For Immediate Release
Contact:

National Park Service and North Carolina Wildlife Federation Oppose Construction of the North Shore Road
Monetary Settlement to Swain County in Lieu of Wildlife Habitat Destruction is Preferred Option

Raleigh, NC (May 25) - The North Carolina Wildlife Federation is opposed to the construction of the North Shore Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and has been urging for a cash settlement for Swain County in lieu of any building of said road for many years. Today, Great Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent, Dale A. Ditmanson, announced that the National Park Service has begun preparation of a Final Environmental Impact Statement, and it will call for a monetary settlement to Swain County as the National Park Service's Agency Preferred Alternative.
"This is great news for the wildlife that depend upon the pristine habitat in the park and for the people of Swain County that have supported a cash settlement", said Larry Thompson, Executive Director for the North Carolina Wildlife Federation.
Disagreement over whether a 34-mile road should be constructed dates back to 1943 when an agreement was signed between the Department of the Interior, the State of North Carolina, Swain County North Carolina, and the Tennessee Valley Authority. The agreement was to build a new road to replace NC 288, which was flooded during construction of Fontana Dam. In the 1960's, 7 miles of the road were built before abandoning the effort due to environmental impacts and engineering problems. This led to many calling the project the "Road to Nowhere". It was not until 2001 when $16 million was appropriated from Congress to continue the project by first concluding the Environmental Impact Statement, which will be released in the fall.
The proposed road would slice open the largest unbroken federally owned mountain tract in the eastern United States. The environmental issues relating to the road construction include the exposure of Anakeesta rock formations, which are extremely acidic rocks that leach acids and heavy metals into streams compromising trout and other aquatic species. Road building also invariably causes a reduction in wildlife and its habitat, most notably the regions' black bear and elk populations, which require large blocks of non-fragmented, undeveloped wilderness to survive.

"The Wildlife Federation applauds the Park Service for their decision," said Tim Gestwicki, Deputy Director, Conservation Programs for the North Carolina Wildlife Federation. "The end appears in sight for putting to rest this boondoggle project."

###

The North Carolina Wildlife Federation (NCWF) is an affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation. NCWF works to communicate, cooperate, and partner with the North Carolina General Assembly, state resource agencies, corporations, and other interested groups to advance the well-being of wildlife and its habitat. A 501(c)3 organization, NCWF is dedicated to being the leading advocate for all of North Carolina's wildlife and habitat. Additional information is available at our website, www.ncwf.org

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent, Dale A. Ditmanson's announcement. http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parknews/northshore5-07.htm

The National Park Service is dragging its feet on making a decision on the North Shore Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and then releasing the final Environmental Impact Statement. This issue has tremendous wildlife and habitat implications!

Background: The north shore of Fontana Lake in Swain County, N.C., is part of the southern boundary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP). The lake was created by damming the Little Tennessee River in the 1940's to provide power to Alcoa Aluminum as a vital part of the war effort.

In the process, Fontana Lake submerged N.C. Highway 228. In 1943, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) agreed to replace N.C. 228 by proposing to build a new 30-mile road into the park along the north shore of Fontana Lake (the road to nowhere). N.C. 28 was built south of the lake, effectively replacing the submerged road, but the North Shore road has not been constructed.

Seven miles of the 30-mile proposed dead end road were built in the early 60's, but construction was halted for fiscal and environmental reasons. In 1980, in lieu of further construction, the DOI created a new agreement that would compensate Swain County. Congress has not satisfied this payment. The National Park Service's position has been to pay the cash settlement and forgo building the road to nowhere because of the many environmental concerns. The price for satisfying the debt is approximately $52 million, a figure that factors in inflationary adjustments. If the cost of planning, design, and environmental compliance is added, the grand total could reach $604 million.

A public review process conducted by the National Park Service found that 88% of respondents favored a cash settlement over constructing the road. In addition, the Swain County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution supporting a settlement as a substitute for the construction of the road. Scores of conservation groups, including the North Carolina Wildlife Federation, oppose the building of the road because of the degradation it would cause wildlife and habitat.

Environmental/wildlife concerns are vast: GSMNP is the most visited (and has the distinction of having the worst air quality) of any national park. Road construction would expose extremely acidic rock, unlocking heavy metals and acids that will runoff directly into streams, killing aquatic life and ruining trout fisheries. The proposed road would also pass through one of the largest remaining roadless areas in the southeast U.S., destroying several ridges and filling several small valleys. Road building almost always causes a reduction in wildlife and its habitat; bears, for example, require large blocks of unbroken, undeveloped wilderness to survive.

TAKE ACTION NOW BY CONTACTING YOUR SENATORS URGING THEM TO:

1. Contact Mary Bomar, Director of the NPS and ask her to release the final EIS immediately.

2. Ask NPS to select the $52 million monetary settlement with Swain County, N.C. as the agency preferred alternative.

Contact options are telephone, FAX, e-mail, to Washington, or letter to an office in N.C.

A prototype letter follows:

Dear Senator ____________:

I am writing to ask your help in persuading the National Park Service to make a decision on the North Shore Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and to release its final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS).

The National Park Service has used up an inordinate amount of time on this EIS. It began the process in the fall of 2002, over four years ago, with a review of the project history. That was followed by public scoping meetings in March, 2003. There followed multiple workshops, meetings and hearings. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) was released in January 2006. In it, NPS declined to select a preferred alternative. Almost fifteen months have passed and still NPS has made no decision. More than adequate time has passed for the government to decide this issue. Please help us in our effort to have the National Park Service make a decision and release the final EIS.

According to a question asked by Congressman Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) at a committee meeting on March 1st, the EIS has already cost $14 million. This is unconscionable when compared with the fact that the annual operating budget of the Smokies is only $16 million.

A monetary settlement with Swain County, N.C. is the only responsible alternative. The draft EIS put the cost of the North Shore Road (in 2006 dollars) at $589.7 million. It additionally put the cost of operations and maintenance during construction at $14.310 million. That makes a total cost of $604 million.

Swain County, the only entity to which the U.S. owes any obligation, has repeatedly stated it will accept $52 million in settlement of all its rights, and in lieu of all road building.

This issue has been festering for 64 years. When Swain County says it will settle its stake for less than ten percent of the cost of building the North Shore Road, I think that becomes the fiscally responsible option. Swain County can get what it needs without any damage or threat of damage to the Park or park resources.

Road construction would expose extremely acidic rock, unlocking heavy metals and acids that will runoff directly into streams, killing aquatic life and ruining trout fisheries. The proposed road would also pass through one of the largest remaining roadless areas in the southeast U.S., destroying several ridges and filling several small valleys. Road building almost always causes a reduction in wildlife and its habitat; bears, for example, require large blocks of unbroken, undeveloped wilderness to survive.

I urge you to use your influence to persuade the National Park Service to make a decision to select the monetary settlement alternative.

Thank you for your help.

Respectfully yours,

PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU INCLUDE YOUR SIGNATURE AND RETURN ADDRESS ON THE LETTER, AND PLEASE FULLY ADDRESS THE ENVELOPE - YOUR LETTER WILL HAVE AN IMPACT