemented at scale, nature-based solutions become more than environmental projects. They become tools for economic development and for public health. Cleaner water means fewer gastrointestinal illnesses. Cooler, greener neighborhoods reduce stress on the heart during heat waves. Restored forests buffer floods and filter the air, protecting those most vulnerable to asthma and cardiovascular disease. In a very real sense, nature functions as preventive medicine.

Letting Nature Lead

Across Tennessee, nature-based solutions are charting a path toward a healthier planet and stronger communities for generations to come. The challenges we face today—climate change, biodiversity loss, and growing health risks—demand integrated approaches rooted in science and stewardship. Our statewide efforts to rebuild soil, restore forests, and revive native grasslands show that caring for the natural world around us does more than just protect the environment. It strengthens the very foundations of our economy, our communities, and our health.

As a physician, I’ve spent my life focused on healing the human body. Today, I see those same principles apply to the planet itself. Protecting the living systems that sustain us is not just an act of environmental stewardship – it’s an act of public health.

By investing in the soils, forests, and grasslands that keep our communities thriving, Tennessee demonstrates that environmental action and human health are inseparable. When science, policy, and stewardship come together, nature itself becomes one of the most powerful innovations we possess.