Evergreen Ball Reaches New Heights - Friends of the Smokies

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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
Page 1: © Don McGowan January 21 st marked
Page 5 and 6: P R O J E C T U P D A T E S Friends
Page 7 and 8: Events and Volunteer Opportunities

Evergreen Ball Reaches New Heights - Friends of the Smokies

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