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| Rangers step up litter enforcement through Smokies
By The Associated Press GATLINBURG, Tenn. (AP) _ Litter enforcement has been stepped up on a heavily traveled highway into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, National Park Service officials said on Friday. The 9-mile stretch of U.S. 441 between Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg _ popularly called the Spur _ carries more than 12 million visitors and local commuters annually. In fiscal 2007, 20 percent of the money spent on litter removal went to cleaning up the Spur. "Many people throw litter out of their vehicle which is a chronic problem in the national park, but we've noticed that a majority of the litter found along the Spur is from people transporting unprotected trash loads from rental units or private residences to dump sites," park superintendent Date Ditmanson said. Tennessee state law requires loads that could blow off to be tarped and rangers will be enforcing that statute, officials said. © 2007, The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. |
| Bugling elk draw visitors to park September marks beginning of herd's mating season By Morgan Simmons A bull elk in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. September is the beginning of mating season for the elk, which were reintroduced in Cataloochee Valley in 2001 and 2002. Volunteers with the Elk Bugle Corp are answering park visitors’ questions about the species A bull elk in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. September is the beginning of mating season for the elk, which were reintroduced in Cataloochee Valley in 2001 and 2002. Volunteers with the Elk Bugle Corp are answering park visitors’ questions about the species The elk in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are starting to bugle, and throngs of visitors are heeding the call. The herd, which numbers about 75 elk, has become a major visitor attraction for the Smokies. In 2000, the year before the elk were released in Cataloochee Valley, about 7,500 vehicles passed through the valley each year. Today, about 140,000 vehicles drive through Cataloochee annually, with most of that visitation occurring during the elk bugling season, which starts in September and lasts through the fall. A group of volunteers called the Elk Bugle Corp has been patrolling Cataloochee Valley on weekday afternoons and weekends answering questions and giving informal elk talks to visitors. They also remind visitors to stay safe distances from the elk, deer, and bear that roam the Cataloochee fields. To date, the Elk Bugle Corps has contacted more than 11,000 visitors and worked more than 1,000 volunteer hours. Their busiest day of the bugling season was Sept. 2, when they contacted 1,088 visitors in Cataloochee in one day. Park biologist Joe Yarkovich said bugling activity and fighting among the bull elk has increased markedly over the past week. “This morning I heard four different bulls bugling,” Yarkovich said. “The cows are split up between two dominant bulls. In the next two or three weeks, things are going to start to get heavy as far as the rut goes.” The largest rack among the bull elk in Cataloochee belongs to bull No. 17, with a nine-pointer on each side. Park officials said the racks this rutting season are larger and more impressive than last year’s. Elk were reintroduced in the Smokies in 2001 and 2002 under an experimental program to see if the animals could survive. The program is still in the experimental phase, which means biologists continue to keep a close watch on the herd’s movements and mortality rates. Biologists confirmed that 17 elk calves were born this year — six female, six male, and five yet to be determined. Of those born, an estimated 11 are still alive. Bear predation is suspected in three of this year’s elk calf deaths, one died from injuries inflicted by a dog or coyote along Big Cove Road, and one was struck by a vehicle on U.S. Highway 441 north of the Oconaluftee Visitor’s Center. The survival rate of the elk calves born in the park has increased dramatically over the past two years thanks to wildlife managers trapping and relocating bears that stalk the Cataloochee fields during the peak of the calving season. Park officials say several of the bears that were removed during the calving season have already made the 40-mile journey back to Cataloochee in as little as 11 days. The survival rate of newborn elk calves in the Smokies has jumped from approximately 30 percent in 2005 to approximately 85 percent in 2006, and just under 70 percent in 2007. © 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co. |
| Hitchhikers bug Smokies Park targets emerald ash borer and wood it could ride in on By MORGAN SIMMONS The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is taking steps to thwart the introduction of an exotic insect pest that sneaks into the park and campgrounds on firewood. At Cades Cove Campground, rangers are checking ZIP codes and license plates to intercept firewood brought in from quarantined areas that prohibit the interstate movement of firewood, lumber and wood products in an effort to contain the emerald ash bore. At this point park officials are relying on education, rather than law enforcement, to stop the introduction of infested firewood. The store at Cades Cove Campground sells firewood, and visitors also are allowed to collect and burn dead wood already on the ground. Still, it's not uncommon for campers to purchase their own firewood and bring it with them. The park knows of at least six instances this summer where visitors from quarantined areas in Michigan, Ohio or Indiana came to Cades Cove with their own firewood. Park officials also have notified stores and campgrounds surrounding the park of the threat posed by the emerald ash borer, which kills ash trees in its larval stage by eating the cambium between the bark and wood. So far the bright green beetle has killed more than 6 million ash trees in Michigan alone. Ralph Cooley, state plant inspection health director for the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, said his agency is working with Tennessee and other states so that word of the emerald ash borer reaches state parks and private campgrounds this summer. "Right now we hope to contain it, and we can only do that with help from the public," Cooley said. The Smokies has two species of ash, white and green, with white ash being the most common. The trees are found below 5,000 feet and grow in cove hardwood areas and near streams. Some of the park's biggest ash trees are found in the Greenbrier area, where some old-growth specimens reach 15 feet in circumference. In addition to the emerald ash borer, the park also hopes to block the introduction of the Asian long-horned beetle, another exotic pest that spreads mainly through firewood and is quarantined in portions of Illinois, New York and New Jersey. Both insects are among a series of non-native invaders that began with the chestnut blight and include the hemlock woolly adelgid, a tiny insect that is attacking hemlock trees throughout the Southern Appalachians. Kristine Johnson, supervisory forester for the Smokies, said the loss of ash trees in the park would be a blow to the ecosystem, though not as noticeable to the average visitor as the loss of hemlocks. "This is our window of opportunity to prevent the emerald ash borer from coming into the forests of East Tennessee," Johnson said. "I'm not sure it can be contained forever, but if we can buy just five more years, it will be worth it." Copyright 2006, Knoxville News Sentinel Co. |
| Biodiversity inventory takes wing Lepidoptera Blitz looks at how moths, butterflies impact park's ecosystem By ROBERT WILSON GATLINBURG - Just as moths are drawn to light, the people who study moths are drawn to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in search of a broader understanding of the insects. Brian Scholtens, an associate professor of general biology at the College of Charleston in South Carolina, is leading the group of about 20 people in the park survey, known as the Lepidoptera Blitz. He said that more than 1,600 species of moths have been identified in the park and that as many as 2,100 are expected to be found. About 25 species found so far were previously unknown, and one is known to exist in only two locations in the world, Scholtens said. Both are in the park. The species they are examining range from butterflies and moths as big as the palm of your hand down to what Scholtens called "micro-moths," which are as small as a quarter-inch from wingtip to wingtip. He said the group is paying more attention to the moths than the butterflies because more is known about butterflies, which are active in the daylight. Moths, he said, are more active at night, thus there is more to learn about them. The group is using light traps placed at different locations around the park and at various elevations to ensnare as many different species as possible, Scholtens said. Then the bugs are compared, sorted and identified. The survey, Scholtens said, does not specifically seek to determine populations of the insects, although some aspects of the search can help identify areas of concentration for other purposes. "We may never know the population size," he said. "We can't do it with insects like they do it with bears. You're talking millions of insects. And part of the thing is that they are active in the dark. We have to be realistic." The importance of the study and the inventory as a whole, said Nancy Gray, spokeswoman for the park, is that all "life forms" of the ecosystem are interdependent on each other. "The ecosystem remains healthy," she said, "when all components are there." It is possible, she said, for parts of the ecosystem to suffer and the system as a whole survive. But, Scholtens asked, "How many can be removed and the ecosystem remain intact?" He added that he is "interested in promoting appreciation of biodiversity" because in the last few hundred years, the extinction of species has speeded up because of the encroachment of mankind. The park, he said, "is a beautiful, healthy insect lab oatory. We want to see how the species fit together." The All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory is a program to catalog all plant and animal species in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Major funding for the project comes from the Friends of the Smokies, the Great Smoky Mountains Association and the National Park Service. The Lepidoptera project represents an investment of about $4,000. Participants are given travel money to the park, and the park provides lodging during the survey. Participants receive no compensation and are responsible for their own meals. Copyright 2006, Knoxville News Sentinel Co. |
| Great Smoky Mountains National Park Announces
Temporary Closure of Clingmans Dome Tower
Date Contact Great Smoky Mountains National Park managers have announced that the paved trail to the Clingmans Dome observation tower, the tower itself, and the restrooms are closed until May 13 to allow for repaving of the trail. Great Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson said, “The paved trail is badly in need of repaving for safety reasons. We began the paving project in November after leaf season, but had to suspend work when weather got too cold to lay asphalt. Our crews now need to resume work in order to finish the job before the busy summer season.†Park managers emphasized that the Clingmans Dome Road and the Dome Parking Lot (elevation 6,311’) will open for the season as scheduled on April 1 and that those areas offer visitors a good high-elevation vista. Hikers may still access the Appalachian Trail and the other hiking trails normally reached from the Clingmans Dome area, but will have to get to them via the Forney Ridge Trail head which is located immediately adjacent to the parking lot.
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WILD HOG CONTROL IN 2005: During 2005, 235 wild hogs were removed from Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 132 (56.2%) in North Carolina and 103 (43.8%) in Tennessee. Due to an abundant acorn crop during fall 2004, reproduction in the wild hog population during 2005 was very high. Nearly 53% (n=124) of the wild hogs removed were piglet or juvenile animals and most adult females were lactating or pregnant. One hundred twenty-two (51.9%) wild hogs were removed by shooting, 108 (46%) were trapped, four (1.7%) were killed by coyotes, and one (0.4%) was struck and killed by a vehicle. Through a cooperative agreement, 55 of the trapped wild hogs were donated to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Agency and relocated to State game lands. In December, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission passed a regulation prohibiting the release or allowing the free ranging of any member of the family Suidae. We continued to work cooperatively with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to monitor for wild hog diseases including swine brucellosis, pseudorabies and hog cholera (classical swine fever). We also established protocols with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture to monitor for these wild hog diseases. Serum samples were collected from 54 wild hogs (23% of the animals removed); 40 samples have been tested and two were sero-positive for pseudorabies. WHITE-TAILED DEER MONITORING: In August, herd health checks were completed as part of the BLACK BEAR MANAGEMENT IN 2005: Wildlife personnel responded to 165 bear reports covering |
| Alexander says Smokies air better, calls for TVA to do more
By DUNCAN MANSFIELD, AP Environmental Writer Air quality around the Great Smoky Mountains continues to improve and the East Tennessee region may attain federal pollution compliance for soot and smog emissions sooner than expected, Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander said Monday. "(But) we've still got a ways to go," he said. "The visibility in the Smokies is far from what it ought to be and the amount of particulate matter (in the air) is bad for our health." "I'd like to see TVA put sulfur controls on all of its power plants sooner rather than later," the Senate Energy subcommittee chairman said with TVA President Tom Kilgore sitting across the table. Alexander praised TVA's efforts to this point in cutting pollution at its coal-fired power plants and support of "clean" nuclear power. TVA has spent some $4.4 billion installing six scrubbers at three coal-fired power plants in Tennessee and Kentucky, with a seventh coming on line this summer and three more at two East Tennessee plants by 2010. But Alexander said further controls are needed and will be "expensive." "And we are going to have to recognize that here in the Tennessee Valley," he said. "TVA is very serious about this," Kilgore responded. "We have put our money where our mouth is. We have spent about $4 billion and could spend that much more as we go forward to clean the air." TVA expects to spend another $1.3 billion on the three scrubbers already planned. That will only affect 18 of TVA's 59 coal-fired boilers, but they are TVA's largest plants and represent about 60 percent of TVA's coal-fired generation capacity. Kilgore said TVA supports further reductions under the Bush administration's Clean Air Interstate Rules. TVA estimates those will cost another $3 billion to $3.5 billion and cover 80 percent to 90 percent of its fossil capacity. North Carolina has sued TVA under its Clean Smokestacks Act, claiming TVA power plants are sending pollution across the Smokies into North Carolina. Alexander said the new federal rules would have comparable requirements in every state. John Bachman, associate director for science policy in the Environmental Protection Agency's Research Triangle, N.C.-based Office of Air Quality and Standards, said the greater Knoxville area should meet requirements by 2009 for ozone _ the precursor to smog formed from nitrogen oxide emissions _ and fine particles from sulfur dioxide emissions by 2015. EPA initially forecast Knox and surrounding counties would fail the sulfur reduction deadline, but credited TVA and local actions against polluters for revising their estimates, Bachman said. The 14 counties have been meeting monthly for more than two years on pollution solutions that can be embraced regionally, including reducing speed limits to 55 mph for long-haul truckers on Interstates 40 and 75, banning debris burning on commercial construction sites, halting vehicle idling within their motor pools and education programs for parks and schools. Jim Renfro, air quality specialist at Great Smoky Mountain National Park, said the park is seeing results. "I can tell that there are probably cleaner clean days and less hazy haze days," he said. However, Don Barger, regional spokesman for the National Parks Conservation Association, warned that meeting federal limits is not enough. "Attainment is not clean air," he said. "Attainment is a step on the way to clean air." Get Copyright Permissions Copyright 2006, Associated Press. All rights reserved. |
| The EA for hemlock woolly adelgid is at the final stage of review prior to issuing the Finding of No Significant Impact. HEMLOCK WOOLLY ADELGID MANAGEMENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS 2002-2005: The hemlock woolly adelgid control project has greatly expanded since 2002, largely due to financial support from the Friends of the Smokies, US Forest Service and NPS. A full time coordinator and six subject to furlough forestry technicians were hired 2004. HWA surveys were conducted throughout the park concentrating on the nearly 800 acres of old growth, 18,000 acres dominated by hemlock, heavily visited developed areas, and roads. Unfortunately, infestations were identified in all major watersheds of the park, although there are still areas where HWA has not been seen. Large-scale hemlock mortality has not yet been observed in the park, but we can expect scattered areas of mortality throughout the park in the near future. Integrated Pest Management for HWA includes surveys, pre and post treatment assessments, and chemical and biological controls. Chemical control activities included foliar treatments with insecticidal soap and systemic insecticides applied through the soil or trunk of individual trees. Through December 2005, at least 28,000 hemlocks have been systemically treated covering approximately 450 acres. Foliar treatments done on an annual or semi-annual basis have covered 360 acres. All of the developed areas in the park have received an initial treatment. Some of the highlights include: o Cades Cove: Loop road and developed areas receive foliar treatment on an annual basis. Campground, ranger station and historic areas have been treated systemically with a total of 943 hemlock trees. o Tremont: Entrance road and administrative portion of Middle Prong trail has been treated. Developed areas, including the Institute, have been treated with a total of 359 hemlock trees. o Elkmont: Campground and historic district completed with a total of 1,373 hemlock trees. o Cosby: Roads, accessible trails, campground and developed areas completed with a total of 806 hemlock trees. o Oconaluftee: Roads, accessible trails and developed areas completed with a total of 207 hemlock trees. o All of the major park roads have been or are presently undergoing evaluation and treatment as part of hazard tree management. So far, 4,102 roadside hemlocks have been treated. o All of the backcountry campsites have been scouted and treated systemically if necessary. There were 2,082 hemlock treated. o Albright Grove loop trail has been completed, a total of 834 hemlocks. o The Boogerman Loop trail in Cataloochee was treated totaling 1,482 trees. o The Rainbow Falls Trail was treated to the Falls with a total of 1,013 trees. o The Trillium Gap Trail was treated to Grotto Falls with a total of 1,189 trees. Treating trees in developed areas helps ensure visitor safety, aesthetics, and to reduce maintenance costs. For example, to remove a fifteen-inch diameter hazard tree it costs the Facility Management Division approximately $150. Treatment for a fifteen-inch hemlock costs an estimated $19.00. Treatments completed at Elkmont have saved the park over $61,000 in hazard tree removal costs. Systemically treated trees are protected for three to five years. Releases of predatory beetles as a bio-control began in 2002. The University of Tennessee started rearing beetles and supplying the park in 2004. Although it is too early to assess the overall success of this biocontrol, preliminary monitoring results are encouraging. Releases to date: Year Releases # of Beetles 2002 10 29,945 2003 7 21,546 2004 13 35,533 2005 36 77,083 2002-2005 66 164,107 A comprehensive monitoring program was initiated in spring 2005 to evaluate treatments in terms of HWA population levels and tree health. Annual reports will be provided beginning in February 2006. |
Smokies Opens Park Streams to Brook Trout Fishing Date Contact For the first time in over 30 years anglers at Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be allowed to catch and keep brook trout under new experimental Park fishing regulations that take affect April 15.
Biologists in the early ‘70’s were convinced that brook trout were systematically losing range to the non-native fish and predicted that, unless measures were taken, the brook trout would only be found upstream of natural barriers by the year 2000. Park managers also believed that fishing pressure was further reducing brook trout densities. In response to these concerns managers closed the Park to brook trout fishing in 1976 and initiated brook trout restoration projects in select streams. Thirty years later Park fisheries biologists have found that “brookies†are able to co-exist with the non-native trout in 69 miles of Park streams. Park fisheries managers have successfully restored 17 miles of stream to pure brook trout population using a combination of electro-fishing and through the use of chemicals to remove non-native trout from steam segments that lie above waterfalls and other barriers that prevent upstream movement of fish. After over 25 years of monitoring trout and non-game populations in fished vs. closed streams, Park biologists had observed that natural occurrences such as floods and droughts were the major force behind changes in fish populations in both open and closed streams. They suspected that allowing angling for brook trout would have no measurable impact on either their numbers or their average size. In 2002 Park biologists tested that hypothesis by experimentally opening eight streams (4 in TN, 4 in NC) to fishing and harvest for 3 years under the normal GRSM fishing regulations (i.e. 5 fish per day limit, 7-inch minimum size, and single hook artificial lures only). Each stream that was open had a nearby control stream which remained closed. Biologists analyzed population data within each stream (both open and closed) for three years prior to and three years after brook trout fishing was opened. The study found there were no significant differences in brook trout density or the number of legal brook trout brook trout in any stream opened to brook trout fishing during the study period. Variation which did occur was attributed to natural variation and was not related to open vs. closed. In interviews conducted during the experiment over 84% of anglers said they were moderately to extremely pleased with the brook trout fishing opportunity. The largest segment of the anglers (25-27%) cited the opportunity to catch a brook trout as the main reason for fishing that particular stream that day. Anglers caught an average of 5-11 fish per trip, but less than 33% of anglers kept the legal brook trout they caught. “Given that we could find no ecological benefit to prohibiting anglers from taking brook trout,†said Park Supervisory Fisheries Biologist, Steve Moore, “and the opportunity to offer anglers a very enjoyable experience, Park management has decided to open nearly all our streams to fishing.†“So on April 15,†Moore concluded, “All but a handful of the over 700 miles of Park streams will be opened to fishing as part of an experimental regulation to allow additional time to monitor impacts of fishing activity. Park managers say that the experimental monitoring period will provide them additional time to be sure that the changes in use do not have unexpected and negative affects on brook trout. Managers will also need the time to complete a required federal rule-making process needed to change current provisions in the Code of Federal Regulations which do not allow brook trout fishing in the Smokies. In the near future the Park also plans to release an Environmental Assessment for public review of the proposed rule change.
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| Repaving Work to Begin on Newfound Gap Road
Date Contact Great Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent Dale A. Ditmanson has announced that an 18 month project to repave 10 miles of the Park’s Newfound Gap Road (U.S. 441) is set to begin on March 1. |
| Critics assail proposed Park Service changes Policy could mean cell towers and ATVs in Smokies, they say By Associated Press SEVIERVILLE - National park supporters say proposed changes in National Park Service management policies could result in cell towers in the woods, mountain bikes on the trails and more planes flying over the Great Smoky Mountains. Payne was not alone in his criticism Tuesday at a public meeting to take comments on the Park Service's first major policy review since 2001. The plan is "trying to emphasize parks as economic destinations as opposed to sanctuaries where one can go for inspiration and enhanced knowledge," said Owen Hoffman of the Coalition of Retired National Park Service Employees. The Park Service said in a statement that the proposed changes are intended to "provide clear definitions, for the first time ever, of 'unacceptable impacts' to resources and 'appropriate uses' of parks." The intent is to enable "park managers to more clearly anticipate and articulate how impairment of resources can best be prevented." But critics say the policy changes are an effort to gut preservation-oriented policy in favor of recreational users such as snowmobilers and all-terrain vehicle users. The National Park Conservation Association says the changes could result in cell tower construction in the Smokies, the country's most visited park on the Tennessee-North Carolina border, as well as lessening the ability to regulate pollution sources and flight paths that affect the park. Smokies spokeswoman Nancy Gray could not respond specifically to these concerns. "This is not something we have control of in terms of that process," she said in directing participants to the National Park Service Web site for information and to register complaints. She did say that any changes in Smokies policy would require local review and analysis and would have to comply with federal and state laws. The meeting, part of a national public comment process, "was a complete waste of time," said Greg Kidd, associate regional director for the National Parks Conservation Association. "I was hoping for an opportunity to ask questions and get answers about some substantial changes." The public comment period is open through Feb. 18.
To review changes and comment on them, please visit the Park Service's site at: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?projectId=13746&documentID=12825 |
| Smokies postpone elk reintroduction Plan delayed because of chronic wasting disease concerns By simmonsm@knews.com Officials with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park have postponed for at least a year a third elk reintroduction in Cataloochee Valley because of North Carolina's concerns over chronic wasting disease. Researchers with the Smokies and University of Tennessee say the herd needs 25 to 30 more elk - especially females - to survive over the long term and have requested a two-year extension to the research project. Kim DeLozier, wildlife biologist for the Smokies, said the park is setting its sights on releasing more elk in the winter of 2006-07, not this winter, as previously hoped. Meanwhile, park managers and members of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation met last week with North Carolina wildlife and agricultural officials to address concerns over elk-transmitted diseases such as tuberculosis, brucellosis, and especially chronic wasting disease. "The North Carolina folks want to look at our data so they can better understand the risks," DeLozier said. "It's going to be a slow process, but a necessary process." The state of North Carolina in 2003 passed a regulation prohibiting the importation of deer and elk because of chronic wasting disease, a transmissible neurological disease related to mad cow disease. Cataloochee Valley, the site of the elk releases, is located about 20 miles north of Waynesville, N.C. Chronic wasting disease recently was found in a whitetailed deer in northern West Virginia, making West Virginia the fourth state east of the Mississippi to have CWD in its deer herd. The three other states include Wisconsin, Illinois, and New York. The disease, which strikes elk and whitetailed deer, has not appeared in the Southeast. The elk released so far in Cataloochee have come from captive herds at Land Between the Lakes, a U.S. Forest Service recreation area along the Tennessee-Kentucky border, and Elk Island National Park, in Alberta, Canada. The new round of elk also would be brought in from Land Between the Lakes, where the elk roam inside a 700-acre gated enclosure. DeLozier said such captive, but free-ranging, elk herds are monitored closely for disease, and are less likely to get sick than conventional captive or ranch herds. "We want to bring in adult female elk from LBL, and realistically, we're looking at next winter," DeLozier said. "We desperately need new females to have ample numbers of animals on the ground so that researchers can understand whether this herd will make it over time, or go downhill." Biologists say the park's existing elk herd has about an 18 percent chance of surviving over the next 50 years, and that the herd currently is not large enough to withstand a catastrophe such as disease outbreaks or poaching. A disproportionate number of elk calves born in the Smokies have been males. While elk herds in the wild typically have more females than males, the park's herd ratio is about 50 percent male, 50 percent female. The Cataloochee elk have had their share of parasitic infection - mainly brain worm - and predators are taking a toll, too. Six of the nine calves born in the park last summer were born in Cataloochee Valley, and of those six, five died within four days. Of those five, four were killed by black bears. As a way of helping the elk, biologists want to conduct controlled burns in the fields of Cataloochee to clear vegetation and improve calving conditions. They also plan to capture black bears in Cataloochee from mid-May to the end of June and relocate them elsewhere the park while the elk calves are being born. Copyright 2006, Knoxville News Sentinel Co. |
| For the love of the Cove
Park using public input to develop plan to address growth-related By MORGAN SIMMONS, simmonsm@knews.com Surveys taken last summer at Cades Cove indicates a high level of The majority (75 percent) of respondents also said that visiting Cades The visitor surveys are the latest step in a lengthy planning process The surveys - part of a Park Service planning tool called Visitor The three visitors surveys were conducted between July 27 and Aug. 2 - the The third survey - given at the Sugarlands and Oconaluftee visitor Of the 459 people who participated in this survey, 59 percent said they Driving the Loop Road around Cades Cove takes on average two to three Surveys conducted inside Cades Cove found the five most popular visitor * Scenic viewing. * Wildlife viewing. * Birdwatching. * Relaxation. * Cultural heritage education. Two-thirds of those surveyed were repeat visitors. Thirty-one percent said they were affected by traffic conditions, but only While some of the churches and wildlife-viewing areas along the Loop Fifty-five percent of the visitors surveyed came from seven states: The survey asked 284 visitors leaving Cades Cove to rate their overall The results of the survey will soon be placed on the Cades Cove Web site Nancy Gray, spokeswoman for the Smokies, said that while the positive "These are some of the issues identified earlier and why the planning With about 2 million visitors a year, Cades Cove draws more people than do Park managers say vehicle traffic around Cades Cove during the busy And while some park visitors have expressed a desire for an alternative The Cades Cove Development Concept and Transportation Management Plan During Phase I, participants identified the issues and developed five Phase II of the project is expected to last 22 months and will include The next round of public meetings is scheduled for this summer. The Morgan Simmons may be reached at 865-342-6321. Copyright 2005, KnoxNews. All Rights Reserved. |
| Scientists to sample soil in the Smokies
High-altitude sites will be tested for nutrient loss, deposits of acid By MORGAN SIMMONS, simmonsm@knews.com Scientists literally will be digging for answers when they embark on a new They will sample soils from four sites above 4,000 feet, where acid rain The study, funded in part by a $10,000 grant from the Alcoa Foundation, "We have been studying the effects of acid deposition on streams, and now "We're filling in another piece of the puzzle." In conducting the study, scientists will dig down to the bedrock at four Jenkins said this top layer of soil contains more organisms than "Changes in the soil chemistry have a cascading effect that impacts the Plant communities in the park above 4,000 feet include northern hardwood Park managers estimate that 95 percent of the Frazer fir forest has been The soil study is expected to reveal if further soil acidification or "The park is so biologically rich and important to people, it's the Acid rain results when sulfur and nitrogen by-products from fossil The Smokies' suffer some of the worst acid rain problems in the United The park began monitoring acid deposition more than 20 years ago. In addition to funding from the Alcoa Foundation, the soil study has The new soil study follows a similar, but larger scale, soil survey The data from that study, along with digital maps, are expected to be Morgan Simmons may be reached at 865-342-6321. Copyright 2005, KnoxNews. All Rights Reserved. |
| Hog wild Despite efforts to cull them, shrewd animals survive in national park By FRED BROWN, brownf@knews.com CADES COVE - U.S. Park Ranger Bill Ramsey looks like someone just in from a foot patrol in an Iraqi neighborhood: shotgun clipped at an angle across his chest; gloves; pistol on the hip; boots; and radio for instant communication. If this sounds dead serious, it is, and it isn't. The two men, along with intern Scott Sharp, are out in the lower grasslands near Abrams Creek in Cades Cove on patrol for one of the most dangerous, wily and shrewd animals in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Their quarry is the wild boar, a tough European (suidae) feral pig. The original boars arrived in the park sometime in the early 1900s, escapees from hunting preserves bordering on what are now the park's boundaries. Since then, they have run wild in the park, damaging flora and fauna. The boar can reach upwards of 250 pounds and with razor-sharp tusks protruding outside his snout like knife blades, it becomes a formidable foe. Females can have up to 12 piglets in a litter, twice a year. Male boars, some of the Russian variety, are known for their particularly nasty attitudes. And today, park biologists also have to deal with domestic pigs gone feral. These feral pigs differ from their European cousin in snout (shorter), tail (curly) and color (spots). It also appears that the feral hogs have been deliberately dispersed along the park borders. Thus, the armament when the park rangers take to the areas where they suspect wild hogs. It is easy to spot hog ground: it is as torn up as if a farmer plowed the field. On this hunt, Ramsey, his 12-gauge shotgun bristling with red shells loaded with buckshot, Stiver and Sharp are setting a hog trap next to a beaver dam bordered by stands of tall, thick river cane. The site seems about perfect, said Ramsey. "Look at that river cane," he said. "It is their highway system. The breaks in the cane are their roadways." The trap, baited with cracked corn, will be placed next to a thick stand of river cane. Ramsey and Stiver had a boar on the run in the same area a few days prior to the decision to put in a trap. The broad boar, a lumpy shadow in the thickets, disappeared into the river cane, and then apparently sneaked out the other side, finding safe harbor in the tall grass. "We walked toward each other," Ramsey said. "The hog was between us. We never saw him." Intricate hog lanes have been cut through the tough cane by the brawny boars. There are left and right lanes, in and out lanes; a hog road around the entire patch of cane acts as a circuitous escape route. There are intersections, lanes leading off into nowhere and trails that disappear into dense forests of green cane, their 7-inch-long leaves intertwining into a green matrix that appears to be impenetrable to all but the hog. This cold morning, large geese feed in the frosty, laid-over grass. Stiver, Ramsey and Sharp busy themselves with the large iron pipe and chain link fence trap. Stiver, a wildlife biologist, has been trapping and shooting park hogs for the past 15 years. He has become something of a hog expert. He smiles at the mention, and demurs on handing out his hog stories. "There is always the legendary hog story," he said. "The big one." He does mention that his boss, Kim Delozier, supervisor and wildlife biologist, was helping National Geographic film a hog documentary a few years ago inside the park. As the crew lifted the hog trap, the rusty bottom fell out and the big boar began slashing at Delozier. Stiver, who coordinates the park's hog control program, chuckles, but all in honest admiration of the piggy predicament his boss was in. The hog did slice the back of one ranger's pants and leg. The river cane is perhaps 10- to 11-feet tall. Some of the thick stalks have been cut off near the bottom, or about 6 to 8 inches up from the ground. It is as if the cane has been chopped at an angle with a machete. Ramsey and Stiver are at a loss to explain it, other than saying the big boars roll in and snap the base of the cane. But it is oddly cut, like a carrot, sliced at an angle. Unfortunately for hog eradication, but providential for the hog in the wild, Ramsey is not allowed to shoot unless he can specifically identify the wild boar as such. "I have to be able to see the pig and have a clear background," he said. Wild hogs are notorious for hiding in the densest parts of a place, until they come out at night to feed on anything they can find by rooting it up: roots, bugs, and especially salamanders, considered to be a boar delicacy. In its many years of trying to control the wild hog population in the Smokies, the Park Service, Stiver said, has been able to cut the herd to "maintenance level." That means the 200 to 300 hogs they take a year serve to keep the herd roughly in check, depending on whether there is a great mast year. Then hog population numbers bump up. "It is like the war on drugs," Ramsey said. "It is an ever-continuing problem." And when a hog is trapped - sometimes sows with several piglets are caught in the trap - it is either dispatched humanely (shot with a pistol to the heart) or transferred to a state that wants to resettle the hogs in preserves where they can be hunted. Currently, North Carolina is working with the park to take some of the Smokies boars and let them loose in hunting ranges for sportsmen. Regardless, since 1959 when the hog eradication program began, some 10,600 hogs have been removed, Stiver said. Of that number, roughly 6,000 have been trapped. A best guess is that if you double the number harvested each year, you get an idea of the size of the herd. That would mean from 500 to 600 roam wild on any given day. Senior writer Fred Brown may be reached at 865-342-6427. |
| Contact: Karen Hoffman klh52@pitt.edu 412-624-4356 University of Pittsburgh Medical Center PITTSBURGH--The herbicide Roundup® is widely used to eradicate weeds.
But a study published today by a University of Pittsburgh researcher finds
that the chemical may be eradicating much more than that. In a paper titled "The Impact of Insecticides and Herbicides on the Biodiversity and Productivity of Aquatic Communities," published in the journal Ecological Applications, Relyea examined how a pond's entire community--25 species, including crustaceans, insects, snails, and tadpoles--responded to the addition of the manufacturers' recommended doses of two insecticides--Sevin® (carbaryl) and malathion--and two herbicides--Roundup® (glyphosate) and 2,4-D. Relyea found that Roundup® caused a 70 percent decline in amphibian biodiversity and an 86 percent decline in the total mass of tadpoles. Leopard frog tadpoles and gray tree frog tadpoles were completely eliminated and wood frog tadpoles and toad tadpoles were nearly eliminated. One species of frog, spring peepers, was unaffected. "The most shocking insight coming out of this was that Roundup®, something designed to kill plants, was extremely lethal to amphibians," said Relyea, who conducted the research at Pitt's Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology. "We added Roundup®, and the next day we looked in the tanks and there were dead tadpoles all over the bottom." Relyea initially conducted the experiment to see whether the Roundup® would have an indirect effect on the frogs by killing their food source, the algae. However, he found that Roundup®, although an herbicide, actually increased the amount of algae in the pond because it killed most of the frogs. "It's like killing all the cows in a field and seeing that the field has more grass in it--not because you made the grass grow better, but because you killed everything that eats grass," he said. Previous research had found that the lethal ingredient in Roundup® was not the herbicide itself, glyphosate, but rather the surfactant, or detergent, that allows the herbicide to penetrate the waxy surfaces of plants. In Roundup®, that surfactant is a chemical called polyethoxylated tallowamine. Other herbicides have less dangerous surfactants: For example, Relyea's study found that 2,4-D had no effect on tadpoles. "We've repeated the experiment, so we're confident that this is,
in fact, a repeatable result that we see," said Relyea. "It's
fair to say that nobody would have guessed Roundup® was going to be
so lethal to amphibians." |
| WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT – Kim DeLozier (865-436-1248)
2004 BEAR MANAGEMENT SUMMARY: The annual black bear management workshop was held in April and focused on protocols for handling sick and injured wildlife. We continued to work with officials from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and the City of Gatlinburg, Tennessee to manage bears along the Gatlinburg/park boundary. From April 4 to November 11, 2004, we received 163 bear management reports, 29 resulting in estimated property damages of $1,076. Bear activity in front country areas included five campgrounds, three horse camps, three picnic areas as well as several roadsides and parking areas. Bear activity also was reported at eight backcountry shelters (53.3%) and 16 backcountry campsites (18.0%) as well as Mt. LeConte Lodge; six of these backcountry campsites were temporarily closed due to bear activity. Bear activity was also reported along several trails and the Middle Prong trail was temporarily closed due to bear activity. There were no human injuries from bears. We captured 21 individual bears 22 times within the park for management purposes; six of these bears were relocated to the Cherokee National Forest, Tennessee. Two captured bears were taken to the Appalachian Bear Center (www.appbears.org); one of these bears were released back in the park on September 15 and the other is scheduled to be released in March 2005. Four bear mortalities were documented within the park; one bear was euthanized due to aggressive behavior, one injured bear died during handling and two bears were struck and killed by vehicles. In December, A hunter near Gatlinburg harvested a 13.5-year-old female bear that was captured and released on site in the park in 1995. The black bear bait-station survey was conducted in July and the overall bear visitation rate was 66.3%, which was lower than 2003 (67.6%). The hard mast survey was conducted in August and the overall oak mast index was 2.87, suggesting fair hard mast production. Researchers from the University of Tennessee (UTK) completed their 36th year of ongoing field studies on black bears in the northwest portion of the park. Researchers captured 24 bears during 505 trap nights and the Jolly-Seber population estimate for their study area was 260 bears. Extrapolation of this estimate parkwide is a population of approximately 1,625 bears. UTK bear researchers also completed their second year of a pilot study using black bear DNA hair samples to determine population estimates. Visitors approaching, feeding and disturbing wildlife (bears and deer in particular) continues to be a problem, particularly in the Cades Cove area. Wildlife disturbance has become a common problem mainly because the animals have lost their fear of people, and become habituated. Habituated animals can quickly become food conditioned, if fed human food by visitors. Frequently, these animals have to be captured and relocated or even destroyed. The key to protecting wildlife and visitors is to keep the animals wild and afraid of people. To achieve this, in fall 2002 we began experimenting with different forms of aversive conditioning, particularly pyrotechnics, for managing habituated animals, particularly bears. We continued using pyrotechnics on habituated animals in 2004. Although we have received a few complaint letters, results to discourage wildlife from frequenting roadsides and other developed areas appears encouraging. |
| Great Smoky Mountains News Release Date: October 26, 2005 865/436-1208 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ON HEMLOCK WOOLLY ADELGID TREATMENT AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW AND COMMENT Great Smoky Mountains National Park managers are seeking public input on an Environmental Assessment (EA) concerning the Park's management of hemlock woolly adelgid. Under provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act, the Park is inviting public comment on a range of treatment options that include pesticide use and predatory insect releases in front country and backcountry areas, as well as a no treatment option, during a 30-day public review process that will end on November 18, 2005. Currently, biologists are managing HWA using experimental control strategies that include insecticidal soap and oil, systemic insecticide treatments and non-native predatory beetles. "Since the insect was first discovered in the Park, HWA populations have become much more widespread and we are proposing to expand controls to save as much hemlock as possible without adversely impacting Park resources," said Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson. Hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) is a non-native insect that was first found in the Park in 2002 that poses an imminent threat to Park resources. The Park contains more than 18,000 acres of hemlock-dominated forests, including 700 acres of old growth hemlock aged to 500 years old. The non-native insect threatens all ages and sizes of hemlock trees. The EA outlines details of each proposed alternative of which there are five. The alternatives under consideration are:
1) No Treatment. The Park would apply no treatments to prevent the Alternative 5 is indicated as the environmentally preferred alternative. The use of chemicals and biocontrols will allow Park a range of options to safely apply treatments best suited for specific areas, i.e., backcountry, high use developed areas, areas near water, and old growth communities. Superintendent Ditmanson commented that "The varying methods provide managers flexibility in addressing specific concerns that will best protect water resources, non-target species and threatened and endangered species, while ensuring that visitors will continue to enjoy Park facilities and resources." The EA is available for review and can be obtained several ways. A link to an electronic copy of the document can be found under the "management documents" section on the Park's website at http://www.nps.gov/grsm/pphtml/documents.html. A copy of the EA may also be requested by writing to the address provided below or calling (865) 436-1208. Comments should be received by the National Park Service by November 18, 2005, and sent to: Superintendent, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 107 Park Headquarters Road Gatlinburg, TN 37738 or e:mailed to GRSM_Hemlock@nps.gov. |
| Nature News 7 March 2005 The earth moves most for humans Philip Ball Agriculture and excavations shape the landscape more than rivers and glaciers. Nothing moves as much earth as humans do. Human activities shift ten times as much material on the Earth's surface as all natural geological processes put together. That's the conclusion of geologist Bruce Wilkinson at the University of Michigan, who has used the geological record to estimate the earth-moving capacity of natural processes over the past half a billion years. He publishes his findings in Geology1. Wilkinson was inspired to calculate a natural 'baseline' for the movement of soil and sediment after reading a paper published five years ago by geomorphologist Roger Hooke of the University of Maine in Orono2. Hooke called humans "geomorphic agents", comparing them to land-shaping forces of nature, such as rivers, glaciers, rain and wind. He reconstructed the history of human impact on the landscape from intentional ground-moving processes such as excavation and mining, as well as unintentional effects caused by erosion of cultivated land. Hooke found that this impact has been increasing exponentially over the course of human civilization, and suggested that "we have now become arguably the premier geomorphic agent sculpting the landscape". Wilkinson's calculations now show that there's no argument about it: we are ten times more active at land-shifting than nature. "It doesn't surprise me," Hooke says of the finding -he already suspected that the human impact on the landscape is alarming. "We're headed for disaster," he says. The new results should help to settle an ongoing debate about the effects of human activity on soil. When natural vegetation is cleared and land is tilled for growing crops, the soil typically becomes more prone to erosion by wind and rain. But some researchers have argued that, in the United States at least, fresh soil is being formed as quickly as existing soil is being eroded, or that, even if soil is being lost overall, it's not happening quickly enough to cause a crisis. In the light of his comparison with natural erosion rates, Wilkinson now says that statement "is difficult to substantiate". Hooke agrees: "We're losing agricultural land rapidly." He points out that, according to one estimate, it takes 500 years for natural soil-forming processes to replace an inch of soil. Rocky horror Wilkinson based his estimate of natural soil and sediment movement on the rate at which sedimentary rocks have been formed over the past half a billion years. Taking into account that such rocks are also steadily destroyed as one tectonic plate slides under another, he calculates that, on average, the continents lose a few tens of metres thickness of sediment every million years. In comparison, human earthworks and agriculture lead to a current average loss rate of about 360 metres per million years. That's enough material to fill the Grand Canyon in about 50 years, Wilkinson says. And although the figure is rising exponentially, it's not just in recent times that human activities have rivalled the effects of nature. Wilkinson calculates that human-related erosion became equal to natural processes about 1,000 years ago. Hooke points out that a large part of the problem is simply population growth. Although modern agricultural techniques have led to a decline in the amount of earth moved per person, the world's population is growing so rapidly that this outweighs the effects of such improvements. ©2005 Nature Publishing Group |
| GATLINBURG - After a year of study, the National
Park Service (NPS) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) held their
fifth round of public meetings on the proposed road along the north shore
of Fontana Lake, N.C., to show the public the final alternatives recommended
for detailed study. The agencies expect to present the final alternative to the public this fall. The proposed road has been a sore spot among residents of Swain County, N.C., since the U.S. Department of Interior promised in 1943 to build a road to replace the one inundated by the building of Fontana Lake during World War II. The lake was built to generate electricity for the aluminum needed to build airplanes. Since that time, only a short section of the road was built, with nothing having been done since the 1970s. The issue resurfaced in October 2000 when Congress budgeted $16 million to resume construction of the road. Because the road would be built on federal land with federal money, the National Environmental Policy Act requires the agencies involved - in this case, the FHWA and NPS - to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Studied during the past year were the economic, natural and cultural resources of the area, as well as the potential impact of the proposed road on visual, water quality and air quality resources. The five alternatives chosen are as follows: * (1) No action: There would be no improvements to Lake View Road, except for routine maintenance. There would be no changes to the existing conditions in the study area. No compensation would be provided in lieu of building the road. The NPS would continue to provide transportation across Fontana Lake for annual cemetery visits and would maintain current amenities, policies and practices of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. * (2) Monetary settlement: This would provide $52 million in compensation to Swain County to settle the 1943 agreement. No additional roadway would be built. NPS would continue to provide access across the lake for annual cemetery visits. * (3) Laurel Branch picnic area: A day-use area on the north side of existing Lake View Road, just east of the existing tunnel parking area, would be built, and a new two-way, paved entrance/exit road would provide access to the day-use area. Lake View Road would not be extended past the tunnel; wayside exhibit panels would provide information on the area, and occasional ranger-led programs would be held. A multi-use picnic shelter, picnic tables, several loop trails, a backcountry permit station, drinking fountains and restrooms would be provided. * (4) Partial-build alternative to Bushnell: A new roadway would generally follow the Lakeshore Trail for 4 to 8 miles from the existing tunnel and around the impounded waters of Forney Creek to the vicinity of the Bushnell Area. Exhibit/museum space would be designed to highlight local heritage. A boat-launching ramp and restricted boat dock, multi-use picnic shelter and picnic tables, a backcountry permit station, an information kiosk, restrooms, a parking area, interpretive trails, and wayside exhibits would be provided. * (5) Northern Shore corridor: A new road would generally follow the northern shore of Fontana Lake for roughly 29 to 38 miles to the vicinity of Fontana Dam. From the existing tunnel, the road would go around the impounded waters of Forney Creek and continue west. Just west of Calhoun and Mill branches, it would turn north to follow Lakeshore Trail to the area of the former Proctor settlement, then turn west and continue through a portion of Flint Gap. Past Eagle Creek, the corridor would turn to the south and continue west to NC 28 toward Deal's Gap, avoiding major bridge crossings at Forney, Hazel and Eagle Creeks in option 1. The second option is to build major bridges on Forney, Hazel and Eagle Creek embayments with a shorter roadway. Alternative three is estimated to cost $5 million (in 2004 dollars) and take about two years to complete. Alternative four is estimated to cost from $77 million to $93 million (in 2004 dollars), depending on whether the road is two-way paved with 10-foot lanes or a two-way gravel with 9-foot lanes. Construction would take about five years. Assuming funding would be appropriated, alternative five is estimated to cost from $229 million to $374 million (in 2004 dollars), depending on the type of road built and which bridge option is implemented. It would take about 15 years to complete the construction. If a road is built, FHWA has determined that from seven to 207 jobs would be created. If a monetary settlement is made, it has been calculated that the money would help create about 45 short-term jobs, starting in 2008, and about 16 long-term jobs starting in 2026. Among the 75 people attending the meeting, questions ranged from whether a study had been done to determine the anticipated number of animals killed on the proposed road, to whether the monetary settlement would change Swain County's status as a poor county and cause it to lose federal dollars. Westy Fletcher, of Cosby, an opponent of the road, said, "Looking at the economics, I don't think the people of Swain County would benefit that much from building the road." Bryson City, N.C., resident Vivian Cook staunchly supports building the road because, she said, "I was born on Hazel Creek. My parents and 6,000 others were promised by the government they would build another road - they gave up their homes on that promise. I feel the government needs to keep their promise and because we need access to our cemeteries." ©The Mountain Press 2005 |
| WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT – Kim DeLozier (865-436-1248)
BEARS ARE VERY ACTIVE NOW: Bear activity was reported in Chimneys Picnic Area, Cades Cove Picnic Area and Campground, Cosby Campground, Ramsey Cascade Trail, Alum Cave Trail, Sugarlands Riding Stables, Mt. LeConte Lodge, Spence Field Shelter, Mt. Collins Shelter, Russell Field Shelter, and backcountry campsites 12, 21, 32 and 39. Warning signs were posted at backcountry campsites 21, 32 and 39. Backcountry campsite 12 was closed. Backcountry campsite 40 was monitored with a remote camera for bear activity and later reopened for public use. On July 26, a 205-pound male bear (#1656) was captured in the Chimneys Picnic Area. All four canines of bear #1656 were broken and decaying. Bear 1656 was taken to the University Of Tennessee College Of Veterinary Medicine (UTCVM) and received root canals in all four canines; the bear was released back in Chimneys Picnic area. On July 26, an adult female (#393) with 3 cubs was captured in Cades Cove and relocated to the Cherokee National Forest. A food storage cable at backcountry campsite 18 was repaired. BEAR MONITORING: The wildlife staff completed the annual black bear bait-station survey. The survey is used to monitor relative changes in the bear population. The survey involves stringing baits (3 partially opened cans of sardines) approximately 8 to 10 feet from the ground at 0.5-mi. intervals along roads and trails to systematically and representatively sample the entire Park. After 5 days, baits are checked for bear visits. Claw marks on trees and/or large tooth-holes in cans provide evidence of a bear visit. The black bear bait-station survey was conducted from July 1 to July 21. Nineteen bait-station routes were established along 211 miles of trails and roads. A total of 392 bait-stations were established. Percentage visitation by bears ranged from 27.7% along the Appalachian Trail/Bradley Fork route to 100% along the Mt. Sterling/Pretty Hollow Gap route. Percentage visitation by section of the Park ranged from 53.3% for the northeast section to 78.1% for the northwest section. Overall percentage visitation was 66.3%, which is slightly lower than 2003 (67.6%). WILD HOG CONTROL: Wildlife staff removed 7 wild hogs in June and 1 in July. To date, 130 wild hogs have been removed during 2004. If you see a wild hog or signs that wild hog(s) have been rooting in any areas within the Park, please notify Bill Stiver regarding the time and location at (865) 436-1251 or send him an email at bill_stiver@nps.gov. Thanks for your help. SICK/INJURED WILDLIFE: On July 10, a sick raccoon was captured at the entrance to Cataloochee Campground. The animal was trembling, appeared depressed, and lacked coordination when walking. The animal was euthanized and taken to the UTCVM for necropsy and a rabies test. The raccoon tested negative for rabies, but was positive for canine distemper. On July 30, a dead bat was found near a display case in the B-loop of Cades Cove Campground. The bat was also submitted to UTCVM for rabies testing; results are still pending. On July 28, a cub was struck by a vehicle on Highway 441 about 0.5 miles south of the Sugarlands Visitor Center; however the cub could not be found. On July 31 a 28-pound female cub was struck and killed by a vehicle along Highway 441 about one mile north of Chimneys Picnic area. On August 2, 21-pound male cub was captured in Cades Cove near the Elijah Oliver cabin. The bear had multiple bite wound on its front shoulder and rear legs and most likely a broken back as it was unable to use its rear legs. It appeared the cub was attacked by another bear. The bear died shortly after it was captured. 08/09/04 Great Smoky Mountains National Park RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND SCIENCE INSIDER.
|
| AIR QUALITY – Jim Renfro (865- 436-1708)
RESULTS OF EPA FUNDED OZONE PROJECT: A new journal article reports the results of an EPA-funded ozone project at the park. Portable monitors were used to measure ozone concentrations above and within the canopy of ozone symptomatic and asymptomatic cutleaf coneflower stands at Purchase Knob (elevation 4,900 feet). Ozone exposure measurements showed concentrations decreased as one descended into the canopy from above. Concentrations near the ground were about half those measured one meter above the canopy. The measurements were used to test the accuracy of an ozone deposition model in predicting concentrations within the canopy. Determining ozone concentration as a function of height within the canopy will allow better correlation of ozone concentration with severity of foliar injury. The citation for the article is P.L. Finkelstein, A.W. Davison, H.S. Neufeld, T.P. Meyers and A.H. Chappelka. 2004. Sub-canopy deposition of ozone in a stand of cutleaf coneflower. Environmental Pollution 131:295-303. 08/09/04 Great Smoky Mountains National Park RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND SCIENCE INSIDER. |
| Packed with personality Lodge llamas put it on the line three times a week By MORGAM SIMMONS, simmons@knews.com GATLINBURG — Llamas may be surefooted, but they're not infallible, and their long lashes and liquid-brown eyes mask their many moods. This is Alan Householder's third season as llama packer for LeConte Lodge. It's a 13-mile round-trip to the top of Mount LeConte along the Trillium Gap Trail, but for Householder, climbing the 6,595-foot mountain comes easy. Householder resupplies LeConte Lodge three days a week. Over the course of the lodge's nine-month season, this translates into 100 trips a year.
On a recent morning, things got off to a typical start. There were seven llamas, each carrying between 40 and 50 pounds of fresh linen and perishable food for guests at the lodge. Sparky was in the lead, followed by Basso, Crazy Horse, Chip, Dakota, Harley and George. A few miles past Grotto Falls, Householder and his string of llamas hiked into the clouds, where the hemlocks and rhododendron were dripping wet. Against this backdrop of a subtropical rain forest, the llamas looked downright Peruvian, and the whole procession was eerily quiet as it went up the mountain. "Llamas can't carry as much as a horse, but only in the mud will you see their tracks," Householder said. For about 60 years, the lodge used horses and mules to carry supplies up Mount LeConte. Twenty years ago, the lodge, which has operated as a private concession in Great Smoky Mountains National Park since 1925, switched to llamas to reduce wear and tear on the trail. The lodge houses about 50 people a night and usually is booked full a year in advance. Householder was tied to the same rope that connected the llamas. Through the rope, he could feel the rhythm and mood of the pack string. It served as his umbilical cord, and it told him that Basso was not having a good day. Basso began to falter, and at one of the rest stops, he simply lay down. Suspecting saddle sores, Householder removed some of the weight from Basso's back and distributed it among the other llamas. With a little prodding Basso was back on his feet, and the llama train was under way. "Basso is the sensitive llama," Householder said. "He has issues."
Householder said his job offers its share of "llama dramas." Sometimes a llama will lose concentration and step off the mountain, or refuse to step over an unfamiliar obstacle like a fallen tree. But the biggest llama drama of all was the time a 400-pound black bear sneaked up behind the llamas and chased them down the mountain. It happened during Householder's first season on the job. He was hiking down Mount LeConte when the bear crossed the trail in front of the convoy. The llamas didn't spook, and when the bear continued on its way, Householder assumed he'd gotten off easy. Three miles later, pandemonium broke loose. The bear had circled back and was stalking the llamas. Because of the steep terrain, the llamas couldn't leave the trail. When they tried to run past Householder, they became entangled in the rope. At a curve in the trail, Householder stopped the llamas and worked his way to the back of the line. He knew what he had to do. "I felt pretty protective," Householder said. "I started yelling, and I was able to hit the bear with a rock. Its jaws were popping. It backed off, but reluctantly. After I untangled the llamas, we made a fast trip down the mountain."
Toward noon, Householder and the llamas had reached the spruce-fir forest near the top of Mount LeConte and were hiking above the clouds. Householder has hiked the entire Appalachian Trail, as well as the entire Pacific Crest Trail. In 1997 he became the first person to complete the 900-mile Mountain-to-Sea Trail, which stretches from Clingmans Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to Jockey Ridge in North Carolina's Outer Banks. On his days off, he goes hiking. Monkshood, turtlehead and grass-of-Parnassus were some of the flowers that were in bloom on top of the mountain this day. The air was uncommonly clear for a summer afternoon, and the crew of the lodge was happy to get its mail after Householder's arrival. The first thing Householder did was take care of the llamas. After removing their packs, he fed them alfalfa pellets and checked them for saddle sores. The lodge crew had some biscuits and pancakes left from breakfast, and these were fed to the llamas as a form of carb-loading for the 3.5-hour trip down. After an hour at the lodge, it was time to hit the trail. The packs were stuffed with trash and dirty linen, and the llamas were ready to go. Still tied to the hitching post, they started making more noise than they'd made all day. Some chittered like squirrels, while others sneezed, coughed and yawned. At one point, George, the last llama in the pack line, began to hum, and others joined in, chanting like Buddhist monks. "On days like this, I get up here and I don't want to go down," Householder said. |
| INVENTORY AND MONITORING – Keith Langdon (865-436-1705)
NEW PLANT DISCOVERIES: In the last two weeks three new records of woody plants have been made in the Smokies by DLIA volunteers and park staff. The Palmate-leaved grape (Vitis palmata) was found along Abrams Creek. This is a native woody vine that occurs from the Great Lakes region south through west and central Tennessee to the Gulf Coast states. This appears to be the first record for east Tennessee; a specimen is being sent to the University of Tennessee for confirmation. The southern subspecies of the Arrowood (Viburnum dentatum var.dentatum) was also found in the Abrams Creek area at low elevation. This native shrub differs from the uncommon northern variety (V.d. var. lucidum) by being much hairier; also the two taxa appear to occur at different elevations in the park. The Goat willow (Salix caprea) is a small to medium sized exotic tree which has been found in the Cataloochee area of the park. First noticed last fall, definitive identification had to await the emergence of summer foliage. Willows are dioecious, that is, there are different male and female trees. This could be a handicap for distant colonization of new trees, but willows also readily root from broken twigs that fall onto moist soil. The small stand of Goat willow in the park is in a wet seep on a road side, and the reproduction seen there could easily be from rooted branches. This species is found occasionally in the mountains of North Carolina where it appears to be spreading. It is native to Europe. NEW EXOTIC BEETLE FOUND AT PURCHASE KNOB: Dr. Charles Stains, retired entomologist, and his wife are volunteer scientists working on the ATBI. Recently they discovered a small round beetle feeding on St. John’s Wort leaves at Purchase Knob. The beetle is the “Klamath Weed Beetle” (Chrysolina quadrigemina) which is native to South and Central Europe and Northern Africa. This beetle was purposely introduced into the Pacific Northwest region in the 1940’s and eventually other areas to control so-called Klamata Weed (Hypericum perforatum) an invasive plant from Europe that dominated range land in the west. The discovery of this beetle in the park may be one of the first confirmations of its occurrence in North Carolina. The beetle will feed on native hypericums, (usually called St. John’s Wort), and the Smokies does have some high elevation endemic species in this genus. The park staff has recruited a volunteer to do a quick, targeted inventory of these endemic species in the park.
07/12/2004 Great Smoky Mountains National Park RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND SCIENCE INSIDER |
| Rabid bat bites Smokies visitor Bite is first by animal with rabies reported in park's 70-year history By JIM BALLOCH, Knoxville News Sentinel A woman hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was bitten by a rabid bat, Park Service officials said Friday. The 56-year-old woman, who is from Iowa, was hiking on the Old Sugarlands Nature Trail with a group of about a dozen when she was bitten on Wednesday. She is the only person known to have been bitten by any rabid animal in the 70-year history of the park. Other members of the group caught and killed the bat and brought its carcass to Sugarlands Visitor Center. The woman sought medical treatment and began receiving antirabies injections immediately, before rabies tests on the bat were completed at the Sevier County Health Department. For several years, the park has conducted tests on bats that died or were acting strangely in high human-use areas, "but this is only the third one to come back positive," said Park Wildlife Biologist Kim Delozier. "In the other two cases, there was no human contact with the infected animals." Although skunks are the animal in Tennessee most likely to carry rabies, bats are the most likely animal with rabies that humans will come into contact. And after several years of testing dead or sick raccoons and skunks, or any mammals that have bitten or scratched anyone, "we have never had a positive rabies test in any species except those few bats," Delozier said. An oral rabies vaccine program aimed at controlling the disease in raccoons and skunks has begun and will eventually include the park. It involves aerial and ground distribution of small bait packets containing rabies vaccine. The packets are harmless to humans or domestic animals. Park officials always advise visitors to never feed wildlife and to be
especially wary of any animals that are acting unusual or do not seem
afraid of humans. |
| Weather blamed for Park visitor decrease By:CANDICE GRIMM, Staff Writer August 10, 2004 The Mountain Press GATLINBURG - A 4 percent decrease in visitation to Great Smoky Mountains National Park during the first half of 2004 is being attributed to wetter than normal weather. Nancy Gray, Park spokeswoman, said that from January through June of this year, 3,676,319 visitors entered the Park through its three main entrances and 10 outlying entry points. During the same period in 2003, 3,809,769 visitors were counted. Visitation was slightly higher in January and February of 2004 before dropping off in March, April, May and June. According to Gray, a total of 7.7 inches of rain fell in May, while June was even worse with a total of 8.9 inches of rain. The average annual rainfall at the Gatlinburg entrance, according to Bob Miller, Park spokesman, is 4.5 inches in May and 5.2 inches for June. "You're looking at about a 40 percent increase in rainfall for May and almost a 50 percent increase in June," calculated Miller. "It's difficult to assess why people don't come, but we look for the most common causes, such as bad weather or road construction, which diverts traffic to other entrances or drives them away altogether," Miller added. "Beyond that, it's purely speculation whether it's high gas prices or other economic factors." While the year-to-date visitation through the Park's main entrances is off for 2004, the 10 outlying entry points throughout North Carolina and Tennessee showed a 1 percent increase so far this year, according to Gray. The Townsend gateway recorded 588,525 visitors this year, which is an 8 percent decrease over 2003. The 1,419,474 visitors entering the Park at Gatlinburg was down by 3 percent, and the 871,542 visitors entering at Cherokee, N.C., was down 5 percent. Camping in the first six months of 2004 was also down compared with 2003. There was a 1 percent decline recorded at both the front country campgrounds and backcountry campsites. Camper nights totaled 140,456 at the 10 developed campgrounds this year, which was fewer than the 142,106 reported in 2003. A total of 40,152 visitors registered to use the Park's more than 100 backcountry campsites this year, compared with 40,515 in 2003. Monthly visitation through each entrance and the percentage of change over 2003, is as follows: January: Gatlinburg, 125,279 (+4%); Townsend, 50,837 (+3%); Cherokee, 69,973 (no change); outlying areas, 60,927 (-8%). Total, 307,017 (+1%). February: Gatlinburg, 129,018 (no change); Townsend, 50,045 (-3%); Cherokee, 83,040 (+20%); outlying areas, 74,109 (-10%). Total, 336,212 (+1). March: Gatlinburg, 202,011 (-8%); Townsend, 80,971 (-1%); Cherokee, 123,502 (-8%); outlying areas, 100,319 (+2%). Total, 506,804 (-5%). April: Gatlinburg, 278,362 (+1%); Townsend, 111,040 (+2%); Cherokee, 167,621 (-5%); outlying areas, 118,328 (-15%). Total, 675,350 (-4%). May: Gatlinburg, 285,118 (+1%); Townsend, 126,355 (+1%); Cherokee, 174,781 (-11%); outlying areas, 187,795 (+7%). Total, 774,049 (-1%). June: Gatlinburg, 399,686 (-7%); Townsend, 169,278 (-24%); Cherokee, 252,625 (-8%); outlying areas, 255,299 (+11%). Total, 1,076,888 (-7%). Miller said July is always when the most visitation occurs, with either June and October usually following closely behind. |
| Hope for Hemlock Beetle-rearing facility propagates predators to annihilate adelgids By MORGAN SIMMONS TOWNSEND - Ernest Bernard held in his hands a cardboard bucket that contained 2,500 predator beetles, each no bigger than a poppy seed. A professor with the University of Tennessee's department of entomology and plant pathology, Bernard was in Great Smoky Mountains National Park Wednesday morning to release the first batch of predator beetles raised at UT's new beetle-rearing facility. Virtually all the hemlock trees at the release site were infested with hemlock woolly adelgids, a tiny, aphid-like insect that has decimated hemlock forests in the northeast United States and is spreading through the Southern Appalachians. "This is where we hope to stop the hemlock woolly adelgid in its tracks," Bernard said. "Do I just open up this bucket and let them go?" Joining Bernard were a number of biologists with the Smokies, plus Jim Hart, executive director of Friends of the Smokies, the non-profit group that provided part of the funding for UT's beetle-rearing facility. Bernard popped the lid, but instead of flying away, the predator beetles clung to the packing material inside the bucket. To transfer the beetles to the infested hemlocks, the biologists took clumps of packing material and draped them on the boughs of the infested hemlocks. Ten minutes later the predator beetles already had traveled to the base of the hemlock needles and were feeding on their favorite prey. "They're quite hungry after being in the bucket overnight," said John Nelson, research specialist with UT's department of entomology and plant pathology. The first hemlock woolly adelgid outbreak in the Smokies was reported in 2002 just north of Fontana Dam. Today the insects have spread throughout the park, with some of the worst infestations occurring in Cades Cove, Cosby, Greenbrier, Cataloochee and Big Creek. The park contains an estimated 5,000 acres of hemlock forests. Some 700 acres of those are old-growth stands where some of the hemlocks are 400 to 500 years old. Predator beetles (scientific name Pseudoscymnus tsugae) prey almost exclusively on hemlock woolly adelgids. Studies show that the beetles also will feed on the balsam woolly adelgid, another Asian exotic that has destroyed the high-elevation fir forests in the park. While chemical treatments and soap sprays are effective in treating adelgid infestations near roads, predator beetles are considered the most feasible and effective treatment for attacking the infestation in the backcountry. UT's facility is one of only a handful of predator beetle-rearing labs in the country. Park biologists hope to release between 25,000 and 30,000 predator beetles from now until early summer, when the hemlock woolly adelgids become dormant. Wednesday's release took place just off Lead Cove Trail, about three miles east of Cades Cove. It was a classic hemlock forest with a sparse understory and a stream running through it. A songbird called from the upper canopy. Kris Johnson, forestry supervisor for the Smokies, identified it as a blackthroated blue warbler, a neotropical migrant that nests in hemlock trees. Also on Wednesday, the U.S. Forest Service released predator beetles at Whitewater Falls in North Carolina's Nantahala National Forest. Those predator beetles were reared at a lab at Clemson University. Terry Seyden, public affairs officer for the Nantahala National Forest, said Joyce Kilmer National Forest and Linville Gorge Wilderness are high-priority sites for future predator beetle releases in the mountains of North Carolina. "These beetles appear to be our best bet as a biological control," Seyden said. "There are no guarantees, but we have to try. We don't have the option of sitting back and doing nothing." Copyright 2004, Knoxville News-Sentinel Co. |
| Snake bite injures youngster By:CANDICE GRIMM, Staff Writer August 05, 2004 Knoxville News Sentinel A 12-year-old Indiana boy is being treated at East Tennessee Children's Hospital in Knoxville after being bitten by a snake Monday in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Nancy Gray of the Park's Public Affairs office said Kenny Hall of Osceola, Ind., was hiking with his family along the Abrams Creek Trail in Cades Cove about noon when he found a copperhead snake and picked it up to look at it. He was not bitten the first time he picked it up, however, Gray said the snake did bite the boy on his right thumb after he picked it up a second time to show his parents. The family first took the boy to the Cades Cove visitor center where they were told to go to the Cades Cove ranger station. The family arrived at the ranger station at 2:20 p.m. While the family was enroute to the ranger station, workers at the visitor center alerted rangers that the family had bandaged the bite area and had applied cold compresses. Those treatments are not advisable for snake bites. When the family arrived at the ranger station, Gray said they were advised by the ranger to remove the bandage and the compress. A LifeStar pediatrician with whom the ranger was in contact confirmed for the family that those treatments were harmful and advised them to keep the boy's arm as low as possible below the heart. According to rangers, by the time the boy arrived at the ranger station, his hand was almost double in size and was discolored around the bite. The swelling had also begun to creep up the boy's arm and he was complaining of pain and tenderness, Gray said. Within five minutes of the family's arrival at the ranger station, a Rural Metro ambulance from Blount County had arrived and the boy was taken to Blount Memorial Hospital in Maryville where he was treated and released. Janya Marshall, associate director for public relations at East Tennessee Children's Hospital, confirmed Tuesday that the boy was being treated there and was reported to be in fair condition. Five snake bits were reported at the Park last year "We had a high number of snake bites last year, but this is the first one I've been made aware of for this year," said Gray, adding that she doesn't know if there have been other bites because some people don't report them. According to Gray, a rainy season usually does bring out more snakes "which is indicative of why the snake was on the trail." Gray explained that while people may have been safer around snakes this year than usual, more snakes have been seen because snakes usually come out to sun after a rain. To avoid being bitten by either of the two poisonous snakes found in the Park - the copperhead and the timber rattler - Gray offered these safety tips: n Never pick up a snake; leave them alone and look at them from a distance. n Don't put hands or feet anywhere that you can't see what is there, such as under a rock or log or into a crevice. n Stay out of tall grass unless you are wearing thick leather hiking boots. n Stay on the trails. n When crossing a fallen log on the trail, step up onto it and then out away from it rather than stepping over it. If a snakebite does occur, Gray said the following measures should be taken: n The bite can be washed with soap and water. n If possible, the bite area should be kept lower than the heart to keep the venom from spreading. n If the bite is to a hand, immediately remove all rings or bracelets. n Keep calm, do not run, but do seek medical attention. Never put ice or cold compresses on a bite because that can cause more tissue damage. Do not bandage the area or use a tourniquet. Do not cut into the wound or try to suck out the poison because this does not prove to be useful and could cause further injury.
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| Park awaits test results of four mysterious elk
deaths By Associated Press April 10, 2004 GATLINBURG - The unexplained deaths of four elk in different areas of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park have wildlife biologists awaiting test results, according to park officials. The park has a herd of about 60 elk from a reintroduction project started in 2001. Remains of all four animals found in recent weeks have been taken to the University of Tennessee department of veterinary medicine, a statement released Friday said. "We have been remarkably lucky with an 88 percent survival rate in our adult elk during the first three years of this five-year experimental release," said park wildlife biologist Kim DeLozier. He said "late winter is also a time of high stress for elk and many other species." On March 19, a male elk was found near death in the Towstring area near Cherokee. Rangers had reported dogs running wild a few miles away days before the elk was found, and dogs were seen chasing the elk into a river. On April 1, a park volunteer in Cataloochee Valley saw a male elk showing signs of a neurological disorder, including loss of balance. By the time biologists arrived, the animal was near death and had to be euthanized. The symptoms were consistent with a parasitic brainworm. Wildlife managers overseeing about 3,000 elk in Kentucky have found that the brainworm kills about 10 percent of the herd each year. On March 15, researchers began getting a mortality signal from the radio collar on a bull. The collars are designed to send the signal if the animal remains motionless for several hours. It will also signal if a collar falls off. On Sunday, a park neighbor found remains of an elk in the White Oak area just outside the park. The collar was found nearly a mile from the remains. On Wednesday, biologists found the carcass of a female elk that had been outside the park in Maggie Valley. DeLozier said that "even with the recent deaths, the park elk project continues to meet or exceed our original expectations. And this year's calving season is only about six weeks away, so we may see as many as 20 calves in 2004 to replace these losses." Copyright 2004, Associated Press. All rights reserved. |
Associated Press March 18, 2004 The public has become accustomed to easy access to National parks told to cut services quietly WASHINGTON National parksuperintendents are being told to cut The disclosure came as a parks advocacy group issued a The message to superintendents was disclosed by an Memo urges PR strategy Among the memo's suggestions for The memo also advises workers to warn officials if 'If you think that some of your specific plans will Walter was referring to Marie Rust, the Park Service's 'Randy felt that the issuance of a press release was the 'He suggested that if you feel you must inform the 'Chill over the National Park Service' Former park 'Make no mistake about it. There is a chill over the National Park Service spokesman Dave Barna didn't 'All we're saying is, 'Let us know in advance so we know The Park Service's budget has steadily increased during Homeland security also is expensive - each change in the This year's Park Service budget is $2.56 billion, 'Endangered Rangers' report On Tuesday, the National As a result, it said, American Indian artifacts are It also hinders law enforcement, detracts from ranger- Don Murphy, deputy director of the National Park 'There certainly is a need. No organization has all of |