Dear (NAME OF ELECTED OFFICIAL),

State officials recently recommended replacing the 60-year-old Moccasin Bend Mental Health Institute with a new facility on the same state-owned property on Moccasin Bend where the hospital was originally built. While the proposed footprint is smaller, the location remains within the Moccasin Bend National Archeological District, arguably the most historically and culturally significant property in Tennessee. Given the importance of this monumental decision, the community would benefit greatly from transparency on the process leading to this proposal, including:

·         The vision for the new facility and guiding principles for the project

·         The objective criteria considered in assessing the reported 40+ potential locations for a new facility and in recommending a rebuild on Moccasin Bend

·         Consultations with other Moccasin Bend stakeholders including local government, the National Park Service, and Tribal entities

·         Any local, state, or national experts consulted in the process

Without an understanding of this critical information, supporting a proposal to rebuild on Moccasin Bend – one that that will keep a non-conforming use within a National Park site for generations to come - is difficult. Please consider the following:

 ·         In 2003, the US Congress approved the creation of the Moccasin Bend National Archeological District as a unit of the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park.   

·         The community and multiple Moccasin Bend stakeholders long expected that when the time came to build a new Mental Health Institute, the State would identify a new location off the Bend given the extensive culturally sensitive resources that are well-documented since the time of the original construction.  The state’s 88 acres would then become part of the National Archeological District and developed appropriately, facilitating an extension of the Tennessee Riverwalk.

·         The Mental Health Institute would move from its isolated location on Moccasin Bend and enjoy a new setting, one with opportunities for the dedicated hospital staff to work closely and holistically with other healthcare providers in delivering valuable services to those in need of mental health care.

·         Completing the 2003 vision for an expanded National Archeological District is a tremendous opportunity for Tennessee residents and visitors alike to celebrate Moccasin Bend’s 12,000 years of human habitation, as well as its significant role in the 1863 Battles for Chattanooga as the US Army supply line route and an important artillery position.

·         Moccasin Bend is a crossroads of many layers of history, featuring a major route along the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail and, through the Jacob Cummings story, a designated location along the Underground Railroad National Network of Freedom.

·         The economic benefit to the greater Chattanooga area from the nearly one million visitors to Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park totaled $81M in 2022; tourism studies anticipate an additional 250,000 visitors to the area once the National Archeological District is fully interpreted.

We respectfully request that the State complete a comprehensive plan with stakeholder involvement before investing hundreds of millions of dollars in a generationally important land use decision that will impact our mental health community, the State’s partners and neighbors on Moccasin Bend, and the National Archeological District that belongs to all Tennesseans and Americans.

With gratitude and respect,

(NAME)

(CITY, STATE)