BusinessTN

The Gray Fossil Site, one of the largest deposits of fossilized plants and animals on earth, could have Washington County seeing lots of green for decades to come.

The site spans five acres off State Route 75 (about 10 miles from Johnson City) and was discovered by road construction workers in May 2000.

“It was Gov. Don Sundquist’s vision that this could become a major tourism and research facility,” says Nick Fielder, director with the state’s division of archaeology.

The former governor granted nearby East Tennessee State University $10 million to build a state-of-the-art museum and visitors center, scheduled to open next summer to display thousands of remnants already recovered. And the work is just beginning.

“We’re still digging, [but] 95% of the work takes place in the lab. There’s a big effort now to get things done before the museum opens,” in particular preparing the fossils for display, says Larry Bristol, the site’s paleontology coordinator.

The fossil site, largely owned by ETSU, is teeming with remains from the late Miocene Epoch, between 4.5 and seven million years ago. Remains include three complete rhinoceroses, plus alligators and saber-toothed cats, just to name a few.

Bristol realized every paleontologists’ dream when he discovered the tooth of a red panda never before recorded, which now bears his name: Pristinailurus bristoli.

The half acres flanking the site not owned by the university are each private properties, and neither owner is ready to give up their land to science.

Crossroads Christian Church has refused to sell a hill located on its property that contains fossils. “We prefer not selling it,” says Clint Andrews, the church’s pastor. “Instead, we have given them permission to dig on it all they want. At this point, they have not done so.”

Bristol wasn’t able to confirm or deny Andrews’ claim, but says the university would like to own the entire deposit. The other land owner set up an amateurish, tent-covered dig just across the fence almost shoulder-to-shoulder with Gray Fossil Site workers, and sells its finds on eBay. Even without total site ownership, there’s still 100 years worth of work left, Bristol says.

It’s difficult to determine how much tourism cash the county could ultimately make, but it’s certain to leave a positive legacy from the “Sundquist Era.” feedback: shoemaker@businesstn.com