Anna Grabowski drove to Chattanooga from Meigs County, Tenn., on Tuesday to, as she described it, be a part of the iceberg's tip.
Holding a sign that read "parks not for profit," she mingled among a crowd of dozens gathered at Miller Park late in the afternoon to urge Tennessee politicians to support the outdoors as the new presidential administration continues crafting its policy and budgetary agendas.
"We're the tip of the iceberg," Grabowski said. "You see a tip and you stop the boat. We're the tip, and there's a lot more like us. If you walk down the street and ask people, they'll all tell you they want our parks protected."
The gathering, which mirrored others in cities around the area, opposed cuts to the Department of the Interior's budget, proposed by the White House, that would reduce spending on the outdoors.
President Donald Trump's proposed 2018 budget would decrease the Interior Department's budget by 12 percent, to $11.6 billion. A budget summary states that, "[the budget] eliminates funding for unnecessary or duplicative programs while reducing funds for lower priority activities, such as acquiring new lands."
The first of three speakers, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga environmental sociologist Shawn Trivette, said the benefits of publicly protected land are "multi-fold."
"If we don't protect our national parks and wilderness areas as public goods, their quality will decline," he said. "We've seen this happen in other arenas."
The Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee's easternmost counties, the Cohutta Wilderness in North Georgia, and Little River Canyon in northeast Alabama are regional examples of federal lands. The Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park is also under the Department of the Interior.
Rock/Creek director of sales Chad Wykle highlighted Chattanooga's status as a "gateway city" to those destinations, saying that "without question, Chattanooga's outdoor prominence and local economy is supported by our regional public lands."
Tennessee Heartwood co-director Davis Mounger said that, "more than ever, we need to be guardians" of public land.
Rally-goers split in different directions at the end of the event to write notes and make phone calls to U.S. Senators Lamar Alexander, R-Maryville, and Bob Corker, R-Chattanooga.
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga students Heather Newlin and Chloe Denta jotted notes that would be sent to the politicians' offices.
"I encourage you to protect our parks and keep the public lands our land," Denta wrote. "I'm a biology student here in Chattanooga and enjoy utilizing Chattanooga's climbing areas. Thank you for your hard work."
Contact staff writer David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249.