Tennessee home owners have filed a lawsuit against the state’s Department of Natural Resources and the Forest Service after a major clearing of their property led to thousands of acres of forest being cleared for the construction of homes and other structures.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Nashville, was filed Tuesday by residents and property owners who claim they were defrauded by the state Department of Forest Resources and Forest Service and Forest Preserve Trust after they signed a land clearing agreement in January 2017.

The plaintiffs include residents and homeowners from Davidson, Memphis, and Chattanooga who say they were misled into signing the agreement by the Tennessee Department of Land and Natural Resources.

The suit also seeks unspecified damages for the plaintiffs.DNR spokesman Joe Gebbia said in a statement the agency has “fully investigated” the claims and “will vigorously defend against the claims made in this case.”

The lawsuit names Forest Preserves Trust, the Tennessee Land and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

The Tennessee Forest Preserving Trust is part of the Tennessee Natural Resources Council.

The Forest Presizing Trust was established in the 1950s to protect forests and preserve wildlife habitat.

The Department of Agriculture has been handling forest management in the state since 1996, when it was created under a law that created a Forest Service Department.