NOVEMBER 30, 2021
Take the $22 Challenge for #GivingTuesday2021
The park is working so hard to give visitors the best experience possible while preserving and protecting the historical and natural resources of the Smokies. Let them know how much we appreciate them by donating $22 (or more) for #GivingTuesday as they get ready for a big year in 2022!
To donate by check, make payable to Friends of the Smokies
Mail to:
Friends of the Smokies #GivingTuesday
PO Box 1660
Kodak, TN 37764-7660
To celebrate #GivingTuesday, we’re unveiling 22 park programs and special projects your donation will help support in 2022. Your gift will support projects and programs like…
TRAILS FOREVER: RAMSEY CASCADES TRAIL
The next Trails Forever rehabilitation project is Ramsey Cascades Trail! The Trails Forever crew, funded by Friends, is planning to begin Phase One in 2022.
About the Project…
Trails Forever Crew: These critical funds will continue to support signature trail rehabilitation projects throughout the park. Monies provide for six partial-year trail crew positions and a full-time Trails Forever Volunteer Coordinator who engages volunteers of all ages in hands-on stewardship along the trails. (Goal: $325,000)
Trails Forever Airlift for Material Delivery: Hauling materials and supplies to the terminus of the Ramsey Cascades Trail could not be efficiently accomplished using stock animals. By dropping in the materials using a helicopter, the skilled trails crew can focus their efforts on trail rehabilitation. (Goal: $69,000)
TRAIL CONSTRUCTION FROM CADES COVE VEHICLE-FREE DAY PARKING TO LOOP ROAD
About the Project:
As part of the popular Vehicle-Free Day access to Cades Cove, the park hardened a field near the beginning of the Cades Cove Loop Road for additional parking. This new area provides access for up to 80 vehicles, allowing more people to experience this special opportunity. These funds support the construction of a path from the parking lot directly to the Loop Road so that bicycles and pedestrians do not have to navigate the busy Campground Road area for access to the vehicle-free area. (Goal: $38,600)
BACKCOUNTRY PACKING MULES
About the Project:
Funds will allow the purchase of one horse and two mules for the packing program. These stock animals provide the necessary labor to deliver supplies in the backcountry for critical trail rehabilitation projects. (Goal: $19,000)
VISITOR CENTER DEMONSTRATIONS
About the Projects:
Oconaluftee Visitor Center Demonstrations: Support for ongoing Mountain Farm Museum activities throughout the year including blacksmithing, mountain farming, gardening, and heirloom apple orchard management. These funds will pay for livestock feed and supplies, historic fencing repair and replacement, and other farm materials. (Goal:$5,500)
Sugarlands Visitor Center Demonstrations: These funds will pay for replacement pop-up tents that serve dual purpose for COVID mitigations and shelter during cultural demonstrations at sites throughout the district. Also, costume purchase for costume interpretation at Daisy Town and assorted cultural demonstrations at Elkmont and Cosby Amphitheaters. (Goal:$5,500)
AFRICAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCE RESEARCH PROJECT
About the Project:
These funds support research into the historic presence and influence of African Americans in the southern Appalachians from the 1540s through today. Through this work, we will complete research briefs for staff and the public, conduct new oral histories, and facilitate public outreach events – from virtual town halls to in-person cultural festivals. (Goal: $35,000)
VITAL SIGNS MONITORING PROGRAM
About the Project:
These funds support long-term monitoring of vegetation and soil quality across the park. The monitoring of these vital signs helps us better understand parkwide trends as well as changes in special ecosystems such as grassy balds, wetlands, and heath balds. (Goal:$48,000)
PARKS AS CLASSROOMS BUS TRANSPORTATION SUPPORT
About the Project:
Title 1 schools have large concentrations of low income students so funding for bus transportation is extremely limited. The cost of bus travel to the park has tripled in the past few years, now averaging $600 per bus. These funds allow us to pay for 50% of the total cost for transportation for Title 1 schools, enabling more than 30 low-income schools to afford a trip to the Smokies. (Goal: $10,000)
ELK IN THE SMOKIES
About the Projects:
Elk Management & Monitoring: This includes funding for equipment and resources that allow wildlife biologists to collect critical population health data that helps assess survival and reproduction. (Goal: $15,700)
Support for the Volunteer Elk Bugle Corp and Luftee Rover Volunteers: During the peak visitation periods for elk-viewing, a team of dedicated volunteers provide interpretive and safety information to park visitors to enhance their viewing experience while helping to preserve the natural behavior patterns of the elk herd. These funds help supply uniforms, educational materials, and supplies. (Goal: $4,500)
LOOK ROCK CAMPGROUND
About the Project:
Look Rock Campground improvements are slated to be complete in 2022, allowing the reopening of this campground nestled along the Foothills Parkway. These funds will provide 45 new picnic tables and 10 new ADA accessible fire rings to complete the renovations and ensure that the campground provides a welcoming experience for all users. (Goal: $82,500)
PARSON BRANCH ROAD REOPENING
About the Project:
Parson Branch Road is a rustic road that leads out of Cades Cove and ends at US 129, a.k.a. “The Dragon.” It has been closed for five years due to a high concentration of more than 1,700 standing, dead hemlocks along a mile-section of roadway. During a recent assessment, park managers determined that the number of hazards along the roadway had diminished due to a significant number of trees naturally falling. These funds support the safe removal of the remaining hazardous trees, which will enable the park to safely reopen the unique, gravel roadway. (Goal: $100,000)
OCONALUFTEE BACKCOUNTRY UTV REPLACEMENT
About the Project:
Emergency responders utilize small utility vehicles along park administrative roads in the backcountry to get help more quickly to those in need. These funds will allow for the replacement of a 20-year old UTV that serves the North Carolina side of the park. (Goal:$21,300)
FOREVER PLACES HISTORIC PRESERVATION
About the Projects:
Forever Places Staff Support: Funds will support two permanent crew members with specialized skills to repair and care for 100-year old park structures. (Goal:$154,000)
Walker Sisters Cabin Maintenance As part of the Forever Places program, the Walker Sisters cabin will be fully rehabilitated, including the installation of a new wood-shingled roof. (Goal:$105,000)
Little Cataloochee Church Planning and Design This historic church is in great need of a full, structural rehabilitation due to age and the weight of the bell tower. In order to preserve the historical integrity of the structure, a special study and design is needed to determine the best engineering solution. (Goal:$150,000)
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
About the Project:
When questions or issues emerge, this fund allows managers to respond quickly and begin research efforts before traditional funding sources are available. Recent examples include funding research to predict the spread of non-native ants; research to assess risks associated with insect declines due to climate change; and the collection of baseline data to assess the health of spruce-fir ecosystems by monitoring specific fungi. (Goal:$13,000)
EMERGENCY SERVICES PROGRAM SUPPORT
About the Project:
These funds support two park medics who respond to the most serious emergencies across the park’s backcountry. While ambulance service providers can provide care along the park’s busy roadways, providing emergency medical services in the backcountry is much more challenging and requires skilled personnel adept at navigating backcountry terrain. These specialized rangers also provide valuable information to hikers about trail safety, trail difficulty, and hike preparation as a part of their routine duties. (Goal: $53,000)
PARKS AS CLASSROOMS & PARKS IN CLASSROOMS
About the Project:
These positions will serve over 10,000 students participating in place-based and now robust nationally-recognized distance learning programs, as well as over 400 teachers participating in virtual and in-person workshops. The staff also provide summer youth programming with various camps (Boys and Girls Clubs, Cherokee culture camp) and run the high school intern project. Education programs are held in TN at Sugarlands, Cades Cove and Twin Creeks and in NC at Purchase Knob, Deep Creek, Oconaluftee and Clingmans Dome. (Goal:$88,000)
JOHN OLIVER ACCESSIBILITY TRAIL MAINTENANCE
About the Project:
We recently celebrated the construction of this accessible trail. It provides an opportunity for visitors of all levels of ability to enjoy an outdoor experience to one of the park’s most popular historic landmarks. Access directly adjacent to the John Oliver Cabin remains reflective of the historical scene and must be maintained as a rock/gravel surface. These funds will provide materials and staffing to ensure that this surface is annually maintained for level-graded access. (Goal:$5,000)