Club Benefits:
Appalachian Outfitters,
in
downtown Murphy, offers a 15% discount to club members on all merchandise. The
store carries clothing and equipment for a variety of sports. Their website
is:
www.appalachianoutfitters@verizon.net.
Mountain Crossings at Walasi Yi,
on Hwy 129 south of
Blairsville, provides a 10% discount for cash or check sales and a 7% discount
for credit sales to all club members. Sports-related clothing and equipment,
books, hiking supplies, and craft items are available.
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FIRES CREEK THREATENED BY DEVELOPMENT
John Ray provided an excellent description of the 50-acre
tract of land that is land-locked in the Fires Creek Basin and was sold
several times since February of this year. While the property was not
sold originally until February 13, Gordon Ottinger discovered that the
property was surveyed on January 12 and named Laurel Creek Subdivision
at that time. The current property owners have petitioned the Forest
Service for a road up to their property. This road could use the
Phillips Ridge Trail, which was upgraded as a Forest Service road
recently to within a few tenths of a mile from the property line.
The area of the in-holding is
situated in a bear sanctuary and the Fires Creek Basin. The headwaters
of Laurel Creek are in the middle of the land. The 26-mile Wilderness
Rim Trail goes through this property. Several trout streams, including
Fires Creek, would be adversely impacted with silt from any road work or
construction. The increased construction of homes near the boundaries of
Fires Creek Park continue to threaten the wildlife in this area and
construction on this 50-acre tract of land will diminish their natural
habitat. The environmental damage of building the road and houses in
this steep terrain will be tremendous.
The land owners must pay for
an environment assessment, then, we and other interested parties will be
given the opportunity to provide input. A recommendation is made by
Tusquittee District Ranger Joe Bonnette, with the ultimate decision made
by Forest Supervisor Marisue Hilliard. We are given the opportunity for
input. We are all distressed about this recent attack to our
beloved Forest Service land.
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GEORGIA MOUNTAIN RESEARCH AND EDUCATION CENTER
The
Georgia Mountain Research and Education Center is a wonderfully rich
resource for the North Georgia area. Adult Outreach Educational
Seminars, scheduled through the year, are sponsored by the Community
Council which was founded in 2003.
Upcoming events
in 2008:
The Georgia Mountain Research and
Education Center has a website:
www.caes.uga.edu/center/gmrec/commcouncil/adult.html . You may view the center’s calendar of events and register for outreach seminars
via the website.
These
are FREE Informational Seminars for all interested parties. However,
seating is limited to the first 100 registrations. Call 706-745-2655 or
email to
register.
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HIKING IN THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS
Recommended Reading Sources & Web Sites
Our Southern Highlanders
by Horace Kephart
Strangers in High Places
by Michael Frome
The Cades Cove Story
by Randolph Shields, Great Smokies National History
Association
Lost by
Dwight McCarter, Ronald Schmidt, Graphicom Press
Place Names of the Smokies
by Allan R. Coggins
Great Smoky
Mountains Association:
www.nps.gov/grsm/nhahome.htm
115 Park Headquarters Rd., Gatlinburg, TN 37738, Phone:
888-898-9102
