The Tennessee Plant Conservation Alliance held its first organizational meeting today and voted to begin work on behalf of the state's plant species. The meeting was held at Cheekwood Gardens in Nashville and included over 25 pariticipants, representing state and federal agencies, botanical gardens and academic institutions from across the state. Jon Evans will serve on its inaugural Steering Committee. Plant Conservation Alliances are networks of private and public entities that agree to work together to leverage expertise and resources for the common goal of conserving a state’s native plants and their habitats. PCAs are project driven and focus on preventing plant extinctions within the state. Tennessee has over 500 plant species that have been identified as being imperiled by TDEC- Division of Natural Areas, which has lead responsibility for plant conservation in the state. The Tennessee Plant Conservation Alliance (TNPCA) will now serve as a statewide network of conservation professionals and specially trained volunteers that will actively work together to conserve and restore Tennessee’s imperiled plant species and their habitats. Working with the TDEC Division of Natural Heritage, the TNPCA steering committee will begin prioritizing native plant species and plant communities for conservation projects this spring.