Sustainable, Community-Driven Development
Advocating for more community-based decision-making processes
​SOCM members identified Community-Driven Development as a statewide issue to focus on in the 2025-2030 Strategic Plan. While the South Cumberland Plateau was the focal point of that work in the past, some of the other issues members are engaged with stem from a desire for local communities to have greater control over how development occurs in their communities. Members feel it is vital to work towards local- and state-level policies that put decision-making power in the hands of the people. They want development driven by the needs of the community, not just the almighty dollar.​
Local Highlights
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Win at Clouse Hill (Grundy County) using the County Powers Act has given direction for future work
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Rutherford County members continue their years-long fight against the expansion of the Middle Point landfill, which resulted in a unanimous County Commission vote to deny the expansion that was later affirmed in court
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Developed a system to track and monitor new quarry permits in the South Cumberland Plateau
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Members raised over $19k for JumpOff quarry legal fund
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SOCM supported Tennessee for All coalition partners in rural Haywood County as they fought for a community benefits agreement with Ford’s Blue Oval development.
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Residents from Franklin/Grundy/Marion counties voted to form a SOCM Chapter!
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Multiple new municipalities passed the Jackson Law as a result of the LOCAL campaign.
The Jackson Law is statewide legislation that gives counties and cities the right to make local decisions about landfill siting in their districts and within a mile of their borders. The LOCAL campaign is organized by local community groups, river conservancies, neighborhood organizations, solid waste managers, and elected officials working to preserve local control over landfill siting decisions. ​
WHAT is the Let Our Communities Act Locally (LOCAL) campaign trying to accomplish?
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We want to inform our communities and local elected leaders about the importance of the Jackson Law for local decision-making
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We want to expand the Jackson Law in counties where it has not passed
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We want to prevent any state legislation that would weaken or remove the Jackson Law in the 2026 legislative session
HOW will we do this? By two main avenues between now and January 2026:
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IF your county or municipality HAS NOT adopted the Jackson Law, we need YOU to work with your neighbors to request that your city council or county commission adopt the Jackson Law.
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IF your county or municipality HAS ALREADY adopted the Jackson Law, we need YOU to work with your neighbors to request that your city council or county commission pass a resolution asking the state legislature to preserve the Jackson Law.
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As we move forward into the 2026 legislative session, we need to present a united front to our state representatives to let them know that we expect them to protect the Jackson Law. ​