C-GREAT+SMOKY+MOUNTAIN+NATIONAL+PARK


 * GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS ** ** NATIONAL PARK **
 * The most visited national park in **** America **** ! **

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 * Park Profile: **

· ** This park straddles the [|Tennessee and North Carolina] border of Tennessee and North Carolina ** · ** Area: **** 520,976 acres **** of land ** · ** [|10 million visitors per year] ** · ** The park has over 1,600 species of plants, over 125 species of trees, and has is famous for having 30 different species of salamanders ** · ** Park activities: hiking, bicycling, fishing, picnicking, campfire programs, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, ranger talks and walks, exhibits and festivals ** · ** [|Summer:] **** temperatures reach to 80s or 90s. **** Fall and [|Winter:]: **** unexpected weather, rainfall, temperature drops below freezing. Frost occurs late September. **** [|Spring:] **** warm temperatures during the day (80s), drops to 50s at night **

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 * History: ** ** The idea for The Smokies to become a national park was created by a wealthy and influential couple, Mr. and Mrs. Willis P. Davis, in 1923. They had just visited the western national parks and came to the question “Why can’t the Smokies have a national park?” There were many people who were strongly against this proposal. Businessmen were upset because they wanted to build a road in the Smokies to expand their business. Other business owners wanted to make The Smokies a national forest instead; however, they didn’t realize that by making a national park, resources will be protected and will not deplete, unlike a national forest. People who worked for the timber and pulp companies and families who lived in the Smokies were also against the idea. Time and Money were the hardest obstacles to overpower, but in 1925 fundraising began and in **** 1926 a **** bill was passed to authorize and protect the area as a park **** . **** The **** Tennessee **** and **** North Carolina **** legislatures, Congress, and the Rockefeller family all came to the rescue ** ** to help the bill pass. **


 * How did the **** Great Smoky Mountains ** ** National Park **** get its name? **
 * The Smokies got its name from the blue mist that hovers around the peaks and valleys. The Cherokees called it //shaconage// meaning place of the blue mist. **

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· ** [|Air quality] ** ** is a concern for the national park ** · ** [|Water quality] is a major concern, visitors, civilization and nature have all affected the water ** · ** Acid rain and deposition is a threat especially with the Smokies’ acidic bedrock ** · ** Nitrogen levels reach dangerous levels ** · ** A disease called [|Guardia] makes the water undrinkable because certain animals carry this pesticide ** · ** Pests and diseases danger the ecosystem like the[| Balsam woolly adelgid]. This pest eats the fir trees and prevents the tree from having clear transport tissues. These trees die in five years from the pests. ** · ** Soon other exotic pests like gypsy moths and hemlock woolly adelgid will destroy the entire forest
 * Environmental Issues/ Futuristic Concerns: **

** THE FUN STUFF: There are so many things to explore at **** Great Smoky Mountains ** ** National park ****. Whether you enjoy the adventure of a challenging hike or want to relax looking at a beautiful sunset, this place is full of recreational options! ** · ** [|Auto touring] ** · ** [|Bicycling] ** · ** [|Camping] media type="youtube" key="MKqnLJSg1XI" height="264" width="297" align="right" ** · ** [|Fishing] ** ** [|hiking] [|Horse back riding] ** · ** Historic buildings ** · ** Picnicking ** · ** Wildlife viewing ** · ** Water falls **

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"Bicycling in Smoky Mountains - Cycling and Biking in the Smokies." //Great Smoky Mountains Trails - Hiking trail info for the Smokies//. Web. 23 Feb. 2010. . "The Dangerous Disease Lurking Next to You, Guardia Lamblia -." //Associated Content - associatedcontent.com//. Web. 23 Feb. 2010. . // Google Images //. Web. 23 Feb. 2010. . "Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Air Quality (U.S. National Park Service)." //U.S. National Park Service - Experience Your America//. Web. 24 Feb. 2010. . "Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Camping (U.S. National Park Service)." //U.S. National Park Service - Experience Your America//. Web. 24 Feb. 2010. . "The Great Smoky Mountains National Park Cades Cove Tour." //Cades Cove - Smoky Mountain Cabin Rentals - Great Smoky Mountains National Park//. Web. 24 Feb. 2010. . // Great Smoky Mountains National Park //. Web. 23 Feb. 2010. . // Great Smoky Mountains Trails - Hiking trail info for the Smokies //. Web. 24 Feb. 2010. . "Maps of Great Smoky Mountains National Park." //Global Gateway: World Culture & Resources (Library of Congress)//. Web. 23 Feb. 2010. . "Water Quality Monitoring in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Present and." //SAO/NASA ADS: ADS Home Page//. Web. 24 Feb. 2010. .
 * Works Cited**