[TTA-Nashville] Appalachian Trail specialty plates available at a discount.

[TTA Nashville Chapter Mailing List]

From: Leanna Joyner - ATC

APPALACHIAN TRAIL CONSERVANCY OFFERS DISCOUNTS ON TENNESSEE A.T. LICENSE
PLATES THROUGH EASTMAN CHEMICAL COMPANY FOUNDATION GRANT


(KINGSPORT, Tenn, January 19, 2010)—A grant from the Eastman Chemical
Company Foundation is allowing the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC)
to underwrite discounts on the fees for the next 500 people to apply for
an Appalachian Trail license plate in Tennessee.

Once 1,000 applications are received and the state begins producing
tags, ATC’s share of the renewal fees will serve as a permanent funding
source for the organization's work to protect and maintain the 280 miles
of the Appalachian Trail in the state.

As a result of the grant, the Appalachian Trail (A.T.) license plates
are now available for $15 instead of the usual $35 annual fee. Renewals
will be at the standard $35 annual fee.

ATC is offering its own incentive as well, thanking people who sign up
for the license plate with a one-time annual membership to the national
nonprofit. Existing ATC members may give someone else the membership as
a gift.

The specialty A.T. license-plate program will benefit the state’s
natural resources and national treasure in several ways.  It will
broaden awareness for this resource by widely promoting the Trail on
vehicles from Memphis to Bristol.  In addition, each plate will generate
$15.56 annually for ATC, supporting management of such programs as land
conservation, volunteer-based trail and facilities maintenance,
natural-resources management, and programs that introduce children and
teachers to the A. T. in Tennessee.

The Tennessee State Recreation Plan calls the A.T. “Tennessee’s First
Recreation Trail,” and the A.T. frequently receives accolades, such as
“#2 of Top 10 USA Outdoor Adventures” (ABC’s “Good Morning, America” and
National Geographic) and “Favorite Long Distance Trail” (by the readers
of Backpacker magazine).

For more information and an application to take advantage of this offer,
call ATC at (828) 254-3708 or go on line to
www.appalachiantrail.org/tnlicenseplate.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy is a volunteer-based organization
dedicated to the preservation and management of the natural, scenic,
historic, and cultural resources associated with the Appalachian
National Scenic Trail in order to provide primitive outdoor-recreation
and educational opportunities for Trail visitors.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Morgan Sommerville, (828) 254-3708, msommerville at appalachiantrail.org
Joe DeLoach (423) 229-1602, joedelo at eastman.com


"Hike to it!"