From our friends at LEAF
March 22, 2012
Dear Caretakers of Creation:
You all are a political miracle. In calls, letters and e-mails you told your representatives that you want them to support and pass the Tennessee Scenic Vistas Protection Act. Your action has gained the bill new supporters and made others reluctant to go on record against it. Thank you for that.
Your remarkable level of attention and quick action against the decoy bill in the Senate has caused the decoy to lose momentum. The decoy has not been offered at all in the House. The voters have stopped a common legislative maneuver. Thank you for that too.
We have at least one more legislative derailment LEAF needs your action to stop. Now that it is clear to the coal industry that some expected industry votes are wavering, they will likely ask the House Committee to take no action at all this year. Generally, this type of motion requests study and “talks” instead of a vote.
LEAF intends to respectfully request a vote, on the merits, in the House and Senate, this year. And we believe this important bill should reach the floor in both the House and Senate, so that all of our representatives get a chance to be heard.
The TSVPA is on the calendar of the House Subcommittee for next Tuesday, March 27. It is a long calendar, so they may or may not get to us on that day. If not, April 3rd is a likely alternate date.
But we must be prepared by March 27. The message we need you to send to the House Environment Committee members is: “There have been five years for delays and study. During that time eight more mountains have been permitted for destruction. We have already lost too many irreplaceable, Tennessee mountains to delay. Pass the Tennessee Scenic Vistas Protection Act (HB 291) this year.”
Email RE or phone message for members: “Pass the TSVPA-this year.”
It is human to try to avoid choices, when either option will displease someone. However, failure to decide is a decision. Pray for courage for our elected representatives to protect the mountains.
With humble gratitude for the power of your voices,
Dawn Coppock
Legislative Director, LEAF
For more information contact Dawn Coppock, LEAF Legislative Director
c 865-382-0895, o 865-933-8173, dawn@dawncoppock.com or see www.tnleaf.org.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Wear Valley rd Closed
Beginning today, March 15th, the GSMNP will begin a three Week Closure of the Wears Valley Entrance to the park which brings you into the Metcalf Bottoms area.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials have announced that Park’s Wears Cove Entrance will be closed from Thursday morning, March 15 through Thursday, April 5, while the deck of the bridge and utility lines across the Little River is replaced.
The Wears Cove Road carries traffic from Wears Cove via Lyon Springs Road to the Park’s Little River Road at the Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area. At this time of year the road is primarily used by local commuters as a short cut between U.S. 321 in Wears Valley and Gatlinburg.
During the closure period there will be no access to Little Greenbrier School. The Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area will open on April 1 as scheduled. The North loop and picnic pavilion will open on April 6.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials have announced that Park’s Wears Cove Entrance will be closed from Thursday morning, March 15 through Thursday, April 5, while the deck of the bridge and utility lines across the Little River is replaced.
The Wears Cove Road carries traffic from Wears Cove via Lyon Springs Road to the Park’s Little River Road at the Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area. At this time of year the road is primarily used by local commuters as a short cut between U.S. 321 in Wears Valley and Gatlinburg.
During the closure period there will be no access to Little Greenbrier School. The Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area will open on April 1 as scheduled. The North loop and picnic pavilion will open on April 6.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Spring Break in The GSMNP
GATLINBURG - Great Smoky Mountains National Park managers have announced plans to bring in a large crane to remove the remaining unstable material from the site of the March 5 slide on the north-bound Spur. That slide occurred just beyond the tunnel on the north-bound Spur (U.S. 441) between Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. The Park expects to accomplish the slide stabilization between Tuesday morning March 13 and Thursday afternoon March 15.
Managers are looking at two alternatives to handle north-bound traffic during the work period. One option is to funnel the north-bound traffic into single lane before the tunnel and maintain that one lane of traffic past the work zone. If they do not believe that can be done safety, the second option will be to detour the north-bound traffic onto one of the normal south-bound lanes all the way from the north end of Gatlinburg to the Gnatty Branch Bridge where motorists would cross the river and continue into Pigeon Forge.
Managers are looking at two alternatives to handle north-bound traffic during the work period. One option is to funnel the north-bound traffic into single lane before the tunnel and maintain that one lane of traffic past the work zone. If they do not believe that can be done safety, the second option will be to detour the north-bound traffic onto one of the normal south-bound lanes all the way from the north end of Gatlinburg to the Gnatty Branch Bridge where motorists would cross the river and continue into Pigeon Forge.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Snow Flurries and the Spring Schedule for the GSMNP
Dudes and dudettes! So, like last week it's in the 70's and today I step out into a light snow? and tomorrow I'll likely be in shorts working in the yard.
Hmmm?...and Over a dozen weather related records were broken last year......
This just in from the GSMNP
Campgrounds and secondary roads will open starting on Friday, March 9. The schedule
follows:
Roads – The secondary roads that are set to open on March 9 include:
Little Greenbrier, Rich Mountain, Straight Fork/Round Bottom, Forge Creek, Parson Branch, and Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. As a result of the mild winter, Clingmans Dome Road is set to open on Friday March 16. Heintooga Ridge and Balsam Mountain Roads will open on May 11.
Operating Hours for Visitor Centers – The three visitor centers are open daily and the operating hours through March are as follows: Sugarlands Visitor Center, near Gatlinburg, TN, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Cades Cove Visitor Center, near Townsend, TN, 9a.m.-6 p.m., and the Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee, NC, hours will be 8:00a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Recreation.gov provides visitors an opportunity to make reservations to many federally-managed recreation areas, including National Park Service areas, all across the U.S. The park’s developed campgrounds of Cataloochee, Elkmont, Cades Cove, Smokemont, and some sites at Cosby are on the reservation system for at least a portion of their seasons. To make reservations at the five campgrounds, and all group campsites, horse camps, and picnic shelters, visitors can go to www.Recreation.gov or, alternatively, book reservations by calling 877-444-6777.
Campgrounds open on a staggered basis starting March 9. (See the following schedule for exact dates.) For the five campgrounds on Recreation.gov, reservations are required at Cades Cove, Elkmont, and Smokemont for the period from May 15-October 31 (for other dates the three campgrounds are first come, first serve); Cataloochee Campground--all sites must be reserved throughout its season; and Cosby Campground, which has mostly first-come, first-served campsites, has a limited number of reservable sites during its season. Camping fees range from $14 to $23 per
site/night.
Campers have an opportunity to camp in “generator free” campsites at three campgrounds: Cades Cove, Elkmont, and Smokemont campgrounds. The
generator-free loop sections of these campgrounds are reservable through
Recreation.gov.
Picnic Areas – There are 10 first-come, first-serve picnic areas. Open all year are Cades Cove, Greenbrier, Deep Creek, and Metcalf Bottoms. Chimneys Picnic Area will be the first to open on March 15 while Big Creek, Collins Creek, and Cosby Picnic Areas will open shortly after on April 1.
Heintooga and Look Rock are scheduled to open on May 11. The Park’s largest picnic pavilion at Twin Creeks opens on April 1 and reservations are required through Recreation.gov only. Twin Creeks fees range from $35-$75 depending on the number of people. In addition, picnickers can reserve five other picnic pavilions on Recreation.gov. They are located at Collins Creek, Cosby, Deep Creek, Metcalf Bottoms, and Greenbrier picnic areas. The cost is $20, except at Greenbrier where it is $10.
LeConte Lodge, accessible only by trail, will open on March 19. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 865/429-5704, fax 865/774-0045 or e:mail reservations@lecontelodge.com. One night at the lodge costs $121 per adult and $85 for children 10 and under (tax not included). The price includes two meals--dinner and breakfast. Day hikers and backpackers can purchase a prepared bag or dining room lunch an snacks/beverages at the lodge. Reservations are required for the dining room lunch.
Campground Concessions – The Cades Cove Campground Store will open March 3. The store provides groceries, camping supplies, firewood, ice, vending, limited food service, souvenirs, and bike rentals. The Cades Cove Store has multi-speed comfort or mountain bikes available for rent, in addition to single speed cruisers. The Elkmont Campground concession will open March 9. The concession provides firewood, ice, limited camper convenience items, and vending of soft drinks, newspapers, and snacks.
CAMPGROUND SCHEDULE
Campgrounds Fee Open Group Sites
North Carolina:
Balsam Mountain $14 May 11
Big Creek $14 April 1 April 1
Cataloochee $20 March 9 March 9
Deep Creek $17 April 1 April 1
*Smokemont $17, $20 Year-round May 15
Tennessee:
Abrams Creek $14 May 11
*Cades Cove $17, $20 Year-round March 9
Cosby $14 April 1 April 1
*Elkmont $17, $20 March 9 March 9
Look Rock $14 May 11
*$20 per site during the reservation period May 15-October 31. At Elkmont,
riverside sites are $23 during reservation period only.
Hmmm?...and Over a dozen weather related records were broken last year......
This just in from the GSMNP
Campgrounds and secondary roads will open starting on Friday, March 9. The schedule
follows:
Roads – The secondary roads that are set to open on March 9 include:
Little Greenbrier, Rich Mountain, Straight Fork/Round Bottom, Forge Creek, Parson Branch, and Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. As a result of the mild winter, Clingmans Dome Road is set to open on Friday March 16. Heintooga Ridge and Balsam Mountain Roads will open on May 11.
Operating Hours for Visitor Centers – The three visitor centers are open daily and the operating hours through March are as follows: Sugarlands Visitor Center, near Gatlinburg, TN, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Cades Cove Visitor Center, near Townsend, TN, 9a.m.-6 p.m., and the Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee, NC, hours will be 8:00a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Recreation.gov provides visitors an opportunity to make reservations to many federally-managed recreation areas, including National Park Service areas, all across the U.S. The park’s developed campgrounds of Cataloochee, Elkmont, Cades Cove, Smokemont, and some sites at Cosby are on the reservation system for at least a portion of their seasons. To make reservations at the five campgrounds, and all group campsites, horse camps, and picnic shelters, visitors can go to www.Recreation.gov or, alternatively, book reservations by calling 877-444-6777.
Campgrounds open on a staggered basis starting March 9. (See the following schedule for exact dates.) For the five campgrounds on Recreation.gov, reservations are required at Cades Cove, Elkmont, and Smokemont for the period from May 15-October 31 (for other dates the three campgrounds are first come, first serve); Cataloochee Campground--all sites must be reserved throughout its season; and Cosby Campground, which has mostly first-come, first-served campsites, has a limited number of reservable sites during its season. Camping fees range from $14 to $23 per
site/night.
Campers have an opportunity to camp in “generator free” campsites at three campgrounds: Cades Cove, Elkmont, and Smokemont campgrounds. The
generator-free loop sections of these campgrounds are reservable through
Recreation.gov.
Picnic Areas – There are 10 first-come, first-serve picnic areas. Open all year are Cades Cove, Greenbrier, Deep Creek, and Metcalf Bottoms. Chimneys Picnic Area will be the first to open on March 15 while Big Creek, Collins Creek, and Cosby Picnic Areas will open shortly after on April 1.
Heintooga and Look Rock are scheduled to open on May 11. The Park’s largest picnic pavilion at Twin Creeks opens on April 1 and reservations are required through Recreation.gov only. Twin Creeks fees range from $35-$75 depending on the number of people. In addition, picnickers can reserve five other picnic pavilions on Recreation.gov. They are located at Collins Creek, Cosby, Deep Creek, Metcalf Bottoms, and Greenbrier picnic areas. The cost is $20, except at Greenbrier where it is $10.
LeConte Lodge, accessible only by trail, will open on March 19. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 865/429-5704, fax 865/774-0045 or e:mail reservations@lecontelodge.com. One night at the lodge costs $121 per adult and $85 for children 10 and under (tax not included). The price includes two meals--dinner and breakfast. Day hikers and backpackers can purchase a prepared bag or dining room lunch an snacks/beverages at the lodge. Reservations are required for the dining room lunch.
Campground Concessions – The Cades Cove Campground Store will open March 3. The store provides groceries, camping supplies, firewood, ice, vending, limited food service, souvenirs, and bike rentals. The Cades Cove Store has multi-speed comfort or mountain bikes available for rent, in addition to single speed cruisers. The Elkmont Campground concession will open March 9. The concession provides firewood, ice, limited camper convenience items, and vending of soft drinks, newspapers, and snacks.
CAMPGROUND SCHEDULE
Campgrounds Fee Open Group Sites
North Carolina:
Balsam Mountain $14 May 11
Big Creek $14 April 1 April 1
Cataloochee $20 March 9 March 9
Deep Creek $17 April 1 April 1
*Smokemont $17, $20 Year-round May 15
Tennessee:
Abrams Creek $14 May 11
*Cades Cove $17, $20 Year-round March 9
Cosby $14 April 1 April 1
*Elkmont $17, $20 March 9 March 9
Look Rock $14 May 11
*$20 per site during the reservation period May 15-October 31. At Elkmont,
riverside sites are $23 during reservation period only.
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