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Report shows Smokies 'beginning to die' [ Our Forrests
Winston-Salem Journal ^
| Thursday April 15, 2004
| Associated Press
Posted on 04/15/2004 2:54:31 PM PDT by kemosabe
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"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Service, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and various state agencies to gather all data that is published or unpublished on parks, Kiernan said.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 and acid rain "threaten the health of park visitors, staff, vegetation, soils and streams."
? Air pollution 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.
1
posted on
04/15/2004 2:54:34 PM PDT
by
kemosabe
To: kemosabe
Bump
2
posted on
04/15/2004 3:02:33 PM PDT
by
wingman1
(University of Vietnam '70)
To: kemosabe
Out here in the west, the ravaging beetles enabled by the drought over the last several years are likely to kill every single pine tree in the Sierras. When they die, the trees will explode into flames when fire hits them.
It has nothing to do with man's use of water, and cannot be solved by logging out the deadwood. It's just nature.
The other species of trees are not vulnerable to the beetles. In several hundred years, the only mountain trees we'll have are Oaks and Firs.
3
posted on
04/15/2004 3:10:33 PM PDT
by
The KG9 Kid
(Semper Fi)
To: kemosabe
and a proposed road on the north shore of Fontana Lake in North Carolina are combining to endanger the park's future Gotta love the veracity of environazi...The park is beginning to die even though the road in only in the proposal stage!
It's the seriousness of the proposal that is causing the park to die (paraphrasing Tip O'Neill).
4
posted on
04/15/2004 3:12:21 PM PDT
by
Seeking the truth
(Get your Freep Stuff at www.0cents.com!)
To: kemosabe
and a proposed road on the north shore of Fontana Lake in North Carolina are combining to endanger the park's futureA road? A friggin road is gonna kill that park? Listening to a Chicken Little is of no value.
5
posted on
04/15/2004 3:12:35 PM PDT
by
laredo44
(Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted.)
To: kemosabe
How did the "Smoky" Mountains get their name?
This is old news.
This is the key graf: ...a proposed road on the north shore of Fontana Lake...
The anti-development loonies are using the old excuse of "smoky" skies in the "Smoky" Mountins to prevent a road from being built.
6
posted on
04/15/2004 3:13:14 PM PDT
by
FreedomCalls
(It's the "Statue of Liberty," not the "Statue of Security.")
To: kemosabe
""This has significant scientific credibility in the United States and is gaining it worldwide," " Pleeeeeaase Believe us! Why, other people believe us!
"The park has an annual budget shortfall of more than $11 million, and needs another 108 new full-time positions to adequately protect resources."
I think I just found the source of their most dire emergency. I guess they need the government to take more of my money so they can wrap it around the trees as a protective barrier.
7
posted on
04/15/2004 3:14:17 PM PDT
by
avg_freeper
(Gunga galunga. Gunga, gunga galunga)
To: kemosabe
"There had been no previous systemic, park-wide scientific study to provide a benchmark for future recommendations for the Smokies before Wednesday's report, "If there was no prior benchmark, how can they say the park is changing at all? Maybe it's getting better.
I'm all for supporting the park, but this sounds like junk science to me.
8
posted on
04/15/2004 3:15:57 PM PDT
by
DannyTN
To: kemosabe
There is a word for this kind of reporting.
It starts with "H" and it ends with "T"...and there are seven letters in between.
9
posted on
04/15/2004 3:20:20 PM PDT
by
okie01
(www.ArmorforCongress.com...because Congress isn't for the morally halt and the mentally lame.)
To: okie01
Hoopskirt? Hopechest? Houseboat?
To: DannyTN
I've lived in the area one way or another for 40 years
I've backpacked in the Smokies since '73
I'm a Republican and Conservative to the core
But
I've watched with regret the steady loss
of trees from the ridge lines of these noble
mountains and steady increase in standing dead wood
as the Tennessee Valley Ozone levels have
gradually raised, a funneling effect from
pollutants to our South and west.
It is a sad sight to watch.
To: kemosabe
This is such utter crap just to get more funding. They have been saying this about the Smoky Mtns since I was a kid going up there in the early 70's. I remember hearing the park rangers stories back then and I have been many, many times since and it's always been the same. I see no difference. Other than some dogwood trees have been dieing and that is happening all over the southeast because of some fungus or something. It's not just at the park. So, BS on this. It's just a call for more funding for the park and old, old story they try.
12
posted on
04/15/2004 3:33:29 PM PDT
by
RiVer19
To: avg_freeper
"Acid rain" is another Left-wing, envirowacko theory that never was credible and too many of you out there bought that one too. It's always the latest Chicken-Little scare tactic than can't quite be refuted, nor proven, why don't we use those tactics?
Give those goofy people a push out the door--please!
RB
13
posted on
04/15/2004 3:33:58 PM PDT
by
brushcop
(Dad of an Army Infantryman and busy prayer life...)
To: DannyTN
I agree with your comment. Did anyone consider that "old" forest have a life cycle? Wonder what would happen if a long term forest management program had been implemented oh say 100 years ago. Probably be a lot of healthy trees instead of trees under stress. Big Yellowstone forest fire years ago proved to be natures way of reforesting.
14
posted on
04/15/2004 3:35:02 PM PDT
by
Techster
To: kemosabe
Ground level ozone and acid rain "threaten the health of park visitors, staff, vegetation, soils and streams."This is George Bush's fault! Under Bill Clinton, ozone and acid rain disappeared (along with an intern and various other public servants).
15
posted on
04/15/2004 3:39:57 PM PDT
by
catpuppy
To: Seeking the truth
You think that's stupid? Read what comes before it!
High ozone levels, acid rain, 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.
underfunding? Since when do forests need to be funded!?! And how have these trees been surviving millions of years before humans came along to fund them?
16
posted on
04/15/2004 3:43:20 PM PDT
by
Sofa King
(MY rights are not subject to YOUR approval http://www.angelfire.com/art2/sofaking/index.html)
To: FreedomCalls
High ozone levels, acid rain, 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. All about the Benjamins.
17
posted on
04/15/2004 3:48:24 PM PDT
by
50sDad
( ST3d - Star Trek Tri-D Chess! http://my.oh.voyager.net/~abartmes)
To: HangnJudge
I've watched with regret the steady loss of trees from the ridge lines Why is it then that when you compare pictures of the area from Civil War photos to modern photos, the forests there were MORE denuded in the 1860s than they are now? Why are the views from the "scenic overlooks" along the road through the park blocked by an overgrowth of trees around the pull-offs? I realize the park overlords don't want to have exposed stumps visible at the pull-offs, but dammit, you can't see through the trees anymore at the scenic overlooks.
18
posted on
04/15/2004 3:49:25 PM PDT
by
FreedomCalls
(It's the "Statue of Liberty," not the "Statue of Security.")
To: Techster
I agree that forests have cycles
And some aspects of the Smokies problems
could be cyclic
but
The Ozone issues are not political,
they are a regional/industrial issue
and not one easily altered by any
political process, rather individuals
making individual decisions to decrease
pollution production. My personal preference is to change our energy reliance to nuclear sources and stop burning resources that are not renuable (coal/oil)
To: farmfriend; Carry_Okie
ping
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