B-GREAT+SMOKY+MOUNTAIN+NATIONAL+PARK

= Great Smoky Mountains National Park = = = = Park Profile =

**General Climate:**

 * ===== **Spring:** Weather Changes rapidly during these months(March-May), March is the month with the most Radical Changes. Weather can vary from sunny to snowy in a matter of hours. Snowfall is more common during this time at higher altitudes but is still present at lower elevations. The average high of the lower elevations is about 61 degrees Fahrenheit. The average low of the lower elevation, commonly below freezing, is about 42 degrees Fahrenheit. This cool climate simmers out during April, the day temperatures now hitting highs of the 70's and sometimes the 80's. April has more showers and it's average rainfall is over four inches. Going into May it becomes warmer with day temperatures hitting highs of 70-80 degrees, and lows of 40-50 degrees.May's average rainfall is about 4.5 inches. =====
 * =====**Summer:** Smokie's summers (June-August) are often hot and humid, because of this it is very common for afternoon showers and thunderstorms. The increase of temperature happens greatly during the months of July and August. The afternoon highs reaching up to the 90's in lower elevations. The lows for evening to night are generally in the 60's-70's range. The higher elevations offer more cool, and comfortable weather.=====
 * **Autumn:** The weather is cooler with less precipitation than in the previous months. Days are warm while nights are cool (September- mid-November). Septembers day time highs generally reach the 70's and 80's, while in early November the daytime highs slip down to the 50's and 60's. This decrease [[image:http://buckingtherealestatetrend.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/96/files/2007/12/great-smoky-mountain-np-winter-framed.jpg width="211" height="310" align="right" caption="Grat Smoky Winter"]]leads to the first frosts in late September. The lows by November are commonly at freezing temperatures. This time of year being the driest with only occasional showers, making it possible for snow at higher elevations.
 * **Winter:** Smokie's have moderate winters(Mid-November-February), but the possibility of extremes in weather are still their, especially at higher elevations. About 1/2 of the days in winter have a temperature reaching or exceeding 50 degrees. Highs sometimes reach up to the 70's. Most nights hit lows of freezing temperatures or below. Snowfall is about one inch each fall and occurs about 1-5 times a year in the low elevations, but can reach up to two feet in one storn in higher elevations where snow is more frequent.

**Most Popular Sites:**

 * Mountain Farm Museum


 * [|Cades Cove]
 * [|Catalooche]
 * [|Roaring Fork]
 * [|Clingmans Dome]
 * [|Newfound Gap]
 * [|Deep Creek]

= History = The Great Smoky Mountains National Park was established 1934 but was recognized in September of 1940 through a formal dedication by President Franklin Roosevelt. People who were big influences in creating the park, and getting the land were:
 * David Chapman- He battled for the creation of the park mostly on the Tennessee side of the border. HE helped conquer many obstacles which arose against[[image:http://www.nps.gov/grsm/historyculture/images/squires.jpg align="right" caption="Mark Squires"]] the par, and some that could have stopped the park from being created. He was the chairman of the Great Smoky Mountain Conservation Association, and he led the Tennessee campaign for the park.
 * Ann Davis- She was the first to offer the up the idea of a national park in the Smokie's after visiting several western parks with her husband Willis Davis. This proposal caused talk amongst Tennessee leaders. Willis Davis talked the park idea up to anyone that would listen. [[image:http://media.knoxnews.com/media/img/photos/2009/01/24/012509smokies3e_t160.jpg width="168" height="248" align="left" caption="Ann Davis" link="@http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/mfm.htm"]]
 * Mark Squires- He was a state senator from Lenoir,N.C., he helped lead the North Carolina side campai

gn for the National Park. He was able to get state funding, while many others opposed it, and began to catch interests from some governors. Some setbacks to Great Smoky Mountains (G.S.M.) National park were that the land that is now G.S.M. national park was once owned by hundreds of small farmers and a few large timber and paper companies, both parties did not want to leave their land. Then a bill was entered into the N.C. legislature about a public land preserve in the Southern Appalachians, but was rejected. It was argued whether to be a [|National Park] or a [|National Forest]. Raising the money to purchase the land was also troubling and the effort almost collapsed when $5 million was raised only to find out that the cost for the land had doubled, luckily the L.S.R.M. fund donated another $5million to reach the goal of $10 million dollars. G.S.M. became a National Park by a bill being signed by president [|Calvin Coolidge] this bill approved the creation of G.S.M. National Park and [|Shenandoah National Park]. This meant once once 150,000 acres of land was purchased that the department of Interiors could assume responsibility of the management and protection of a park in the Smokies. Boosters then raised money through individual donations, group donations, and a generous donation from the L.S.R.M. fund. G.S.M. National Park is a natural site because it covers parts of the smoky mountains, and forest areas where people can go and view the natural habitats and animals that are protected by this land being a national park.
 * Legislatures From T ennessee and North Carolina gathered $2 million Dollars each for land purchases. Additional money was raised by support groups and individuals. In 1928 $5 million had been raised. By then the cost had doubled to $10 million so the campaign ceased. Then the [|Laura Spellman Rockefeller Memorial Fund] donated $5 million, thus eaching their goal.

One population that is associated with G.S.M. National Park are the Cherokees who were allowed to stay in North Carolina instead of being forced out west in the post revolutionary time. These Cherokees separated themselve s from Cherokee nation and were known as [|Oconaluftee Cherokees].

= Environmental Issues =

Geology:
Most Rocks in G.S.M. National Park are [|Sedimentary] and are made of accumulations of [|clay], [|silt], [|sand], [|gravel] and minor amounts of [|calcium carbonate] which rest in flat layers.

Ecosystems:
G.S.M. National park has several different kinds of Forest Ecosystems

Forest Ecosystems
Forest ecosystems consist of five different types at G.S.M. National park. First is The Cove Hardwood forest which has the greatest plant variety which include 40-60 different tree and shrub species such as basswood, dogwood, and magnolia. The second forest ecosystem is the Spruce-Fir forest which is in the higher elevations of the park. The dominant trees at this 4,500 foot elevation are Fraser and red spruce. The third forest ecosystem is the Northern Hardwood which overtakes some middle and most upper regions from 3,500 to 5,000 feet. Indicators of this deciduous forest type are yellow birch and American beech trees. The fourth forest ecosystem type is The hemlock forest which is about 4,000 feet in elevation and covers stream sides and damp shady slopes. The fifth and final forest ecosystem type is the Pine and Oak forest which are more prominent on somewhat dry areas. Mostly seen on open areas a nd ridges. These areas dry out quickly and makes fire more common in these regions. The parks crew does controlled burns to allow natural regeneration of species.

Air Quality:
G.S.M. National park air quality is begging to deteriorate because of the burning of fossil fuels. These growing emissions create smog which are actually shrinking the horizons in a matter of words. This smog prevents G.S.M.'s viewing capabilities to be lowered because of dense smog that blocks it's wonderful landscapes. Wind currents carry the pollutants from rural city areas to these widespread mountainous areas. The mountains have the perfect conditions for the pollutants to get trapped and accumulate making air quality go down.Viewing capabilities in the last 50 years have gone down by 40% in the winter and 80% in the summer. The pollution makes colors seem faded and gives all the scenery a whitish tint. Several acts and laws have been put into effect to slow the deterioration of the air quality, such as the [|Clean Air Act], and also the [|Southern Appalachian Mountains Initiative]. To view Current Ozone and Particulate levels along with a beautiful view of Mount Olympus you can look at this web cam which is updated hourly [|G.S.M. Air Quality].

[[image:http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2009/07/21/alg_fire.jpg align="left" caption="Lightning Ignited Fire"]]Fire Activity:
There is on average two lightning-ignited fires in G.S.M. National Park each year. Although this may seem upsetting to some often times if the conditions are favorable and the fires will not effect people, or significantly valuable areas or objects they are all owed to burn. This is so the the natural resources can perpetuate themselves. For example when some trees are introduced to extreme heat they release seeds and these seeds repopulate the lost trees. This allows many plants and animals to find new homes or regrow in a area recently cleared by a fire.

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Animals:
There are several species at G.S.M. National park that are at risk of extinction these include the Indiana bat, Carolina northern flying squirrel, Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Spotfin chub, Duskytail darter, Smoky madtom, Yellowfin madtom, and the Spruce-fir moss spider. These animals are being given a chance to repopulate by being in a national park where hunting, fishing, and disrupting wildlife is illegal. Although it's illegal people s till disrupt wildlife do your part to keep these animals alive.

Plants:
G.S.M. has over 100 different plant species that thrive all throughout the different types of forests but there are several that are endangered and some are species of concern. The endangered plants are the Spreading avens, Virginia spiraea, and the Rock gnome lichen. The plants that are considered species of concern are the Fraser fir, Cain’s reed-bent grass, Mountain bittercress, Smoky Mountain manna grass, and the Blue Ridge catchfly.

Natural Land features:
The Natural land features of the G.S.M. National park include the forests, mountains and caves. You can visit any of the five different types of forests which include the Cove Hardwood forest, the S

pruce-Fir forests, the Northern Hardwood forests, the Hemlock forests, and the Pine and Oak forests. The top ten Natural mountain feature destinations you can visit located in G.S.M. National park are Clingmans Dome -6,643 ft, Mount Guyot - 6,621 ft, Mount Le Conte (High Top) - 6,593 ft, Mount Buckley - 6,580 ft, Mount Love - 6,420 ft, Mount Chapman - 6,417 ft, Old Black - 6,370 ft, Luftee Knob - 6,234 ft, Mount Kephart - 6,217 ft, and Mount Collins - 6,118 ft.

Recreational Activities:
====
 * [|Bicycling]
 * [|Camping]
 * [|Hiking]


 * [|Horse Riding]


 * [|Picknicking]
 * [|Wildlife Viewing]
 * [|Workshops and Classes]

Reasons to visit:
Along with the many in park experiences there are a lot of surrounding attractions such as other historical sites Andrew Johnson National Historic Site which is 40mi away, Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area 60 mi away, Blue Ridge Parkway-Adjacent to national park in North Carolina, Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site - 50mi away,Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park -120mi away, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park - 95mi. All these other attractions are within a two hour drive away from

G.S.M. National Park.

= Videos =

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This video shows one of the very many places to stay while visiting G.S.M. National park and is called the Bearskin Lodge and is located right near the entrance to G.S.M. National park

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This video gives you a virtual tour/ride-through of one of G.S.M. National Parks biggest tourist destination Cades Cove.

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This video is a hikers view/guide of another one of G.S.M. National Parks great tourist destinations the Chimney Tops.

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This video shows the G.S.M. National Park scenic sunset.

= Works Cited = // Chattanooga, Tennessee //. Web. 22 Feb. 2010. . // Christmas Tree Locations, Christmas Tree Ornaments & Christmas Tree Decorations //. Web. 22 Feb. 2010. . "Clean Air Act | US EPA." //U.S. Environmental Protection Agency//. Web. 22 Feb. 2010. . // Dictionary and Thesaurus - Merriam-Webster Online //. Web. 21 Feb. 2010. . // Free Background Wallpapers //. Web. 22 Feb. 2010. . // Garden Centre | GardenCentre.co.uk | UK Online Garden Centre //. Web. 22 Feb. 2010. . "Great Smoky Mountains National Park -." //Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia//. Web. 22 Feb. 2010. . "Great Smoky Mountains National Park (U.S. National Park Service)." //U.S. National Park Service - Experience Your America//. Web. 22 Feb. 2010. . "Index of /images." //Cades Cove Campground Store and Bicycle Rental, Bicycling in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park//. Web. 22 Feb. 2010. . // KeepVid: Download and save any video from Youtube, Dailymotion, Metacafe, iFilm and more! // Web. 21 Feb. 2010. . // New York News, Traffic, Sports, Weather, Photos, Entertainment, and Gossip - NY Daily News //. Web. 22 Feb. 2010. . // New York News, Traffic, Sports, Weather, Photos, Entertainment, and Gossip - NY Daily News //. Web. 22 Feb. 2010. . // New York News, Traffic, Sports, Weather, Photos, Entertainment, and Gossip - NY Daily News //. Web. 22 Feb. 2010. . // New York Site - West Side //. Web. 22 Feb. 2010. . "Picture of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg - Mount Leconte in Great Smoky Mountains National Park." //PlanetWare Travel Guide - Hotels, Attractions, Pictures, Maps & More//. Web. 22 Feb. 2010. . "Regions of the United States." //FCPS Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment//. Web. 22 Feb. 2010. . // Slide - slideshows, slide shows, photo sharing, image hosting, widgets, MySpace codes, Facebook apps //. Web. 22 Feb. 2010. <http://www.slide.com/>. // TeacherTube - Teach the World | Teacher Videos | Lesson Plan Videos | Student Video Lessons | Online Teacher Made Videos | TeacherTube.com //. Web. 22 Feb. 2010. <http://teachertube.com>. "TVA: On the Air." //Tennessee Valley Authority home page//. Web. 22 Feb. 2010. <http://www.tva.gov/environment/air/ontheair/sami.htm>. // The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill //. Web. 22 Feb. 2010. <http://www.unc.edu>. // U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Home //. Web. 22 Feb. 2010. <http://www.fws.gov>. // U.S. National Park Service - Experience Your America //. Web. 22 Feb. 2010. <http://www.nps.gov>. // YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. // Web. 22 Feb. 2010. <http://www.youtube.com>.