[Tennessee_Bob]

How did the Smoky Mountains get their name? It wasn't from the smoke from factories and power plants. It comes from the fog that early settlers saw on the mountains.

The Park is dying. My family has lived in East Tennessee since 1979, and you can see the damage that's being done to the park.

[kemosabe]

I regularly travel over the Smoky Mountain Range.

When I have time, or make time, the Blue Ridge Parkway is
a detour of choice during daylight hours. True some of the Scenic Overlooks are overgrown. I have inquired about that to Rangers on the Blue Ridge Parkway - NO BUDGET LINE ITEM

Since moving to North Carolina in '75, I have watched the
death of the ridge cover. The reforestation of the region
was done by the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps ). Since that major East Coast effort there has been VERY LITTLE reforestation that I have seen,

perhaps I'm too myopic.

This article started a fair discussion, and brought forth
some interesting views about the region and the politics thereof...none of the hurt feelings/disgruntled attitudes,
nor the memories of the Reservoir displaced and isolated
Folk, change the FACT that POLLUTION is killing EARTH, not just the forests. { Depleted Uranium anyone ? }

Not only do we make WAR on each other, we make WAR on the
environment with a vengeance that, I'm sure, comes close to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

[sergeantdave]

My in laws own property just outside the Smokeys. This land is not dying and the trees are fine. I guess the ozone and acid rain just misses their property and congregates on federal land.