Link back to Home.
Home  |   Air  |   Water  |   Land  |   Permits  |   Online Services   |   Contact Us  |  State Parks

Main content begins below.

Lifetime Achievement

Specific Judging Considerations

  • To recognize individuals who have devoted at least 25 years of effective and valuable service to Tennessee’s environmental protection or conservation stewardship; posthumous awards not made
  • Notable personal achievements in areas such as natural resource management, conservation, education, public service, and political support toward Tennessee’s conservation and/or environmental protection

2008 Winner of Lifetime Achievement

John H. Noel, III
Williamson County


For almost four decades, John H. Noel III has been a thoughtful, effective advocate for Tennessee’s natural, cultural and historic resources. He help rescue the Bon Aqua Woods in January 2006 from timber harvest and residential development by purchasing it with personal funds. With a beginning goal of preserving this unique property for public enjoyment the department and John determined the massive "old growth" white oak forest, cave system and nearby historic springs qualified the Bon Aqua Woods site for acquisition and use as a state natural area.

He was also instrumental in helping the Tennessee General Assembly pass the Wetlands Act with a small real estate transfer tax that generated $4 to $6 million annually for land acquisition in Tennessee. This Act has been responsible for generating funds that have conserved 280,000 acres of wetlands, parklands and natural areas in Tennessee since its passage.
John has been a board member for the Tennessee Environmental Council, Tennessee Conservation Voters, Tennessee Valley Reform Coalition, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, and Interim Executive Director of the TN Environmental Council. He also led a coalition of environmental and civic organizations in the successful effort to prevent wastewater from a sewage treatment plant from being discharged into Dry Fork Creek and the Rumbling Falls Cave system in Fall Creek Falls State Park. Rumbling Falls Cave proved to be the second largest cave in the nation and home to at least 24 globally significant rare cave species, including blind cave fish, blind cave crayfish and numerous beetles and invertebrates. This case resulted in new rules for implementation of the state’s anti-degradation policy and other changes in the permitting process for Tennessee’s Water Quality Control Board.

John also recognized years ago that energy – its production, distribution and consumption - would be a pivotal issue for our country and mankind. Starting with the Tennessee Valley Energy Reform Coalition and its goal of keeping TVA accountable to the communities it serves, John was instrumental in broadening its purpose into the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. Today, John is the current Board President of SACE, the preeminent non-profit, nonpartisan organization promoting responsible energy choices that solve global warming problems and ensure clean, safe and healthy communities throughout the Southeast. He has been an active member of The Climate Institute in Washington, D.C., played a key role in the Southeastern Cities Energy Project and chaired the 2006 Energy Summit on assessing climate risk.