Great Smoky Mountain National Park- Another Struggle Against Profiteering

To follow-up on the posting of yesterday, I watched the latest airing of the “National Parks” last night. It was interesting to learn that when Congress approved the idea of a Smoky Mountain National Park in 1923, they did it with a compromise that opponents fully expected would kill the deal. Congress didn’t appropriate any money to purchase private land. They stipulated a minimum of 10 million dollars to be allocated to purchase private lands, and stipulated a minimum of 300,000 acres to be purchased to establish the park. North Carolina and Tennessee had to come up with the money.  Each state contributed 2 million dollars. Private donations contributed another 1 million. Coincidentally, another Rockefeller is in this story- John D. Rockefeller Jr.- stepped in and donated the remaining 5 million.

Big logging companies owned most of the land. Anticipating a buy-out, the private timber companies logged the old growth forest, in a frenzy, clear cutting 50 acres a day. In effect, they raped the land for all it was worth, before they sold it.

And so it goes, the free enterprise system was able to profit from the timber, and profit a second time when they sold the land to a willing buyer- a buyer who was desperately trying to save the land as it was being destroyed. The park wasn’t dedicated until 1940.

Today, except for the old growth that's gone forever, the park has healed.  The park has 10 million visitors a year, and brings pleasure to all who visit, and economic benefit to the surrounding area. Perseverance won out in the end, and America is better for having a park for everyone to enjoy.