Evergreen Ball Reaches New Heights - Friends of the Smokies

© Don McGowan
January 21 st marked the third annual
Evergreen Ball at Cherokee Country Club
in Knoxville. More than 420 park supporters
enjoyed shopping in the silent and wine
auction rooms, a spirited live auction, and
finally dancing to the music of
MacDaddies, all for the benefit of the
Smokies.
Auctioneers Sam Furrow and John
Tolsma worked the crowd and kept bidders
on their toes. The high ticket live auction
item, one not seen before in this area, was a
1.5-acre mountain lot in the gated community
of the Estates at Norton Creek. John
and Judy Griess were the high bidders at
$225,000 for this prime property donated by
developers Cathy Ackermann, who attended
with husband Tommy Walker, and Robin
Turner, who attended with his wife, DeAnn.
(sha-CON-a-gee)
the place of blue smoke, the Cherokee name for the Great Smoky Mountains
Evergreen Ball Reaches New Heights
Other auction items included a $10,000
wardrobe from M.S. McClellan, purchased
by Sid Blalock, and an all-expenses-paid trip
to the 2006 Kennedy Center Honors, purchased
by Ball co-chairs Kathy May and
Burroughs Wellcome Fund Adds
$138,600 for WNC Science Education
The Burroughs Wellcome Fund has
announced a three-year, $138,600 grant to
renew its support for science education programs
for middle and high school students on
the North Carolina side of Great Smoky
Mountains National Park. This new grant follows
an initial three-year, $165,100 grant from
the Burroughs Wellcome Fund in late 2002.
Both grants were secured by Friends of the
Smokies.
The three-year project extension will
include half-day educational programs for more
than 1,800 middle and high school students
each year, as well as paid internships for eight
high school students each summer. “The day
programs address key points in the North
Carolina science curriculum, and they are
designed to encourage greater interest in
inquiry-based learning,” said Paul Super,
Science Coordinator at the park’s Appalachian
Highlands Science Learning Center. “The summer
internships allow high school students to
Jack Williams
(Left to right) DeAnn Turner, Robin Turner, Cathy
Ackermann, and Tommy Walker helped make the 3 rd
Annual Evergreen Ball the most productive special event in
the history of Friends of the Smokies.
explore science in greater depth by contributing
to real research projects in the Smokies.”
Based in North Carolina’s Research
Triangle Park, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund is
an independent, non-profit foundation that supports
research and other scientific and educational
activities. Founded in 1955, the
Burroughs Wellcome Fund makes approximately
$25 million in grants annually. The grants to
Friends of the Smokies are part of the fund’s
Student Science Enrichment Program, which
supports creative science enrichment activities
for North Carolina students in sixth through
twelfth grades.
“By committing more than $300,000 over
six years, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund has
been a true leader in science education in
Western North Carolina,” said Stephen W.
Woody, Vice Chairman of the Friends’ Board of
Directors. “We are very grateful for all their
support.”
NPS
Patty Lewis and their husbands Joe May and
Jerry Lewis.
The Evergreen Ball has quickly grown
to be Friends of the Smokies’ largest event.
This great success was made possible in
large part by our generous sponsors: Estates
at Norton Creek, Clayton Homes,
Gettelfinger Properties, Haslam Family
Foundation, Pilot Travel Centers, Citizens
National Bank, Anderson Media
Corporation, Denark Construction, Holrob
Investments, Home Federal Bank, Knoxville
News Sentinel, Nisus Corporation, Riverside
Towers, Scripps Networks, and Stokely
Hospitality. We are also grateful to those
who donated items for the auctions and to
everyone who joined us on January 21 st ,
making it a magical evening for Friends of
the Smokies.
Part of the Burroughs Wellcome Fund grant will be used
to continue a very successful summer internship program
for high school students. One teacher reported that the
internship “saved” a student from dropping out of school
completely; he is now planning to study forestry in college.
Another student called her internship “one of the
pivotal experiences of my life.”
For 2006, eight summer internships will be available at
the Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center near
Maggie Valley. For more information, go online to
www.nps.gov/grsm/pksite/internships.htm or call Paul
Super at (828) 926-6251.
the Newsletter of Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park Vol 11. No 1 | Spring 2006

from the Friends
BY JIM HART, PRESIDENT
As I write this column, the tops
of the Smokies are frosted with
snow, but few are there to see it.
Last year’s crowds are indoors now,
busy at their jobs or schoolwork, or
visiting warmer climates. Even the
wildlife is largely missing, with
black bears hibernating and migratory
birds off to Florida, the
Caribbean, and Latin America.
With the recent passing of several
members of the park family,
winter seems even quieter than
usual. Philanthropist Lindsay Young, a founding board member
of Friends of the Smokies, died at age 93 in early February.
Former Friends board member and former Cherokee Chief Leon
Jones preceded him six weeks earlier. One of the donors of the
magnificent 530-acre Purchase Knob property, Voit Gilmore,
also passed away. Last but certainly not least, park employee
Arney Kovin died before his time in an unfortunate car accident.
We are grateful for each of these people and many more
who came before them. They loved these mountains, and they
made a positive difference. I mention them here not out of sadness,
but to recognize their commitment to the park. We will
miss them, but we will also honor them by carrying on their
legacy.
In fact, many of our efforts this year will build on their
efforts – the fight to save the hemlocks, championed by Lindsay
Young; new bi-lingual exhibits on the Oconaluftee River Trail,
which connects the park with the Cherokee lands; science and
education programs at Purchase Knob; and a new recycling trailer
for the South District, a project enthusiastically promoted by
Arney Kovin.
With your support, we will continue these projects and
launch many new efforts, too. That is what I enjoy so much
about our park family. From the park founders to our presentday
park champions to tomorrow’s leaders, we are part of something
truly great that transcends the generations.
That seems especially true when spring approaches. As the
days grow longer and the sun shines brighter, the snows will
melt, the bears will leave their dens, and the birds will return
from the tropics. The people will return, too – students, teachers,
hikers, campers, historians, scientists, volunteers, picnickers, and
new friends.
Thank you for all you do to carry on our collective tradition
of preserving and protecting the Great Smoky Mountains!
© Don McGowan
for the Park
BY DALE DITMANSON, SUPERINTENDENT
Since early December, many of
us have been heavily involved in
planning and decision-making activities.
The two main issues being
addressed - the long-debated North
Shore Road and the future of the
Elkmont District - both date back to
the Park’s creation.
The road issue began during
World War II, when the Park accepted
private land that lay north of the
soon-to-be-completed Fontana Lake
under a 1943 agreement that
required that a road be built through
the area if Congress provided funding. Some road construction
began in the 1960s and 1970s, but was halted by rising costs,
engineering problems, and environmental impacts, with about 30
miles of road left uncompleted. In 2000, Congress earmarked
funds to resume construction, which required the National Park
Service to complete an Environmental Impact Statement to
determine if the road could be built given current legal, social,
and cost considerations.
In January, a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)
was released for public comment on the five alternative actions
which might be implemented in order to discharge and satisfy
any federal obligations arising from the 1943 Agreement. The
DEIS does not include a preferred alternative, but provides
detailed information on the costs, benefits, and potential resource
impacts of each of the alternatives.
On the other side of the park, the Elkmont enclave includes
74 vacant buildings that were acquired by the Park in the 1920s
and 1930s, though former owners were allowed to retain use of
their cabins under a series of leases until 1992. By the time the
leases expired, the management of the structures had to be evaluated
under provisions of the National Historic Preservation Act.
At the same time, any proposed actions affecting the natural values
of the surrounding forest and river banks needed to be considered
under requirements of the National Environmental Policy
Act.
To comply with these two laws, the Park has released a
Draft Environmental Impact Statement, which lays out the natural,
cultural, and cost implications of seven alternative strategies
for managing the Elkmont District. The alternatives range from
removal of all structures to retention of nearly all of them. In the
DEIS, the Park proposes a middle-ground alternative that retains
a total of 19 structures which would be used to interpret the history
of the District from pre-European times through the logging
era and the role of Elkmont as a resort community.
The comment periods end April 7 for the North Shore Road
and May 11 for Elkmont. We are encouraging members of the
Friends and other Park interest groups to become acquainted
with both issues by visiting their project websites
(www.northshoreroad.info and www.elkmont-gmpa-ea.com) to
learn about the alternatives and to comment if they choose. You
have been so generous with your time and financial resources;
rest assured that your thoughts and ideas are welcome, too!
NPS
2
is produced by Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and is published three times a year.
Phone: (865)453-2428 | e-mail: fotsmail@bellsouth.net | www.friendsofthesmokies.org | Editor: George Ivey
Graphic Design, Printing & Mail Services by
Daniels Graphics, Asheville, NC

Board of Directors
Gary R. Wade • Sevierville,TN
Chair
Stephen W. Woody • Asheville, NC
Vice Chair
John B. Waters • Sevierville,TN
Secretary
John B. Dickson • Asheville, NC
Treasurer
Board Members
Fred Alexander • Franklin, NC
Bill Baxter • Knoxville,TN
Mimi Cecil • Asheville, NC
Myron Coulter • Waynesville, NC
Vicky Fulmer • Maryville,TN
Natalie Haslam • Knoxville,TN
Mary Johnson • Johnson City,TN
Deener Matthews • Waynesville, NC
Linda Ogle • Pigeon Forge,TN
Hal Roberts • Waynesville, NC and Lakeland, FL
Mark K. Williams • Knoxville,TN
Emeritus Board Members
Kathryn McNeil • San Francisco, CA
Wilma Dykeman Stokely • Asheville, NC
Judy Morton • Knoxville,TN
David White • Sevierville,TN
Honorary Board Members
Sandy Beall • Maryville,TN
Jack Williams • Knoxville,TN
Staff & Office
Information
Tennessee/Main Office
Jim Hart, President
Amy Anderson, Marketing Manager
Holly Burcham, Office/Special Projects Assistant
Lauren Gass, Special Projects Coordinator
Nan Jones, Assistant Director of Operations
107 Joy Street
Post Office Box 5650
Sevierville,TN 37864-5650
Phone: (865) 453-2428 or
(800) 845-5665
Fax: (865) 453-5785
E-mail: fotsmail@bellsouth.net
North Carolina Office
George Ivey, Director of Development
Elaine Stewart, Membership and Office Assistant
160 South Main Street
Waynesville, NC 28786
Phone: (828) 452-0720
Fax: (828) 452-0767
E-mail: grtsmoky@bellsouth.net
Website:
www.friendsofthesmokies.org
Haiman Foundation Grants
$27,000 for Smokies Projects
The Richard Haiman
National Park Foundation
of Winter Park, Florida,
has granted $27,000 to
Friends of the Smokies to
support education programs
and trail and shelter
projects.
The Haiman
Foundation provided
$10,000 to support “Parks
as Classrooms,” a series
of curriculum-based lessons
that each year benefit
thousands of elementary
and middle school students
from East Tennessee
and Western North
Carolina. In spring and
fall, schools visit various
areas of the park in order
to take advantage of
these learning opportunities.
In winter, rangers
go into the schools, in
effect, bringing the park
into the classrooms. This
is the seventh straight
year that the Haiman Foundation has supported
the Parks as Classrooms program.
Another $6,000 will support improvements
to the trail to Cataract Falls at
Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg.
The trail is a popular spot for hiking,
Parks as Classrooms programs, and
ranger-led outings. However, heavy use
of the trail threatens nearby resources,
such as vegetation and sensitive streamside
areas. The funds from the Haiman
Foundation will be used to buy materials
to stabilize a 600-foot section of the trail
and to improve the trail’s stream crossings.
The Haiman Foundation also provided
$11,000 to renovate the Cosby Knob
Shelter, which is located approximately
three miles south of Mount Cammerer on
the Smokies’ portion of the Appalachian
Trail. This project is the latest step in an
ongoing effort to renovate all fifteen of the
park’s trail shelters in order to provide
hikers with safer, cleaner, and more comfortable
accommodations. The newer
The latest round of grants from the Richard Haiman National
Park Foundation includes $10,000 for Parks as Classrooms,
$11,000 to renovate the Cosby Knob shelter, and $6,000 to
support improvements to the trail to Cataract Falls at Sugarlands
Visitor Center near Gatlinburg.
shelters are also designed to minimize
potential problems with black bears.
This will be the eighth shelter rehabilitation
project funded by the Haiman
Foundation.
Richard Haiman was an avid hiker
and long-time supporter of Great Smoky
Mountains National Park. He is responsible
for more than $265,000 provided to
Friends of the Smokies, including more
than $70,000 during his lifetime and
another $195,000 through the Richard
Haiman National Park Foundation, which
was established when he passed away.
The foundation funds trail repairs, education
programs, and other projects in selected
national parks.
“We are very grateful for all that
Richard Haiman has made possible in the
Smokies,” said Park Superintendent Dale
Ditmanson. “We are also very thankful to
the foundation’s board members for continuing
Richard Haiman’s legacy of support
for park resources, local schoolchildren,
and other visitors.”
© Don McGowan
3

Needs and Opportunities for 2006
You’ll find it all here – hemlocks, school programs, historic buildings, black bears, trail projects, a recycling trailer, Student Conservation
Association interns, wayside exhibits, volunteer support, and so much more. It’s also individual memberships, foundation grants, corporate
donations, memorial gifts, specialty license plate proceeds, and pennies, nickels, dimes, and dollars from donation boxes. However you
look at it, the list adds up to more than $1 million for conservation, education, and other park priorities. Thank you for making it all
possible!
Natural Resource Preservation and Management
• Help suppress the invasion of the hemlock woolly
adelgid - $136,000
• Monitor acid deposition effects on streams - $105,000
• Provide continuing support for the Smokies’All Taxa Biodiversity
Inventory - $59,500
• Provide additional support for the Lindsay Young Beneficial Insects
Laboratory at UT-Knoxville - $50,000
• Support park wildlife programs - $19,100
• Support the conservation and education programs of the
Appalachian Bear Center - $10,000
• Improve storage and display of the park’s passenger pigeon
specimen - $5,500
• Support a summer intern for the park’s fisheries program - $3,600
• Support the park’s feral hog eradication program - $2,500
• Maintain Fraser fir restoration plots at Purchase Knob - $2,000
• Support research on peregrine falcons and grassland birds - $1,200
Educational and Visitor Services
• Support Parks as Classrooms in Tennessee and North
Carolina - $110,000
• Support seasonal resource education programs - $75,900
• Support educational programs at the Great Smoky Mountains
Institute at Tremont - $67,500
• Support Parks as Classrooms programs and high school science
internships at the Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center -
$52,200
• Provide seasonal support at park visitor centers - $35,000
• Support enrichment programs for North Carolina science teachers -
$34,576
• Revise and expand the Junior Ranger program - $7,500
• Support the 56 th annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage - $4,000
Cultural Resource Preservation
• Restore historic fences in Cades Cove - $25,000
• Support historic preservation projects - $25,000
• Support emergency stabilization of the Elijah Oliver cabin in Cades
Cove - $5,000
• Re-publish booklet on historic buildings - $1,786
Trail and Backcountry Management
• Support backcountry trails programs, including the Appalachian
Trail Ridgerunners and the Rocky Top Trail Crew - $34,000
• Install new wayside exhibits along Newfound Gap Road - $20,000
• Renovate the Cosby Knob Shelter - $11,000
• Make improvements to the trail to Cataract Falls - $6,000
• Maintain cabling for bear-proof food storage at backcountry camp
sites - $4,000
• Support the installation of new signage on the Oconaluftee River
Trail - $1,000
• Support ‘Leave No Trace’ educational programs - $800
Frontcountry and Facility Improvements
• Provide operational support for the Appalachian Highlands Science
Learning Center - $25,500
• Purchase and promote use of a new recycling trailer for the South
District - $8,800
• Provide temporary sanitary facilities in Cataloochee Valley - $5,100
• Provide temporary sanitary facilities at the Townsend Wye - $5,000
Visitor and Resource Protection
• Provide support for an officer safety initiative - $25,000
• Support the Volunteer Visitor Assistance Program - $4,000
• Support search-and-rescue efforts - $1,550
Parkwide Needs and Initiatives
• Support the Student Conservation Association internship program -
$93,900
• Support the Volunteers-in-Parks (VIP) Program - $4,650
• Support park partnerships - $4,000
Total for 2006 = $1,092,162
If you are interested in making a specific gift to support one of the
projects listed above, please contact George Ivey, Director of
Development, at georgeiv@bellsouth.net or (828) 452-0720.
4
the Newsletter of Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park Vol 11. No 1

P R O J E C T
U P D A T E S
Friends of the Smokies will provide $186,000 in 2006 to support
ongoing efforts to control the hemlock woolly adelgid (ah-DEL-jid)
in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Thanks to the Aslan Foundation and many other donors, the
Lindsay Young Beneficial Insects Laboratory at UT-Knoxville has
been greatly expanded in order to raise more predator beetles to eat
the harmful adelgids. As a result, predator beetle production at the
lab increased from 35,533 beetles in 2004 to 77,083 beetles and
40,514 eggs in 2005. In turn, the park increased its beetle and egg
releases in the Smokies from 14 locations in 2004 to 46 locations in
2005.
In the meantime, Friends of the Smokies continues to support
additional on-the-ground work to save the hemlock forests of the
Smokies, including a dedicated work crew, supplies, and materials to
support both chemical and biological treatments.
We are grateful to all of our donors for making these efforts
possible!
Thanks to
many generous
donors, local students
in
Kindergarten
through 8 th grades
will continue to
enjoy the park’s
curriculum-based
Parks as
Classrooms programs.
In addition
to the $10,000 gift
from the Richard
Haiman National
Park Foundation
(see article on page 3), the Parks as Classrooms program received
$2,500 from the Duke Energy Foundation, as well as $5,000 from
CitiFinancial Auto to support teacher workshops based on the Parks as
Classrooms programs.
Also, on December 4 th , 2005, Geoff and Pat Wolpert and The Park
Grill in Gatlinburg hosted more than 175 people for their annual Taste
of the Grill event to benefit the Parks as Classrooms program. The
event also served as a farewell party for Louise Mandrell, who sold
her theater at year’s end to return to Middle Tennessee. The event
raised more than $11,000 for Parks as Classrooms.
Friends of the Smokies offers its sincere thanks to everyone who
has supported these educational programs for local school children!
On Wednesday, February 1, 2006, Great Smoky Mountains
National Park held a groundbreaking ceremony to officially begin
construction of the new Twin Creeks Science and Education Center,
which will be located just south of Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Thanks in
large part to a significant gift from Wilma Maples of Gatlinburg,
Friends of the Smokies has provided $285,000 to support this new
$3,925,000 facility.
“The long-planned center will allow us to more efficiently manage
our research, science, and monitoring activities, which have
grown significantly over the years,” said Park Superintendent Dale
Ditmanson. Innovative design strategies will also make this facility a
model for “green” building technology. The 15,000-square-foot center
will feature minimal site disturbance, reuse of cultivated materials,
day-lighting, and natural storm water management. Energy-efficient
and recycled materials, along with low-flow plumbing, will also
be utilized. This facility is the first major new building being constructed
in the park since the 1960s.
© Don McGowan
© Don McGowan
NPS
| Spring 2006
5

Specialty Plates Yield More Than $730,000 in 2005
© Don McGowan
(left to right) Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson,
Jaycie Chitwood from Toyota, and Park Air Quality
Specialist Jim Renfro were all on hand for the donation
of four Toyota Prius vehicles. Each vehicle has a
unique exterior image depicting various park programs
and resources, including a park ranger working
with schoolchildren; a river otter by a waterfall;
a salamander in a streamside setting; and volunteers
helping visitors.
In both Tennessee and North Carolina, 2005 marked another strong year for
the specialty license plate programs benefiting Friends of the Smokies.
“The plate program has been an overwhelming success in both states,” said
Gary R. Wade, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Friends of the Smokies.
“We are very thankful for all the projects that the plate supporters make possible,
and we look forward to doing even more in 2006.”
Tennessee
Revenue from the Tennessee specialty
plate topped $552,000 in 2005. Those
funds contributed to a wide number of
park projects and programs, including
$135,000 to support the new Twin Creeks Science and Education Center near
Gatlinburg; $67,500 for education programs at the Great Smoky Mountains
Institute at Tremont; $47,000 to support Student Conservation Association
interns; and more than $18,000 to help protect the park’s hemlock forests.
The State of Tennessee offers the Smokies specialty tag through County
Clerk’s Offices throughout the state. Of the extra $35 annual fee for the specialty
plate, $31.24 goes to Friends of the Smokies to help support conservation,
education, and other park priorities in Tennessee.
North Carolina
The North Carolina specialty plate
brought in $181,800, making 2005 its
most productive year yet. Those funds
supported several different projects related
to education and conservation, including
$55,000 for renovations and operations at the Appalachian Highlands
Science Learning Center near Maggie Valley; $39,000 to support the 5 th year
of the experimental return of elk to the Smokies; and $20,000 for the Parks as
Classrooms program.
Of the extra $30 annual fee for the specialty tag, $20 goes to Friends of the
Smokies to support projects and programs on the North Carolina side of the
park. Launched in 1999, the North Carolina Smokies license plate has now
raised a grand total of $716,400.
© Don McGowan © Don McGowan
Proceeds from the Smokies plate program in North Carolina
supported significant changes at the Appalachian Highlands
Science Learning Center near Maggie Valley. The renovated
facility is expected to reopen in May 2006.
Thanks to gifts of $285,000 from both
Friends of the Smokies and the Great
Smoky Mountains Association and
$3,925,000 from the federal government,
builders will soon break ground for the
park’s new science center.
The Twin Creeks Science and
Education Center, to be located off of
Cherokee Orchard Road near Gatlinburg,
will greatly expand facility space for the
science and conservation efforts of the
park. The center will be equipped with a
large flexible workspace, a conference
room, a laboratory, and an equipment
room. These changes will supply park
scientists and outside researchers with
almost five times the amount of space
they have today. The building will also
include a climate-controlled room for
natural history collections and dedicated
space for volunteer projects and education
programs for both children and adults.
Park officials expect construction to be
completed by late Spring 2007.
The building is designed to have a
low impact on the environment through
use of extensive daylighting, on-site rock,
and sustainable materials. It is expected
to be nationally certified as an environmentally
friendly building under the
LEED (Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design) rating system.
The center will also provide a real-world
model for local building owners, designers,
and contractors interested in creating
their own “green” buildings.
“We are very thankful to the supporters
of the Smokies specialty plates in
Tennessee and a very special friend,
Wilma Maples, whose donation of
$150,000 made our support possible,” said
Jim Hart, President of Friends of the
Smokies. “This new facility will have
both an immediate and a long-term impact
on our understanding and management of
the park’s tremendous natural resources.”
(sha-CON-a-gee)
the place of blue smoke, the Cherokee name for the Great Smoky Mountains
With Help from Friends, New Science Center is on Its Way
Lord, Aeck and Sargent Architecture and Barbara Ratner
Toyota Donates Four Prius Hybrid Vehicles
On a sunny September morning at
Clingmans Dome, Toyota announced the
donation of four Prius vehicles to benefit
the park’s education and visitor programs.
The Toyota Prius is a gas/electric
hybrid sedan that offers excellent fuel
economy and is rated as an Advanced
Technology Partial Zero Emission Vehicle.
The vehicles are valued at $20,763 each,
for a total donation worth $83,052. The
vehicles were donated to Friends of the
Smokies, which immediately turned the
vehicles over to the park. The donation
from Toyota is one of the largest corporate
donations ever received by Friends of the
Smokies.
Two of the vehicles will support the
Smokies’ Parks as Classrooms program, a
series of ranger-led, curriculum-based lessons
for elementary and middle school students
from Western North Carolina and
East Tennessee.
The other two vehicles will support
the park’s Volunteer Visitor Assistance
Program, whereby park volunteers patrol
main roads, providing assistance for roadside
disabled vehicles, picking up litter on
roadsides, responding to visitor inquiries,
and much more.
The donation took place on National
Public Lands Day, which is also sponsored
by Toyota. As part of the event, students
from Pi Beta Phi Elementary School in
Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and Gatlinburg Girl
Scout Troop 692 participated in a volunteer
project at the air quality monitoring
the Newsletter of Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park Vol 10. No 3 | Fall 2005
© Don McGowan
station atop Clingmans Dome. “We are
committed to protecting the environment,”
said Jaycie Chitwood, Senior Strategist for
Toyota’s Advanced Technologies Group. “It
is this core value that has led us to donate
the hybrid vehicles to help the park with its
air quality issues, and, at the same time,
raise awareness that the public has choices.”
“We are very grateful to Toyota for
making this generous gift,” said Jim Hart.
“It’s great to be able to team up to help
with these park programs, while also
encouraging greater awareness and use of
solutions to the park’s air quality problems.”
Funds from the Smokies specialty plate programs in Tennessee
and North Carolina also provided support for the park’s water
quality monitoring program, which has provided important data
for park managers since 1980.
Missing a Newsletter?
When we sent out our Fall 2005 newsletter last November, we found out the hard way that there
was a glitch in the mailing data file that we sent to the printers. As a result, several hundred newsletters
had mixed-up mailing addresses. We have done our best to work with the post office to track
down these errant newsletters and get them to their proper destinations. However, if you still didn’t
receive your Fall 2005 newsletter, we still have a few left and will be happy to send out additional
copies until they are all gone. To ask for a replacement copy, please contact Holly Burcham at
fotshb@bellsouth.net or (865) 453-2428. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your
patience and continuing support!
6
the Newsletter of Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park Vol 11. No 1

Events and Volunteer Opportunities
River Day, Saturday, April 1
Join Keep Sevier Beautiful and National Park Service volunteers for a river cleanup along “the spur” between Gatlinburg and
Pigeon Forge. Meet at the Gatlinburg Welcome Center on the spur. Registration is at 9:00 a.m., and the event will go until 12 noon.
Trash bags, gloves, and safety vests will be provided. Folks should dress in old clothes, dress in layers, and wear sturdy shoes. For
more information, call Volunteers-in-Parks Coordinator Babette Collavo at (865) 436-1265.
56 th Annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage, April 24-30
This year’s Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage will feature more than 180 walks and talks about wildflowers,
birds, butterflies, history and culture, and much more. For information, go online to
www.springwildflowerpilgrimage.org. Also, volunteers are needed to assist with on-site
registration; if you can help, please call Holly Burcham with Friends of the Smokies at (865) 453-2428.
13 th Annual Run for the Park, Saturday, May 6
This 8K race will start at Tanger Five Oaks Mall in Sevierville at 8:00 a.m. on May 6 th .
Registration is $12 per person until May 3 rd , and $15 after that. Participants will receive a t-shirt,
goodie bag, merchant discounts, and a chance to win other prizes. All race proceeds will be donated to
Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and a portion of these funds will be used to combat
the hemlock woolly adelgid. For more information, please contact Holly Burcham at
fotshb@bellsouth.net or (865) 453-2428.
National Trails Day, Saturday, June 3
Join more than 100 other volunteers for our annual get-together to help maintain and improve the Smokies’ portion of the
Appalachian Trail. For more information on this year’s event, call Holly Burcham with Friends of the Smokies at (865) 453-2428, or
Phyllis Henry with the Smoky Mountains Hiking Club at (865) 577-2604.
Leadership Gifts
Friends of the Smokies would like to recognize the following donors for their recent and very generous contributions
from October 16, 2005 to February 20, 2006:
• Tennessee License Plate Supporters, $156,210 (quarterly proceeds)
• North Carolina License Plate Supporters, $85,360 (two quarterly payments)
• Ms. Kathryn McNeil, San Francisco, CA, $75,000+ for the Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center
• Crown Park Resort, Gatlinburg, TN, $35,368 for general support
• Great Smoky Mountains Association, Gatlinburg, TN, $34,125, for hemlock forest protection, through sales of the
Association’s “Save the Hemlocks” T-shirt
• Dr. Robert Lindsay, Seymour, TN, $10,000 for Parks as Classrooms
• Young, Williams, Kirk & Stone, PC, Knoxville, TN, $5,000+ in in-kind legal services
• Mr. and Mrs. Gordon S. Nelson, Maryville, TN, $5,000 for Cades Cove church preservation
• Lowe Family Foundation, Cincinnati, OH, $5,000 for general support
• The Cobble Family Foundation, Friendsville, TN, $5,000 for the Tremont Endowment
• Mr. and Mrs. W. P. Partridge, Knoxville, TN, $4,900+ for the fisheries program
• Anonymous, $2,500 for the feral hog program
• The Honorable and Mrs. William E. Haslam, Knoxville, TN, $2,500 for general support
• Mrs. Sharon Miller, Knoxville, TN, $2,500 for general support and Tremont Endowment
• Mrs. Barbara Jo Whitman, $2,500 for general support
• The Henry B. Kreuzman Family Foundation, Cincinnati, OH, $1,700 for hemlock forest protection and peregrine falcon
research
While space does not allow us to recognize every donor and every contribution, Friends of the Smokies sincerely
appreciates every gift.
© Don McGowan
| Spring 2006
7

Post Office Box 5650
Sevierville, Tennessee
37864-5650
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Available in TN at your local
County Clerk’s office. $31.24
of the $35 specialty license
plate fee goes to Friends.
Available in NC at your local
license plate agency. $20 of the
$30 specialty license plate fee
goes to Friends.
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Asheville, NC
Permit No. 272
New Look for Friends’ Website
www.friendsofthesmokies.org
Our website now has a whole
new look, so if you haven’t visited
in a while, please go online to
www.friendsofthesmokies.org
and check it out. You’ll find
information about our history, our
current projects, news releases,
links to partner organizations,
information on memberships and
planned giving, and much, much
more. You can also use our website
to make a secure online donation.
It’s a great way to learn more
about our organization and the
great work you make possible!
National Park Foundation Gives a Boost to Junior Rangers
The National Park Foundation has awarded a matching grant of $7,500 to Friends
of the Smokies to improve and expand the park’s Junior Ranger Program.
Funding for this matching grant was made possible through the generous support
of the Unilever Company, a Proud Partner of America’s National Parks and a National
Corporate Partner of the Junior Ranger program. The Alcoa Foundation, the Great
Smoky Mountains Association, and the National Park Service are providing matching
funds and other support, resulting in a combined effort worth more than $28,000.
To earn a Junior Ranger badge, a child must attend a ranger-led program and complete
an activity booklet addressing everything from animal tracks and tree leaves to
learning about a day in the life of a ranger. Every year, the park bestows Junior Ranger
honors on children from all across the country – from as close as Tennessee and North
Carolina to as far away as Maine, Alaska, and Hawaii. All in all, the program serves
approximately 4,500 children annually.
The matching grant from the National Park Foundation will help the Smokies’ Junior
Ranger Program reach more children more effectively. These changes include creating
new booklets and activities that are more age-appropriate; developing new and improved
ranger-led programs; and encouraging and recognizing more advanced involvement for
local children, extended-stay visitors, and repeat visitors who have the time and interest
to expand their basic Junior Ranger training.
“The Junior Ranger program provides a wonderful opportunity for children and families
to spend time together learning about the natural and cultural resources of their
national parks,” said Dale Ditmanson, Superintendent of Great Smoky Mountains
National Park. “We are very thankful that our donors and partners have teamed up with
our resource education rangers to make this great program even better.”
To participate in the Junior Ranger program, stop by any park visitor center to learn
about available ranger-led programs and to pick up a Junior Ranger activity booklet.
© Don McGowan
Thanks to new grant funds, the park will improve its
Junior Ranger program, including new activity
booklets and ranger-led outings. Partners in this
effort include the Great Smoky Mountains
Association, the National Park Foundation, and
Unilever, a National Corporate Partner of the Junior
Ranger program.
8
the Newsletter of Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park Vol 11. No 1