Foundation Document, Great Smoky Mountains
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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE • U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Foundation Document Great Smoky Mountains National Park North Carolina and Tennessee October 2016 Foundation Document To Knoxville To Knoxville To Newport SEVIERVILLE y 321 a w Exit Litt rk 129 le a 443 CHEROKEE NATIONAL FOREST 411 441 32 P Pig eon R ls McGhee Tyson iv il er h Airport Cosby ot L it o n t F le o e R ig iv P e 416 r W ALCOA Facility Closures es t R P PIGEON FORGE iv TENNES Roads, campgrounds, trails, backcountry campsites r e SEE o r Exit 451 n and shelters, and other park facilities may be closed g 32 NORT L H CA as environmental conditions or operational capabilities itt C ROLINA 441 le o P s ig b change. For current information, check the park e Pittman y Mount o MARYVILLE n website www.nps.gov/grsm. Center Cosby Cammerer 73 321 C Big Creek R 321 r i e 321 v e 40 e k 321 r Gatlinburg Welcome Center National Park Information Center k e e Big r Walland TN C M 129 E V 411 O Greenbrier ay Wear Valley C w Little rk Mount a Greenbrier Sugarlands Sterling To Chattanooga P GATLINBURG School Visitor Center M Mount Guyot Waterville 321 iddle s Park Headquarters Prong Lake l l i h B t Townsend A o Visitors Center L S o Roaring Fork A ek F re d M C a Motor Nature Trail o W 73 R (closed in winter) e er l M e Townsend iv s hia i R t ac n e Little l O a a h P U p r c SU r p T N o d GA o a Great Smoky n A T o PISGAH N R R Mount l I I o L g A a C R Mountains A A ) H Elkmont L N I t r Le Conte T it N NATIONAL e tl D a N t M Institute at e n L 6593ft Cataloochee C U i ittl FOREST Look Rock in d i Tremont e igeo O w d R P n R 2009m a a d i i M t o v ve l e r n n R i e M u r Charlies O C U o k P o d M N e r T Bunion d v M e T o A e s e IN Chimney R N r n C o l C g Tops re h c n e ( l c t L k k i e r it r R R u t M E a le o d E F L R W iver r) e Newfound Gap 5046ft m O t a H Abrams Creek n s Exit 20 L i 1538m l I B a w n H r B C e n a i v r CADES COVE d C Cable Mill a d l e N O e R s c e y o w o s l n Appalachian ram c f a Ab GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS ( o l un p Road u Cades Cove d Ga f Highlands t e Fo Science Visitor Center e rk He ( 276 i c Learning Spence n l R t o Center Field o Clingmans Dome i s Thunderhead ve o e r Smokemont g d Silers Visitor Center a Mountain Balsam Mountain i Clingmans d n Chilhowee Bald a o R R i Dome d e w ad v g o 6643ft i n R o e k 2024m C t h NATIONAL PARK c e n r) e Andrews Bald R a te e ig r r ) n r B o B i E A C Black Camp Gap w E a n S N idge o in S I R d rs E L P a d Gregory N O a Maggie Dellwood P se EN R le e rk lo Bald T A g Mingus Mill lu w (c C B ay Valley Ea TH k OR e 129 N e 19 r Oconaluftee To Asheville C k e k Visitor Center e e e r r C p Mountain Farm Museum C e High Rocks e k Soco Gap e d D e Cr n 441 CHEROKEE INDIAN RESERVATION a l y o Deep Creek Shuckstack (QUALLA BOUNDARY) Calderwood e N l n Cherokee Lake e r CHEROKEE z a o Deals Gap H F o NATIONAL Fontana Soc Creek WAYNESVILLE 19 Waterrock Knob FOREST Twentymile Dam Lak e Cheoah S E A AM E N 441 LS S LI A S B E O BRYSON N R N A CITY E C Fon tana T La T H ke T T FONTANA 28 R 74 O O VILLAGE L T P N u c B k l a u JOYCE A se e KILMER - SLICKROCK p g e p e R WILDERNESS AREA 23 id a g l 74 e a c A Parkw h L ay A i R a K R n A iv SYLVA er Ranger station M Dillsboro O U N T Developed Santeetlah Stecoah Gap A NANTAHALA NATIONAL FOREST I Lake N campground T North S 441 Roads in park are closed 143 r ay a to commercial vehicles. Picnic area yw i Sk l 19 Wesser 23 hala 74 ero ROBBINSVILLE Ch Unpaved road Self-guiding trail r Cheoah Bald e 28 iv 143 R One-way road Horseback riding Little (rental) 129 la 0 1 5 Kilometers a Tennessee h River ta Historic structure(s) Observation tower n To Atlanta a 0 1 5 Miles N Great Smoky Mountains National Park Contents Mission of the National Park Service 1 Introduction 2 Part 1: Core Components 3 Brief Description of the Park 3 Park Purpose 4 Park Significance 5 Fundamental Resources and Values 6 Interpretive Themes 9 Part 2: Dynamic Components 11 Special Mandates and Administrative Commitments 11 Special Mandates and Designations 11 Assessment of Planning and Data Needs 13 Analysis of Fundamental Resources and Values 13 Identification of Key Issues and Associated Planning and Data Needs 44 Planning and Data Needs 45 Part 3: Contributors 51 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 51 NPS Southeast Region 51 NPS WASO Park Planning and Special Studies 51 NPS Denver Service Center – Planning Division 51 Photo Credits 51 Appendixes 52 Appendix A: Enabling Legislation for Great Smoky Mountains National Park 52 Appendix B: Inventory of Administrative Commitments 54 Appendix C: Basics for Wilderness Stewardship 56 Wilderness Background Information 56 Wilderness Legislation and Legislative History 56 Current Land Status and Boundary Descriptions 57 Relationship of Wilderness to Planning 58 Wilderness Character Narrative 58 Issues for Wilderness Planning 65 Foundation Document Great Smoky Mountains National Park Mission of the National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The National Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world. The NPS core values are a framework in which the National Park Service accomplishes its mission. They express the manner in which, both individually and collectively, the National Park Service pursues its mission. The NPS core values are: · Shared stewardship: We share a commitment to resource stewardship with the global preservation community. · Excellence: We strive continually to learn and improve so that we may achieve the highest ideals of public service. · Integrity: We deal honestly and fairly with the public and one another. · Tradition: We are proud of it; we learn from it; we are not bound by it. · Respect: We embrace each other’s differences so that we may enrich the well-being of everyone. The National Park Service is a bureau within the Department of the Interior. While numerous national park system units were created prior to 1916, it was not until August 25, 1916, that President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Organic Act formally establishing the National Park Service. The national park system continues to grow and comprises more than 400 park units covering more than 84 million acres in every state, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. These units include, but are not limited to, national parks, monuments, battlefields, military parks, historical parks, historic sites, lakeshores, seashores, recreation areas, scenic rivers and trails, and the White House. The variety and diversity of park units throughout the nation require a strong commitment to resource stewardship and management to ensure both the protection and enjoyment of these resources for future generations. The arrowhead was authorized as the official National Park Service emblem by the Secretary of the Interior on July 20, 1951. The sequoia tree and bison represent vegetation and wildlife, the mountains and water represent scenic and recreational values, and the arrowhead represents historical and archeological values. 1 Foundation Document Introduction Every unit of the national park system will have a foundational document to provide basic guidance for planning and management decisions—a foundation for planning and management. The core components of a foundation document include a brief description of the park as well as the park’s purpose, significance, fundamental resources and values, and interpretive themes. The foundation document also includes special mandates and administrative commitments, an assessment of planning and data needs that identifies planning issues, planning products to be developed, and the associated studies and data required for park planning.