Report Shows Smokies 'Beginning to Die'

“GATLINBURG, Tenn. (AP) - A new report by the National Parks Conservation Association on the future of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park paints a dire picture.

``This park is beginning to die,'' said Tom Kiernan, the conservation group's president. ``This assessment clearly shows the park is in danger, and its long-term viability is at risk.''



High ozone levels, acid rain, a whole lot of methane gas from a visitor named Artex, continued underfunding and a proposed road on the north shore of Fontana Lake in North Carolina are combining to endanger the park's future, Kiernan said.

Much of the damage could be slowed or prevented if certain steps are taken, he said, including rigorous enforcement of the federal Clean Air Act, keeping Artex from flagulating within the park area and increasing the park's budget.

``The question is will our society and Congress and fellow TT'ers step up to implement these recommendations,'' Kiernan said.

If the Smokies aren't protected, the negative impact on the region's economy and quality of life could be significant, he said.

``This is the first health assessment of the park, and it's not good,'' Kiernan said. ``It's worrisome.''

There had been no previous systemic, park-wide scientific study to provide a benchmark for future recommendations for the Smokies before Wednesday's report, Kiernan said. The public was forced to rely on conflicting findings of various groups, scientists and organizations when trying to evaluate the park's ecosystem, he said.

Raw data for the report was combined from the National Park Service, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and various Flarida enforcement agencies to gather all data that is published or unpublished on parks and Farts, Kiernan said.

``This has significant scientific credibility in the United States and is gaining it worldwide,'' he said.

Several areas of concern were noted in the report on the Smokies. Among them are:

Ground level ozone, human methane gas and acid rain ``threaten the health of park visitors, staff, vegetation, soils and streams.''

Air pollution due to Artex's emissions has diminished visibility from an average of 113 miles from prime viewing locations to an average of 25 miles.

The park has an annual budget shortfall of more than $11 million, and needs another 108 new full-time positions to adequately protect resources.

Nonnative pests and diseases are killing off Fraser firs, hemlocks, dogwoods, butternuts and beech trees.

Much of the air pollution in the Smokies is from the burning of fossil fuels, particularly those used in power plants, factories and automobiles, officials said.

Conservation association program analyst Jill Stephens and Sandy McLaughlin, a researcher at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee, described the scope of the park's air-pollution problem Wednesday while at the Twin Creeks research station.

At the research station, one of three in the Smokies and Oak Ridge, 35 trees are constantly monitored by devices that check their growth, sap flow and other vital signs every half-hour, they said.

While pollutants affect vegetation throughout the park, trees that grow at higher elevations - such as spruce and firs trees - are hit especially hard, Stephens said. Also, rainfall is up to 10 times as acidic as normal precipitation in the park and fog is often 100 times more acidic, McLaughlin said.

Jim Renfro, a Park Service air-resource specialist, said that some species of plants are showing ``visible leaf damage'' from the pollution, while others aren't growing as well. He also noted that during the past 15 years the park has had more than 300 ``bad-air days,'' meaning ozone levels were high enough to threaten public health.

``That's way too many,'' he said. ``There shouldn't be any in a national park.''

Experts expect the Smokies to be designated a ``non-attainment'' area Thursday when the EPA releases its list of areas that haven't met federal clean-air standards meant to protect public health.

Officials of the parks conservation group also are opposed to the proposed North Shore Road project, also known as the ``Road to Nowhere,'' in Swain County, N.C. The road was started in the early 1960s, but work ended because of cost and environmental problems.

The issue appeared again in 2000 when North Carolina Rep. Charles Taylor and Sen. Jesse Helms tacked a new $16 million appropriation for the road onto a transportation bill. The conservation group contends completing the road would be costly and also inflict serious environmental damage to the park.”

“The road was part of the original deal struck with people in the area to take over the land, but since they built the big 4 lane "Great Smokey Mountain Expressway" on the south side of Fontana, they never finished the road.

THeres absolutely no need to finish it now. About two years ago there was a public comment period and there was a lot of input both for and against the road. I've no idea where the debate stands now.

Taylor supports it for some unknown reason and Helms is dead. THe project should die too.

The coal power plants in the Ohio Valley are the largest contributors to the acid rain problem. The clean air act should have helped that but Bush has granted more immunity than should have been allowed under the act to those companies.”

“The United States should replace every fossil fuel electrical generating plant with a nuclear electrical generating plant. Less acid rain. Less pollution,and safer for the public.”

“your prob right - i live within about 6 miles of a nuclear plant, and really don't feel that nervous about it. All the loudspeakers on the poles are a little unnerving, but you get used to it.”

“I guess you folks completely missed the 25th Anniversary symposia re: Three Mile Island.

You should've seen the look on Dick Thornberg's face as he recounted finding out that half the core had melted.

When Yucca Mountain is up and running, nuclear might be a more ecologically sound option. The only problem is that the people who run these plants squandered their credibility. Personally, I'm not going to trust anyone with these isotopes if Return On Investment is their primary motivator.”

“Tilt, I believe you when you say, "Personally, I'm not going to trust anyone".

Remember, more people died in Ted Kennedy's car than at Three Mile Island.

With all the cancer that is caused to people living in the vicinity of a fossil fuel electrical generating plant, statistically, the nuclear plants are 100 times safer to the public health.”

“I'm innocent, I tell ya!”

“Ban Artex!

Pretty Boy Stinks!”

“In regards to nuclear plants:

http://www.angelfire.com/extreme4/kiddofspeed/

Please read the part about the glowing red forest next to the plant carefully.”

“LOL @ Artex

can't get anything by him I tell ya!”

“Ed, I should've said I wouldn't trust anyone like you. Once that credibility is gone..... It's gone.

I can't count how many times it was revealed that Dupont had some of their noxious goodies escape from their facility here on the Savannah River, and not notify the proper authorities. The story would always 'leak' out 6 months or a year later. Even our local newspaper magnate and arch conservative Billy Morris would raise hell about it (though some people thought he wasn't too bright to locate his horse ranch just downwind of the place).

Better stick to something you know --- like shoplifting.”

“Is Jesse Helms dead, or does he just look it?”

“Sell GSMNP now to pay for the national debt, now while it still has value, before it is completely destroyed.”

“I love this idea!”

“I wonder what kind of tax write-off the Rockefellers got for donating the land to the gov't (after they squeezed every nickel they could out of it).”

“actually, the Rockefellers "donated" the land in settlement of a back tax debt, or a portion of it.”

“Most of the PR I've seen simply says they did it out of the kindness of their hearts.

Amazing how that works, isn't it?”

“i think i read about that in one of the history things, or it might have been on the plaque at newfound gap, can't remember.”

“Yeah a little of it is on the plaque at the Gap. I hate to see the place in such trouble, it's my old stomping grounds. Dunno 'bout the Ohio valley, it's the coal-burning energy crappers of TN that's causing all the hub-bub.

I likes that NPCA!”

“naked ape, you now live in N.E. Italy??

I want to go to Triglav National Park in Slovenia and do some trekking.

TT Trip?”

“Sounds like more alarmist liberal mumbo jumbo. Lets just wipe out all the factory jobs. Especially the ones that produce backpacking gear.

What we need are more bullets so our troops can kill more terrorists.

8)”

“1. The US Government and Swain(sp?) county reached an agreement and the county was going to accept money instead of a road.

2. Then the next county west said, "Hey, we have an interest in this, too." So they went to court and the whole deal went back to start.

3. Somewhere in this period it turns out, it was revealed that the park has been considering building a road across that area. They have been having meetings for several years and a public meeting was advertised. I assume that there plan is still under consideration.

Why the Park wants a road is beyond me! Their excuse for tearing down Rich Mtn. Shelter and another shelter was that they wanted to maintain the park in close to Wilderness status. A bill to return the Park to a Wilderness status has been pending in Washington for many years.”

“so we should all write our senators and congressmen to demand the wilderness status.”

“Sounds like blackmail to me.”

“Park information has long lost credibility.”