The Tennessee Valley Authority was engaged in tree research to promote the economic development of the Tennessee River Valley since the inception of the agency. In the early years, TVA developed a Tree Crops Program to test and distribute fruit- and nut-producing species to Valley landowners to provide a quick cash crop. The suitability of both native and nonnative species was explored with a number of test plantings located on Norris Reservation, below Norris Dam. As the 1960s loomed, another TVA tree-based venture was initiated: genetic improvement of forest trees, with an emphasis on hardwood species. Norris Reservation was again used for seed orchards of grafted trees of various species. Examples of “living history” from both the TVA Tree Crops and Tree Improvement Programs still exist on Norris Reservation, although most people using the area for recreation are unaware of origin and purpose of the plantings.
The UT-TIP and TVA have worked together for many decades on forest tree improvement. When TVA discontinued their Forestry Department in 1993, all Norris-based records were transferred to the UT-TIP. Among those records were documents from the Tree Crops Program. Using the transferred documents, plus oral interviews from former TVA scientists and foresters over the years, UT-TIP is now producing short videos and reports documenting the former TVA programs for the general public, particularly people who recreate on Norris Reservation and are among the examples of “living history.”