...(9) “Take” means to harass, hunt, capture, or kill, or to attempt to harass, hunt, capture, or kill wildlife...
Citation: T. C. A. § 70-8-103.
...(c) Except as provided in regulations issued by the commission, it is unlawful for any person to take, attempt to take, possess, transport, export, process, sell or offer for sale or ship nongame wildlife. Subject to the same exception, it is also unlawful for any common or contract carrier knowingly to transport or receive for shipment nongame wildlife.
Citation: T. C. A. § 70-8-104.
(a) The executive director shall establish such programs, including acquisition of land or aquatic habitat, as are deemed necessary for management of nongame and endangered or threatened wildlife. The executive director shall utilize all authority vested in the agency to carry out the purposes of this section.
(b) In carrying out programs authorized by this section, the executive director may enter into agreements with federal agencies, political subdivisions of the state, or with private persons for administration and management of any area established under this section or utilized for management of nongame and endangered or threatened wildlife.
(c) The governor shall review other programs administered by the governor and, to the extent practicable, utilize such programs in furtherance of the purposes of this section. The governor shall also encourage other state and federal agencies to utilize their authorities in furtherance of the purposes of this section....
Citation: T. C. A. § 70-8-106.
The executive director is authorized to enter into cooperative agreements with other states and the federal government for the establishment and maintenance of programs for the conservation of nongame, endangered or threatened species of wildlife.
Citation: T. C. A. § 70-8-111.
The list of threatened species and special concern species maintained pursuant to § 70-8-304(7) may be used by the department in commenting on proposed public works projects in the state, and the department shall encourage voluntary efforts to prevent the plants on this list from becoming endangered species. This part shall not, however, be used to interfere with, delay or impede any public works project.
Citation: T. C. A. § 70-8-308.
(a) It is a violation of this part for any person other than the landowner, lessee, or other person entitled to possession, or the manager, in the case of publicly owned land, or a person with the written permission of the landowner or manager, to knowingly uproot, dig, take, remove, damage, destroy, possess, or otherwise disturb for any purpose, any endangered species...
(b) It is a violation of this part for any nursery farmer to export from this state or to sell any endangered species without first obtaining a license from the commissioner as provided in § 70-8-304(3). The license shall allow any nursery farmer to purchase a maximum of ten (10) plants of any endangered species in each calendar year without being in violation of this part.
Citation: T. C. A. § 70-8-309.
(a) The commissioner shall establish programs as necessary and utilize and participate in existing programs and authorities, in order to conserve rare plants in Tennessee.
(b) The commissioner may enter into agreements with federal agencies, other state agencies, other states, political subdivisions of this state, or individuals or organizations with respect to programs designed to conserve rare plants, including agreements for the administration or management, or both, of any area established under the authority of the department for conserving, managing, enhancing, or protecting rare plants. The commissioner shall not enter into any such agreements that would delay or impede any public works project without the explicit approval of the agency responsible for such project.
(c) The commissioner is authorized to and may receive funds, donations, grants, or other moneys, gifts, or properties by devise or purchase necessary to execute this section.
(d) The commissioner of agriculture is also authorized to perform any of the actions listed in subsections (a)-(c).
Citation: T. C. A. § 70-8-312.
(a) All records, equipment and properties of the division of geology and the former Tennessee state park and forestry commission shall be kept in the department of environment and conservation.
(b) All records, equipment and properties of the division of forestry shall be kept in the department of agriculture.
(c) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, the following records as defined by § 10-7-301 of any division of the department of environment and conservation shall be confidential and shall not be open for inspection by members of the public:...
(2) Disclosing the specific location of threatened, endangered, or rare species that would not be available to the public under the federal law or regulation...
Citation: T. C. A. § 11-1-102.