‘OHV-related accidents and fatalities down after alcohol ban’- Bill Stanley, CORA Board Chair

By Charlotte Underwood

LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF)- Campbell County Rotarians heard a presentation from Campbell Outdoor Recreation Association Board Chair Bill Stanley (top photo) on Tuesday at the weekly club luncheon at the La Follette Methodist Church.

Stanley gave a brief history on CORA and what it stands for, as well as an update on how things were going with the Hatfield Knob Elk program.

According to Stanley, the Campbell Outdoor Recreation Association (CORA) is a “group of local men and women who represent the broad interests of Tennessee sportsmen and all outdoor recreational users, ensuring that lands on which to hunt, fish, and engage in many other forms of outdoor recreation be acquired for the public benefit and remain open for their benefit, to the extent practicable.

 “CORA is guided by the core principles of multiple use of the outdoors; and acting in the long-term best interest of the public…It’s all about being good stewards with what we’ve been blessed with,” Stanley said.

He updated Rotarians about the elk program and said the “herd was strong” and that right now was a great time to go to Hatfield Knob to view the elk as the seasons change.

“We have a herd of around 600 strong,” Stanley said.

He also spoke about “the path forward for CORA” and the reasons why CORA has been so successful over the years in practicing stewardship over local public lands.

“It’s successful because of our partnerships with the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency (TWRA), the National Conservancy, and other wildlife conservation organizations,” Stanley said.

He gave a quick update on the off-highway vehicles issue (OHV) and said that since the TWRA had passed the laws banning alcohol from the wildlife management area that “OHV-related accidents and fatalities were down.”

“We all use the wildlife management areas, locals and visitors alike, so it is on all of us to make the experience better for each other. Pack out any trash that you pack in, stay on the trails, help one another. It’s our land and it’s on us just as much as them, we have to lead by example,” Stanley said.

A final issue he touched on was the growing bear population in the area and that in the upcoming months CORA would host a Bear specialist from TWRA who would speak to help get the word out on educating the public about how to prevent encounters and issues with bears.

“It’s about educating the public, we want to prevent encounters and any issues,” Stanley said. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED- 09/18/2024-6AM)

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