Evergreen Ball Reaches New Heights - Friends of the Smokies

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
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