Road to Nowhere on NPR

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...toryId=5218050

"Ken Fortenberry" wrote in message
. com...
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...toryId=5218050

Combine that with the bridge to nowhere and you can get nowhere in a
hurry...

Maybe a new website...nowhere.gov (aka lost.gov) or maybe a redirect from
DOH!.gov...

Mark

Ken Fortenberry wrote:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...toryId=5218050

A mere $600 million for a road to nowhere? As a spokesman for
Halliburton would say, "That's so cute."

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

"Ken Fortenberry" wrote ...
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...toryId=5218050

I take no side on whether or not the road should be continued, as I don't
know enough about the issue. But, I do want to thank you for posting the
link. I took a BP trip to the GSMNP a few years ago. Parked at the lot just
before the end of the road. Great trip up Forney Creek and down thru
Andrew's Bald.

Pictures out now.....

Thanks...

Dan
...and yes, I carried an alcohol stove on that trip. Knew just how much fuel
I had left, also. ;-)

Daniel-San wrote:
"Ken Fortenberry" wrote ...
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...toryId=5218050

I take no side on whether or not the road should be continued, as I don't
know enough about the issue. But, I do want to thank you for posting the
link. ...

I don't know which side I'm on in this either. On the one
hand building a road through that part of the Park is costly
and unwise and I usually take the environmentalist side, but
on the other hand a lot of Fortenberrys were displaced when
TVA built the dam at Guntersville, Alabama and I know that
side of the issue too.

--
Ken Fortenberry

how anybody (other than those who want an easy drive to a cemetery) can
think building a 600 million dollar road (it was estimated at 400 a few
months ago and it'll be 800 a few months from now)is worthy of
consideration when the locals have agreed to accept 52 million, well,
hell...i guess i am just a simple fuktard after all. the road will
absolutely destroy one of the finest remaining rural auto-free
landscapes and backcountry locations in the southeast, not to mention
the negative effects on the fishing & wildlife. no one is keeping those
who want to visit family cemeteries from doing so...in fact, the park
service accommodates their wishes in an admirable fashion. those folks
don't visit 24/7...the tourists do, and they'll be all over that road
like flies on stink. may as well build a paved highway to the third
meadow of slough creek while they are at it.

fortenberry on the fence about a paved road on the north shore of the
GSMNP?? ...man, i feel something with wings emerging from my butt.

jeff

Ken Fortenberry wrote:
Daniel-San wrote:

"Ken Fortenberry" wrote ...

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...toryId=5218050


I take no side on whether or not the road should be continued, as I
don't know enough about the issue. But, I do want to thank you for
posting the link. ...


I don't know which side I'm on in this either. On the one
hand building a road through that part of the Park is costly
and unwise and I usually take the environmentalist side, but
on the other hand a lot of Fortenberrys were displaced when
TVA built the dam at Guntersville, Alabama and I know that
side of the issue too.

While I do have empathy for the desire of those who want to visit their old
home place or the cemetary where their relatives are buried, building a road
across 34 miles of shoreline at the cost of $600,000,000 isn't the answer.
The families already are given transportation across Fontana Lake *and* bus
transportation to the old home sites and graveyards. They want to eat their
cake and have it, too.

I have had many discussions with friends and clients who have lived in Swain
County their entire lives about this issue. The most enlightened comment
came from a friend whose family was moved out to build the lake and then had
half their property taken to begin building the Road to Nowhere. She said it
was a conflict between those who were always looking backwards (pro-road)
and those who hoped to build a better future (anti-road, pro-settlement) for
their children so that they could remain in Swain County and not have to
seek a livelihood elsewhere. As things stand now, Swain County is one of the
poorest counties in North Carolina and has traditionally had one of the
highest unemployment rates.

And finally, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, like all National
Parks, belong to ALL Americans and decisions about the Park should be made
on a national basis. To give a small but vocal minority in a county of
10,000 the power to decide for all Americans is ludicrous.

John in WNC


"Ken Fortenberry" wrote in message
om...
Daniel-San wrote:
"Ken Fortenberry" wrote ...
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...toryId=5218050

I take no side on whether or not the road should be continued, as I
don't
know enough about the issue. But, I do want to thank you for posting the
link. ...

I don't know which side I'm on in this either. On the one
hand building a road through that part of the Park is costly
and unwise and I usually take the environmentalist side, but
on the other hand a lot of Fortenberrys were displaced when
TVA built the dam at Guntersville, Alabama and I know that
side of the issue too.

--
Ken Fortenberry

"JohnR" wrote in message
k.net...
While I do have empathy for the desire of those who want to visit their
old
home place or the cemetary where their relatives are buried, building a
road
across 34 miles of shoreline at the cost of $600,000,000 isn't the answer.
The families already are given transportation across Fontana Lake *and*
bus
transportation to the old home sites and graveyards. They want to eat
their
cake and have it, too.

I have had many discussions with friends and clients who have lived in
Swain
County their entire lives about this issue. The most enlightened comment
came from a friend whose family was moved out to build the lake and then
had
half their property taken to begin building the Road to Nowhere. She said
it
was a conflict between those who were always looking backwards (pro-road)
and those who hoped to build a better future (anti-road, pro-settlement)
for
their children so that they could remain in Swain County and not have to
seek a livelihood elsewhere. As things stand now, Swain County is one of
the
poorest counties in North Carolina and has traditionally had one of the
highest unemployment rates.

And finally, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, like all National
Parks, belong to ALL Americans and decisions about the Park should be made
on a national basis. To give a small but vocal minority in a county of
10,000 the power to decide for all Americans is ludicrous.

Living where I do, this issue doesn't impinge on me directly.....well, not
much anyway. As it happens, I've actually been to the place that all the
fuss is about a couple of times to fish in a beautiful trout stream. It's
not one of my favorite streams (there are many others in the region that
suit my own admittedly idiosyncratic tastes better), but I like it well
enough that I would go back with little prodding.

The setting is gorgeous.....deep woods in the mountains that the casual
observer could easily mistake for the forest primeval.....the
wilderness.....virgin territory. It's the kind of place that anyone with an
appreciation for wild outdoor places would want to see. It is also about as
romantic a setting for the old family graveyard as one could hope for. Even
someone as blasé about mortal remains as me would be sorely tempted to make
occasional visits if it meant going to such a place. How much more so then
for those who take such matters seriously?

Others have covered the issue pretty well but there's still a couple of
things worth considering. Very real (I think) legal and moral contractual
considerations aside, there probably aren't a lot of the original residents
left. On the one hand, as they continue to age they will find it ever more
difficult to visit the graves of their loved ones. Boat access to the AREA
is easy enough (and delightful) but there is no dock. Elderly and infirm
visitors must already have a difficult time scrambling up the bank and
making the more than half mile walk to the cemetery. This problem will only
get worse with time. On the other hand, in a couple of decades at most
there will be no original inhabitants still alive and interested. A
generation or two down the road there will be only an occasional idly
curious descendant to make the trip. Meanwhile, if a road is built it is
absolutely certain to bring large numbers of people into a hitherto
relatively unavailable corner of what is, after all, one of the most popular
tourist attractions in the world. The inevitable result is that the
recreational value of the land in close proximity to the road skyrockets.
The equally inevitable consequences to the physical environment have not
only already been alluded to by others, they are also obvious. What may not
be so obvious is that development of some sort will naturally follow in such
a beautiful spot and, eventually, an unused and little visited cemetery will
be deemed unnecessary and a waste of valuable space. The graves will be dug
up and "The Old Cemetery Picnic Area" will take its place. There is no way
to gauge exactly how long it will take, but putting a road in there is the
kiss of death for the cemetery it is supposed to serve.

Wolfgang

"Wolfgang" wrote
(excellent reasoning snipped)

There is no way
to gauge exactly how long it will take, but putting a road in there is the
kiss of death for the cemetery it is supposed to serve.

there you go! i just *knew* you still had it in you to write something
here that made good sense.



yfitons
wayno('course, it was one helluva long time coming...)

On Fri, 17 Feb 2006 09:32:42 -0600, "Wolfgang"
wrote:

Living where I do, this issue doesn't impinge on me directly.....well, not
much anyway. As it happens, I've actually been to the place that all the
fuss is about a couple of times to fish in a beautiful trout stream. It's
not one of my favorite streams (there are many others in the region that
suit my own admittedly idiosyncratic tastes better), but I like it well
enough that I would go back with little prodding.

The setting is gorgeous.....deep woods in the mountains that the casual
observer could easily mistake for the forest primeval.....the
wilderness.....virgin territory. It's the kind of place that anyone with an
appreciation for wild outdoor places would want to see. It is also about as
romantic a setting for the old family graveyard as one could hope for. Even
someone as blasé about mortal remains as me would be sorely tempted to make
occasional visits if it meant going to such a place. How much more so then
for those who take such matters seriously?

Others have covered the issue pretty well but there's still a couple of
things worth considering. Very real (I think) legal and moral contractual
considerations aside, there probably aren't a lot of the original residents
left. On the one hand, as they continue to age they will find it ever more
difficult to visit the graves of their loved ones. Boat access to the AREA
is easy enough (and delightful) but there is no dock. Elderly and infirm
visitors must already have a difficult time scrambling up the bank and
making the more than half mile walk to the cemetery. This problem will only
get worse with time. On the other hand, in a couple of decades at most
there will be no original inhabitants still alive and interested. A
generation or two down the road there will be only an occasional idly
curious descendant to make the trip. Meanwhile, if a road is built it is
absolutely certain to bring large numbers of people into a hitherto
relatively unavailable corner of what is, after all, one of the most popular
tourist attractions in the world. The inevitable result is that the
recreational value of the land in close proximity to the road skyrockets.
The equally inevitable consequences to the physical environment have not
only already been alluded to by others, they are also obvious. What may not
be so obvious is that development of some sort will naturally follow in such
a beautiful spot and, eventually, an unused and little visited cemetery will
be deemed unnecessary and a waste of valuable space. The graves will be dug
up and "The Old Cemetery Picnic Area" will take its place. There is no way
to gauge exactly how long it will take, but putting a road in there is the
kiss of death for the cemetery it is supposed to serve.

Wolfgang

Wow! Very well said, and I can't believe I actually agree with
something you have written. Such a road would be a kiss of death for
the area.

A similar situation arose when the Massachusetts politics needed a
reservoir for Boston. Quabbin flood a number of towns, and people
were displaced. However, any cemetaries that would be flooded were
moved.

Would moving the cemetaries from the north side of Fontana solve the
problem? Jeff?