Back in Bloom

Saving Native Grasslands

A new Tennessee Valley Authority initiative is helping protect rare plant species across private properties and utility corridors beneath transmission lines.

Through the pilot Landowner Conservation program, launched in 2025, TVA is working to restore the grassland habitats where native plants once thrived.

The Landowner Conservation Program grew out of TVA’s grassland restoration work on transmission rights of way – the areas directly beneath and beside powerlines.

David Mitchell, a botanist with TVA’s Biological Compliance team, and Charles Hendrickson, program manager at TVA Right of Way (ROW) Support Services, helped bring this conservation effort to life.

Mitchell and Hendrickson were already managing vegetation on rights-of-way areas, but they saw an opportunity to expand their conservation work onto nearby private lands.

“We needed to expand (native plant) populations and get landowners involved and excited about restoring these habitats beyond the right of way,” Mitchell said.

TVA botanist David Mitchell gestures toward a rights-of-way area near a transmission line in Youngtown, Alabama.

Powering Restoration

The Landowner Conservation Program is designed to do just that.

It works alongside landowners, tailoring goals to each property’s unique needs and the owner’s vision.

In addition to strengthening relationships with property owners on rights-of-way areas, the Landowner Conservation Program supports TVA’s mission of environmental stewardship while also enhancing access to transmission lines.

By managing invasive species beyond the rights of way, TVA creates a protective buffer that helps prevent non-native plants from encroaching. This not only preserves the surrounding ecosystem but also ensures safer, more efficient access for lineworkers during maintenance.

Over time, Mitchell hopes more people will see the value of restoring native grasslands, not just for TVA and wildlife, but for their own well-being.

“You hear a lot about the connection to nature and all the mental and health benefits it has,” Mitchell said. “I do think this is a service to people. We need to bring people in and connect them to see how important this is.”

TVA’s Landowner Conservation Program grew out of TVA’s grassland restoration work on transmission rights of way. The program works alongside landowners, tailoring goals to each property’s unique needs and the owner’s vision. Pictured is cut-leaf prairie dock, a native species.

Blooming with Benefits

And it’s not just the ecological benefits. Restoring native habitats also makes practical sense for TVA’s rights-of-way maintenance.

“It would cost five to 10 times more if we were to mow,” Hendrickson said. “Not to mention the damage mowing causes compared to a more targeted approach.”

As part of its foundational mission of providing energy, economic development and environmental stewardship, TVA is committed to enhancing quality of life across the Valley region. That includes the people, the wildlife and the landscapes they share.

“The more property owners we collaborate with on this, the more access we can create,” Mitchell said. “It’s going to make maintaining transmission lines easier and create better partnerships.”

Photo Gallery

Leafy prairie clover near a transmission right of way in north Alabama. It's one of only three locations where this species is found.

Mitchell walks a right-of-way area in north Alabama.