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Oppose the destructive 'Road to Nowhere' in the Great Smoky Mountains
Problem
Solution The monetary settlement option has widespread, bi-partisan support:
Background on North Shore Road The most significant threat to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park is posed by the North Shore Road project in Swain County, North Carolina. Starting with Harvey Broome, Bob Marshall and Ernie Dickerman in the 1950's, the North Shore Road has had the continuous attention and required continuous effort by conservationists. The steep terrain which the North Shore Road would traverse would damage the Park's wilderness landscape, its scenic qualities and wildlife habitat. The presence of Anakeesta rock in the area would result in the leaching of acids and heavy metals into streams and Fontana Lake as rainwater reacted with the exposed minerals. This destructive intrusion into the superb wildlands of Smoky Mountains National Park, against the stated position of the Park administration, would only serve to justify politicization of Park decision making, a damaging precedent for Parks across our nation. The North Shore Road proposal dates back to 1941, when the Congress approved construction of the Fontana Dam Project by the Tennessee Valley Authority to generate electricity for nearby aluminum smelters needed in the war effort. In acquiring land for the lake, TVA realized it would flood NC Route 288, which gave access to a good many tracts of private land on the north shore of the future lake. Because these property owners were legally entitled to access over NC 288, TVA first proposed to rebuild it above the water line. But the War Production Board refused to make workers or material available for this road project. The property which was serviced by NC 288 was enclosed in a 44,000 acre area that was within the Park acquisition boundary, but which had never been acquired due to lack of funds. After permission to rebuild NC 288 was refused, TVA proceeded to buy or condemn the 44,000 acres. By this action, all the private land owners and their tenants were moved out and their access rights were extinguished by the acquisition. TVA then transferred the 44,000 acres to the Department of the Interior for addition to the Park, and because compensation was still owed for the road itself, it was thought that there should be a written agreement to address all remaining issues. This was done, and became the so-called "1943 Agreement." Recently, an organized effort by Swain County residents has begun to push for a cash settlement between the Park Service and the county as an alternative to the road. Wednesday, February 12, 2003, the Swain County Commission passed a resolution advocating for a cash settlement in lieu of the road. This alternative offers a win-win solution to this decades old dispute, however, support for this destructive road project persists among others, including influential local Congressman Charles Taylor. Beginning March 10, the Department of Transportation and the National Park Service are beginning the process of preparing an Environmental Impact Statement to inform a decision on whether or not to finish the road. What are the Issues and How Should They be Resolved? 1. Destruction of the natural environment: The steep, high-angle
topography in this part of the park would require massive cuts and
fills in any road building. Unsightly blemishes on the natural landscape,
and the natural viewscape, they would constantly enlarge themselves
due to the unstable soil. On the portions of the road built near Bryson
City, the anakeesta formation has been exposed. Rainwater and surface
water leach from the rocks of this formation acids and chemicals which
sterilize any stream into which they flow. This is not degradation;
it is annihilation of all aquatic species. 
March 2, 2005: Smoky Mountain News March 2, 2005: Smoky Mountain News Feb 27, 2005: Charlotte Observer Feb 23, 2005: Asheville Citizen – Times Feb 23, 2005: Asheville Citizen – Times Feb 26, 2005: Maryville Daily Times Photo: Bob Gale/Western North Carolina Alliance; used with permission. Up to Top |
