Our History

The Early Years

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Foundation, Inc. (TWRF) was established as a 501©(3) nonprofit in 1999.  As a nonprofit organization, TWRF has the ability to move quickly to close on properties and pay more than appraised value, if necessary, to acquire highly-desired tracts of land to expand existing wildlife management areas, or establish new public hunting areas.

In 2003, TWRF assumed the responsibility for administering the Tennessee Stream Mitigation Program, Tennessee’s first in-lieu-fee program. Through TSMP, TWRF accepted fees for unavoidable impacts to streams associated with state and federal water quality permitting. By accepting these fees, TSMP accepts the legal liability of providing the required compensatory mitigation. These restricted funds are to be used solely for the purpose of identification, development, implementation, and monitoring of stream restoration and enhancement projects across the state.

In 2005, TWRF purchased a 147-acre tract in Montgomery County to develop the Montgomery County Shooting Complex as a public shooting range. TWRF’s ownership of the property made it possible to streamline construction of the facility, taking advantage or significant cost savings.