June 30, 2010
Source- Nancy Gray (Great Smoky Mountains National Park)
A NEW PODCAST EMPHASIZES BEAR SAFETY
A video podcast, Day Hiking and Wildlife, associated with the recently launched program "Reward Yourself - Hike the Smokies Challenge", is now available for viewing. This 6-minute podcast is the second of a three-part series on hiking safety and informs the viewer of wildlife behavior, particularly black bears, and the appropriate responses and regulations to be followed by Park visitors. The podcast, developed by Great Smoky Mountains Association, is attractively done and illustrated with beautiful footage of the Smoky Mountains and wildlife, and can be viewed at http://thegreatsmokymountains.org/hike_smokies_challenge
The chance of seeing wildlife in the backcountry is one of the exciting things about hiking, but it is important to understand the rules and regulations and proper etiquette for a safe and rewarding experience when visiting. The video podcast is an indepth educational piece about bear country and sets up practical advice and emphasizes Park regulations for keeping bears wild and away from people and developed areas. Kim Delozier, the Park's chief wildlife biologist, is featured in the podcast and emphasizes the responses people should make and actions to take if encountered by a bear on a trail.
Avoiding bear problems always starts with keeping food and garbage away from bears. Once bears obtain human food, they lose their fear of people and can cause problems or pose risks to people. Never feed bears or discard of food scraps such as fruit rinds along a trail. Backcountry users should never approach bears and always keep a safe distance.
It is required that people do not approach within 50 yards or closer or any distance that displaces or disturbs a bear. "If the animal changes its behavior, e.g. stops feeding or changes directions, you are too close," explains Delozier. He continued, "Human/bear conflicts have resulted in people getting injured, but if you follow the advice of how to respond to bear encounters provided in the video, you will minimize your chances of being harmed and maximize the chances of the bear keeping wild and away from people."
"We hope that this video will be another tool to help hikers safely observe wildlife in its natural habitat which is one of the privileges we gain by preserving this great landscape for all to enjoy," said Cathleen Cook, Chief of Resource Education.
Courtesy of Sam Hobbs |
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June 30, 2010
Source- Nancy Gray (Great Smoky Mountains National Park)
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Issues Finding of No Significant Impact
for Planned Newfound Gap Road Reconstruction
The National Park Service (NPS) has completed an Environmental Assessment of its planned Newfound Gap Road reconstruction and has issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) on the natural and cultural resources of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This FONSI clears the way for the Federal Highway Administration to contract for the rehabilitation of the 14.5 miles of Newfound Gap Road from the Park's entrance at Gatlinburg, Tenn., to the TN/NC state line at Newfound Gap.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson said that, "This action is needed to address the deterioration of the pavement, safety concerns, and rehabilitation of the historic cut stone guardwalls, most of which were constructed about 70 years ago by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The road and wall conditions continue to deteriorate, increasing the Park's routine maintenance and intermittent repair costs as well as posing safety hazards."
Park officials say the work will take place in three phases over the next 6-7 years, beginning with the first two miles of the road which descends north from Newfound Gap into Tennessee. That first phase is expected to begin in November of this year.
Ditmanson continued, "We are very sensitive to the impact that road construction can have on our neighboring gateway communities. We reached out to our community leaders on both sides of the Park during this process to inform them of the purpose of and need for the work, along with the options being considered for timely completion of the project. We will make every effort to schedule the work so as to minimize traffic disruptions during peak visitation periods."
The FONSI is available online at the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment website, http://parkplanning.nps.gov/grsm or can be viewed at Park Headquarters near Gatlinburg.
-NPS-
