This map, said to have come from Blackberry Farm Resort, shows two trails -- the Boundary Trail and the Blair Gap Trail -- that are not listed on Great Smoky Mountains National Park's official trail map/Southern Forest Watch
Sometime in recent years two trails running more than a mile-and-a-half were cut into the backcountry of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, allegedly for the use of a private resort that borders the park, according to court documents.
When contacted by the Traveler, park officials declined to discuss the trails, or even acknowledge their existence, as their presence has been raised in litigation. However, the "Boundary Trail" and "Blair Gap Trail" depicted on a trail map purportedly handed out by the Blackberry Farm Resort do not match any trails on the park's official trail map. Together they run along the park's western boundary roughly from the Beard Cane Trail to the Cane Creek Trail. Officials at the resort, where rooms start at $745 a night, had no immediate comment when asked about the trails this week.
A trail of downed trees allegedly marked an illegal trail cut in Great Smoky Mountains National Park/Southern Forest Watch
The existence of the trails surfaced in connection with a lawsuit brought against the Park Service by Southern Forest Watch, a nonprofit group organized to overturn the park's $4 per night fee charged on backcountry travelers. Though not central to the fight over the backcountry reservation system, the group pointed to the "illegal trail system" as part of a pattern of "political patronage" that former park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson oversaw. Mr. Ditmanson, who instituted the backcountry fee system in 2013, retired from the Park Service earlier this year.
By allowing the Blackberry Farm Resort to maintain these trails for the use of their customers and residents, Great Smoky Mountains officials were limiting the general public's access to the park's backcountry and allowing it to be impaired, charges Southern Forest Watch's lawsuit.
The Park Service, in court documents responding to Southern Forest Watch's complaint, denied allowing a "private resort to maintain and utilize their own separate, exclusive network of trails into, on and within the boundaries" of the park. However the agency did admit that there was a signpost with a map box located outside the park boundary and that "any signs that were erected within Park boundaries by Blackberry Farm Resort were erected without permission from NPS and have since been removed."
These ATVers allegedly were entering Great Smoky Mountains National Park from the Cane Creek Trailhead/Southern Forest Watch
The trail map showing the Boundary and Blair Gap trails came from the map box on the signpost, according to Southern Forest Watch's lawyer.
The trail signs and maps were found by John Quillen, a member of Southern Forest Watch. A park volunteer who regularly hikes the Cane Creek Trail to help maintain it, Mr. Quillen discovered the Boundary Trail in 2009 when he came upon a trail of trees that had been chainsawed down. He and some friends also heard a chainsaw at work, and encountered riders on two all-terrain vehicles who allegedly claimed they had come from Blackberry Farm. Photos of a trail sign, the ATV, and downed trees are part of Southern Forest Watch's court filing.
No court date for the matter has been set.
Comments
What the document shows is that the NPS knew of the trail system in 2009 and was apprised of it again a few years later and still took no action against Blackberry Farm. Blackberry Farm is a concessionaire with permits to guide in the Smokies. It was not until the Southern Forest Watch filed a lawsuit that Supt Ditmanson decided to "organize his thoughts and correspondence" with Blackberry Farm and attempt to clean his neglect and overlooking of what everyone knew was going on. It's like a permissive parent wagging a finger at their cute little one for the third time. There are hundreds of trees clear cut in the area. Blackberry needs to pay for that.
This letter indicates that he was unaware until 2012 when forest watch sent a letter. Do you have evidence to the contrary?
Ditmanson was superintendent in 2009. This is excerpted from the letter above.
A subsequent internal inquiry within my field staff revealed that in 2009 Cades Cove Field staff learned of the existence of signage and painted blazes associated with the boundary trail and its trail junctions.
"Cades Cove Field staff" is not Ditmanson.
The letter also stated:
"I learned through my internal inquirty that the field ranger staff perceived this as a simple enforcement issue.... and felt no need to involve upper level park management staff with the matter"
In otherwords, Ditmanson wasn't informed. A fact confirmed in the letter by this sentence:
"You and I discussed that in August 2012, park management (including the Superintendent's Office and me) learned of Blackberry Farm maintenance of the boundary trail for the first time (emphasis mine) when we recieved a letter from a group identifying themselves as Southern Forest Watch..."
That sentence indicates that the Superintendent didn't know until 2012. Maybe that is incorrect but you have not shown any evidence to contradict if and since you submitted this letter as evidence in the first place, one can only assume you believe it to be accurate.
What I believe is that the GSMNP bureaucrats were made aware of the Blackberry Farm trail system in 2009. Common sense would indicate that if you were in charge of something and someone made a major incursion into the park for which you were responsible, word would reach the top. I will not believe for one minute that Dale Ditmanson was unaware of the clear cutting of trees for this private resort to run willy nilly in the national park. What you are witnessing is a classic example of culpable deniability. Why do you think he took the time to write his "thoughts" after the lawsuit was put in his face? Ditmanson has been feted by Blackberry Farms, he was even on an episode of the food channel at Blackberry Farms. Ditmanson is friends with Senator Lamar Alexander, one of the original investors in Blackberry Farms. And everyone here knows why Ditmanson let them do this for so long and it goes right back to Lamar Alexander and his involvement with this exclusive, private resort.
I see a lot of similarities between this and the Ranger Danno scandal.
Believe what you want. So far, you haven't provided any evidence to justify that belief.
Should he have known about it? You probably have a stronger case there. BTW - why aren't you as incensed about the ranger that DID know and went three years without following up?
EC, That ranger was probably told to keep his mouth shut by Ditmanson who is best friends with Sen. Alexander who was a founder of Blackberry Farms. You know how the world works. And thanks to NPT we know how the NPS works. Once again, there has never been an instance like this in the history of the Great Smoky Mtns National Park. If you read the lawsuit, you will also see that the documents also allege that the NPS gave land to former Governor Don Sundquist who has a house in the same area adjacent to the park. You want to tell me that is far fetched too? Just read the lawsuit. I have seen the supporting documents. No one wanted to believe this story until NPT covered it, then local media picked it up. Next big story is the land gift from NPS to former TN Gov. Don Sundquist. The NPS in the Smokies is corrupted. Big time. And it all goes to the big politicos and concessionaires. Follow the money and you will see the trails. I can also tell you that the NPS is fighting Southern Forest Watch tooth and nail to have the Sundquist land gift allegations removed from the lawsuit. They are getting big time, well deserved heat from the political elites. All because of an ill conceived and improperly vetted fee scandal. And they had it coming.
So we're going from documents and facts to "that guy was probably told to blahblah".
Suggestion - stick to the objective facts and let others find their own inferences and conjecture. I'd rather make up my own mind than have someone else's hate interpret it for me.