Skip to comments.
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
GATLINBURG, Tenn.
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, 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 and increasing the park's budget.
"The question is will our society and Congress 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at journalnow.com ...
TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; US: Georgia; US: North Carolina; US: South Dakota; US: Tennessee; US: West Virginia
KEYWORDS: acid; beauty; blueridge; bush; conservation; earth; ecosystem; environment; epa; government; helms; kerry; loss; nationalparks; nc; ozone; park; parks; politics; pollution; rain; sad; save; scenic; shrub; smokeymountains; trees; vacation
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20, 21-40, 41-60, 61-80 ... 101-117 next last
To: kemosabe
The only solution is to ban humans from the whole state.
41
posted on
04/15/2004 5:17:22 PM PDT
by
pointsal
To: laredo44
Roads allow the riff-raff in. Roads make it possible for weekenders and motorists and busy families on moderate incomes and just ordinary people to enjoy the park.
The elites have always been this way---they want to preserve the national parks for THEM to use, just not for the "commoners" to use.
42
posted on
04/15/2004 5:22:32 PM PDT
by
gg188
To: pointsal
The only solution is to ban humans from the whole state. One problem with the forest fires out west isn't that there haven't always been large fires --- but that there are expensive homes being built in fire zones ---- billions of dollars are being spent putting out fires because people want to live where forests belong.
43
posted on
04/15/2004 5:29:34 PM PDT
by
FITZ
To: farmfriend
Thank you
45
posted on
04/15/2004 5:36:48 PM PDT
by
kemosabe
(Sheesh...Who is running the Assylum anyhow?...sure ain't thet 'leetist J'ffin'kerry-tankurlukistarz!)
To: Flux Capacitor
Don't forget the brother.
46
posted on
04/15/2004 5:39:05 PM PDT
by
Petronski
(I'm not always cranky.)
To: pointsal
Sorry, not practical
also the sources of pollution extend well away from
the Tennessee Valley
To: HangnJudge
And we need to take it back and explain change is a natural event.
Much of our deforestation has occurred naturally. We are losing our oaks here in the mid-Missouri Ozarks because the oaks took over when other trees were removed or died out. Too many oaks accelerated oak borer populations and this has kicked off a big increase in woodpeckers and bluebirds, etc.
Nobody 'did' this.
To: FreedomCalls; HangnJudge
I'll have to agree with the Judge.
I have pics of my kids on Mt. Mitchell under a canopy of fir trees at least 30 ft. tall. Green living trees.
Go up there today and all the old fir trees are gone, dead.
The Smokey Mtns. have always had a haze, I can remember back to the mid 50's. Today if you drive through the Swannanoa Valley ( I 40 east of Asheville) in July, you can't see the mountains at all. The haze is thicker than I can ever remember.
Whether the fir trees are succumbing to the pine beetle, acid rain, excess nitrogen ( all theories I've heard) the fact is something or combination of things is killing the firs on the high mountains.
49
posted on
04/15/2004 5:51:10 PM PDT
by
Vinnie
To: Vinnie
It shouldn't be uncommon for conservatives to be identified as conservationists. Preservationists are another matter.
To: kemosabe
First study?
Then why do I remember an almost theme for theme article from the '70's? Acid rain, pollution, destruction from roads - these issues about the Smokies are raised periodically. Those poor liberals really need fresh material.
51
posted on
04/15/2004 5:57:54 PM PDT
by
Thommas
To: Eric in the Ozarks
The Smokies have some natural change from storms, fire, and native pine beetles, but most of the forest composition change is coming from introduced pests. The most spectacular, at the present time, is the damage from the balsam wooly alegid. It bores into Fraser fir trees and eventually kills them. Much of the high country above fifty-five hundred feet is more or less denuded. Almost all the mature Fraser firs are dead; seedlings tend to die off after they reach the thirty year mark or so.
I understand that other insects are migrating into the Park from outside, among them foreign pests that infect hemlocks and oaks: two of the most common trees in the Park. One can imagine what would happen if both species died out on a scale equitable with, say, the American chestnut. It would not be pretty. Of course, the environment will eventually adjust, with other species filling in the gaps. The impact would still be immense, though, as anyone familiar the abundance and role of the hemlock and oak in the mountains could attest.
52
posted on
04/15/2004 6:05:22 PM PDT
by
Cleburne
To: HangnJudge
Check your freepmail.
53
posted on
04/15/2004 6:14:35 PM PDT
by
Tennessee_Bob
(LORD, WHAT CAN THE HARVEST HOPE FOR, IF NOT FOR THE CARE OF THE REAPER MAN?)
To: Vinnie
But it's underfunding that killing the trees. not the bugs. get it?
54
posted on
04/15/2004 6:14:59 PM PDT
by
Sorcerer3
(For the life of me I just can't understand why they hate me at democraticunderground.com)
To: kemosabe
Depleted Uranium anyone?The overplayed depleted uranium "threat" is a favorite cause of lefties.
Do you have an agenda?
To: Techster
There is one little piece of information left out of the Smokey Mt. maturation of its forest. The Smokies were Clear Cut during the early part of the 1900's and it wasn't until the 20's and 30's did they let the growth begin again. There is a maturation natural process going on in the Smokies right now. I worked with the NPS at the Smokies and the Wildlife Department at the UTK. One can make both arguments for what is going on there but the data can be skewed both ways.
56
posted on
04/15/2004 6:27:13 PM PDT
by
vetvetdoug
(Vampire bats are little Democrats looking to suck your blood and give you diseases.)
To: kemosabe
Much of the damage could be slowed or prevented if certain steps are taken..............increasing the park's budget. (Ching ching $$$$$$)
57
posted on
04/15/2004 6:33:34 PM PDT
by
concerned about politics
( Liberals are still stuck at the bottom of Maslow's Hierarchy)
To: vetvetdoug
Agreed, Data can be skewed but
Thoughtful people will have civilized dialog
about problems held in common
Not Demagoguery and Political Gobbledygook
To: kemosabe
I GOT it.....
Too many cigarette smokers in Gatlinburg!
59
posted on
04/15/2004 6:38:00 PM PDT
by
FixitGuy
To: Petronski
He is one of my favorites.
60
posted on
04/15/2004 6:41:28 PM PDT
by
farmfriend
( Isaiah 55:10,11)
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20, 21-40, 41-60, 61-80 ... 101-117 next last
Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson