By Frank Munger, News-Sentinel senior writer
August 30, 2001

OAK RIDGE -- The U.S. Department of Energy announced Wednesday a new approach to land-use planning on the government's Oak Ridge reservation, promising to gather input from diverse groups and to balance the economic and environmental needs.

Leah Dever, DOE's Oak Ridge manager, said a comprehensive plan for the 34,000-acre federal reservation will be developed over the next five to six years. Besides evaluating options for potential DOE missions of the future, the plan will address industrial development and ecological preservation. 

A focus group, involving about 20 individuals from the community and various organizations, has been appointed to discuss concerns and make recommendations. 

"Obviously, getting to this point wasn't easy,'' Dever said at a Wednesday ceremony. She apparently was referring to the persistent controversy regarding proposed uses of federal land, often pitting commercial and industrial interests against conservationists and environmental researchers. 

U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tenn., who joined Dever at the morning event, said it's important to make way for new technological and industrial investments without trampling nature in the process. 

He urged the different factions to come together and work to enhance the assets that make Oak Ridge "the envy of other communities'' in the region. 

"There's synergy when people come together,'' the congressman said. 

Oak Ridge Mayor David Bradshaw agreed and said the broad-based focus group is a good start, making sure that DOE decisions are based on local recommendations. "We either can celebrate together or blame ourselves,'' he said. "DOE has opened the door to the community.'' 

Marty Marina of the Tennessee Conservation League, one of the groups that has challenged DOE on development projects, said the new approach should be productive. 

"The league is always for solid public process, and I think that's what was missing here. There were segments of the community that had an expertise that weren't being listened to,'' said Marina, who will serve on the land-use focus group.