The Environmental Journal of Southern Appalachia
Monday, 09 December 2024 13:54

Feds to restart “technical and design work” for Foothills Parkway extension

Written by

foothills map

Conservation groups have cautioned against the zombie roadway between Wears Valley and Gatlinburg; EIS-level study uncertain

This story will be updated.

The National Park Service (NPS) said Dec. 9 it “will conduct additional design work and technical studies for Foothills Parkway Section 8D. This decision was based on feedback from subject matter experts and public comments received during a 30-day public comment period that ended Aug. 21.
“The NPS will reinitiate the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process and inform the public of opportunities for future public engagement once this additional work is completed. A schedule for completing the additional work has not yet been established,” according to a release from NPS public affairs specialist Dave Barak.
 
Conservation groups, including the National Parks Conservation Association, say the road would further fragment forest habitat and present unacceptable water-quality hazards.
 
The NEPA offers a range of alternatives, however, and it was not immediately known whether the park service would again embark on a more detailed environmental impact statement (EIS) or proceed with a relatively cursory environmental assessment.
 
A draft of the previous EIS process for this parkway project were completed decades ago, as reported by Hellbender Press.
 
The federal government last year opened the latest round of public comment on the project, which would traverse Buckeye Knob and Cove Mountain and multiple aquatic and karst environments.

 

Concerns raised by the public over the decades range from impacts on domestic water supplies and endangered or threatened species to the fact the roadway might be a catalyst for excessive tourism infrastructure in Townsend and Wears Valley. 

The proposed route also extends through dense areas of pyrite, a highly acidic sulfate mineral (also known as fool’s gold) that can poison entire watersheds when exposed if proper erosion controls aren’t followed. Contamination of streams and creeks led to the decades-long delay in full construction of the existing parkway section (known as the missing link) that extends from Walland to Wears Valley.

The National Park Service remains all-in on construction of the road: 
 
“The construction of this proposed section would provide recreational opportunities, support tourism, improve the transportation network inside and outside the park and fulfill the intent of federal and state legislation authorizing construction of the Foothills Parkway.
 
“The concept of a parkway in Tennessee near Great Smoky Mountains National Park was conceived in the 1930s. Similar to the creation of the park itself, the NPS worked closely with Tennessee officials and park supporters to develop concepts for a scenic parkway. Legislation to establish the parkway was signed into law in 1944 and construction began in the 1950s with the Gatlinburg Spur.”
 
To learn more about the proposed Foothills Parkway Section 8D project and review the scoping newsletter
Rate this item
(2 votes)
Last modified on Monday, 09 December 2024 23:34