Sense of Place

by Nancy Henderson

The man in charge of the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park has big plans to preserve the area's natural resources - and get the public involved.

Shawn Benge faced a number of daunting challenges two years ago when he took over as superintendent of the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park. Invasive plants had eclipsed Civil War sites, vandals had damaged historic cannons and carriages, and tech-hungry visitors were losing interest in traditional museums.

Some positive changes had taken place, too. The acreage at Lookout Mountain Battlefield was about to expand and finally, after years of delays and discussion, the Moccasin Bend National Archaeological District had become an official part of the park. It was time, Benge knew, to get the public excited about one of the area's most precious resources.

Read the rest of the story in Chattanooga Magazine's EnviroLink 2009 supplement! Available now online or at local booksellers like Barnes and Noble, A Novel Idea on Frazier Avenue, or at Rock Point Books on Broad Street.