About Us
TN-EPPC’s Role
- Raise public awareness about the spread of invasive exotic plants into Tennessee’s natural areas
- Facilitate the exchange of information concerning management and control of invasive exotic plants
- Provide a forum for all interested parties to participate in meetings, workshops, and an annual symposium, and to share the benefits from information provided by TN-EPPC
- Serve as educational, advisory, and technical support on all aspects of invasive exotics
- Initiate campaign actions to prevent further invasive plant introductions
Join TN-EPPC
Membership in TN-EPPC is open to anyone with an interest in the problem of invasive exotic plants, their identification, impacts, and control. Our members include professional land managers, private landowners, individual homeowners, public and private recreation areas, educational institutions, conservation and gardening organizations, and government agencies. Join Us by becoming a member online, payment through PayPal. You may also download the Membership Form and follow the directions to pay by check.
TN-EPPC T-shirt: Show your support for a healthy natural environment with TN-EPPC’s cool t-shirt, a flattering, goes-with-anything white. The design features our leaf logo and name on the front left and a dozen line drawings of “Tennessee’s Most Unwanted” on the back. Sizes are medium, large, and extra large for the low price of $13, which includes shipping! Place a T-shirt Order online and pay through PayPal.
Board of Directors
The Board of Directors holds quarterly meetings to conduct the business of the Council, manages the assets of the Council, represents TN-EPPC to SE-EPPC, serves as a liaison between public, private, and government entities, and develops educational resources for interested parties. Board members are:
| Marie Kerr, President | Big South Fork NRRA |
| LinnAnn Welch, Vice President | Metropolitan Nashville Parks & Recreation |
| Sara Kuebbing, Treasurer | UTK Graduate Student |
| Margie Hunter, Secretary | Writer |
| Claude Bailey | Jackson State Community College |
| Mike Berkley | GroWild, Inc. |
| Andrea Bishop | Natural Heritage Program, TDEC |
| Belinda Esham | USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service |
| Kristine Johnson | Great Smoky Mountains National Park |
| Pat D. Parr | Oak Ridge National Laboratory |
| Bob Parrish | Metropolitan Nashville Parks & Recreation |
| Anni Self | Tennessee Department of Agriculture |
To learn more about each board member, just click the name.
Contact our board members.
Past board members include Jim Bean, Brian Bowen, Dan Brown, Richard Clements, Kevin Fitch, Nancy Fraley, Jack Gilpin, Terri Hogan, David Lincicome, Carrie Miller, and Jack Ranney.
Board Meeting Minutes
The Board of Directors meets quarterly in various locations across the state. Meetings begin at 10:00 a.m. and end no later than 3:00 p.m. The most recent meeting minutes also contain a full copy of the Treasurer’s Report.
Nov. 1, 2012
Jun. 8, 2012
Feb. 24, 2012
Dec. 2, 2011
Aug. 26, 2011
Jun. 8, 2011
Feb. 16, 2011
Nov. 10, 2010
Aug. 3, 2010
May 12, 2010
Mar. 10, 2010
Nov. 9, 2009
Aug. 13, 2009
May 27, 2009
Feb. 11, 2009
Nov. 6, 2008
Aug. 12, 2008
May 14, 2008
Council Bylaws
The Board of Directors revised the Council’s bylaws on June 8, 2011.
Bylaws – 2011
History of TN-EPPC
The Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council was established March 12, 1994 in Nashville at the first annual Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Symposium with assistance and support from similar organizations in California and Florida. A steering committee drafted the bylaws, served as the first board of directors, and successfully obtained 501(c)(3) non-profit status from the IRS. A year earlier an exploratory meeting of forty invited participants representing a cross section of resource managers, scientists, teachers, and others interested in the issue set the stage for this statewide organization.
Since its organization, TN-EPPC has hosted statewide annual symposia, and representatives of TN-EPPC have given presentations at similar conferences. In the spring of 1997 the annual symposium was much wider in scope and addressed exotic pest issues throughout the region. The “Exotic Pests of the Eastern Forests Conference,” which was held in Nashville, was co-hosted with the USDA Forest Service and numerous other co-sponsors.
One of TN-EPPC’s primary tasks is the development of the invasive plant list in Tennessee. This list is updated regularly following a rigorous evaluation protocol utilizing input from numerous botanists, ecologists, and resource managers across the state. TN-EPPC publishes several educational brochures and has held numerous workshops on invasive plant identification and control. In cooperation with Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the organization published the Tennessee Exotic Pest Vegetation Manual in 1997. TN-EPPC serves as a technical advisory body and participates in cooperative efforts to get federal and state government agencies out of the business of using exotics. TN-EPPC is a member of the National Association of Exotic Pest Plant Councils and a state chapter of Southeastern Exotic Pest Plant Council.
While much remains to be done, the Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council fills an important role addressing a critical issue that no other organization in the state recognizes as its mission.