RSS Feed« The Ordinary Adventurer | Main | The Tennessean Covers Rock Harvesting on Cumberland Trail »
January 16, 2008
Corridor K and the Benton MacKaye Trail
Click on image above to download the full story (717 KB PDF)
On Monday I spent the day in the Cherokee National Forest with Chattanooga Times Free Press reporter Cliff Hightower. Joining me on a 4.5 mile hike of the Benton MacKaye Trail was the President of the Benton MacKaye Trail Association, Betty Petty, Stop I-3 Coalition Executive Director Holly Demuth, and Benton MacKaye Trail Association Conservation Chair Eric Eades.
This walk was spurred by the recent release of an economic study entitled Corridor K in a Global Economy: A summary of the Economic Development and Transportation Study. The report was released in December by Wilbur Smith and Associates. Local planners have determined that in order to compete in the global economy, we need to build an east-west highway between Chattanooga, Tennessee and Asheville, North Carolina. The consensus among many of the planners is that a 4-lane highway needs to be constructed in the Cherokee National Forest in order to bypass the Ocoee Gorge. I reject the notion that in order to stay productive enough to compete in the global economy, we need to impair the productivity of our public lands at great taxpayer expense. It wasn't all that long ago that former Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker was extolling the virtues of the abundant natural amenities surrounding Chattanooga, and promoting these natural areas for recreation to transform Chattanooga into the "Boulder, Colorado of the East." It also wasn't all that long ago that Bill McKibben was here in Chattanooga talking about the value of building durable local economies instead of falling for the false promises of economic globalization.
It makes more sense, both economically and ecologically to enhance the existing roadway in the Ocoee Gorge rather than build a new road smack dab through the heart of prime Black Bear habitat and an Important Bird Area (IBA) known as the Southern Blue Ridge IBA.
During our walk we saw evidence of Wild Turkey (scratching in leaf litter), Coyote (scat) and Black Bear (damage to Forest Service signs). It was a chilly but clear day, and the forest was beautiful. Along the way Eric and I dispatched a few small trees that had fallen across the trail, but this wasn't about trail maintenance. This outing was about discussing some of the many impacts a highway built at taxpayer expense would have upon the Cherokee National Forest and the Benton MacKaye Trail. These impacts include water, air, noise and light pollution in the forest. The proliferation of invasive plant species is another major concern as highways serve as vectors for the spread of these exotic, non-native invaders. The impact to wildlife would be significant. In addition to a thriving Black Bear population, the area is home to White Tailed Deer, Bobcat and a variety of other mammals.
Stay tuned for more updates about Corridor K. If you'd like to get involved in the effort to protect the Cherokee National Forest and it's many trails, you can contact Jeffrey Hunter. For more information about American Hiking Society, please visit our website.
Conservation | By Jeffrey Hunter | 09:30 AM
