Great Smoky Mountains Superintendent Gets Temporary Assignment At National Mall

Though the decision reportedly was made several weeks ago, news that Great Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent Cassius Cash is heading to the National Mall and Memorial Parks on a temporary detail came just days after he was criticized for his oversight of a wildfire that blew up into a firestorm last fall.

Superintendent Cash is to spend 120 days as acting superintendent of National Mall and Memorial Parks starting September 18. The National Mall and Memorial Park's former superintendent, Gay Vietzke, accepted a position as the director of the National Park Service's Northeast Region and began her duties there last week.

"Superintdent Cash was asked several weeks ago to serve in this position temporarily based on his wealth of urban park experience, having served as superintendent of Boston National Historical Park and Boston African American National Historic Site prior to joining the Smoky Mountains team," a park release said. "His experience in creating partnerships and introducing young people to their national parks will benefit the Washington, D.C., parks as they transition between permanent park superintendents."

According to an independent investigation of the Chimney Tops 2 Fire last November at Great Smoky that blew up and combined with fires in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, that were blamed for the deaths of 14, the park's fire management officer did not closely following the park's fire management plan, and Superintendent Cash did not act to see that the plan was followed. 

The review board concluded that the "unprecedented Chimney Tops 2 Fire event exposed several wildland fire situational preparedness and planning weaknesses at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Despite these weaknesses, the review team found no evidence of wanton disregard or negligence by anyone at the park."

"What was unprecedented was the combination of a severe wind event (a 'mountain wave' extreme wind that usually occurs 2-4 times per year from November through March in the western foothills of the southern Appalachian Mountains), coupled with severe drought and a wildland fire on the landscape," it added. "This scenario had never been witnessed by anyone at the park."

In a statement concerning his detail to Washington, Superintendent Cash said that, "I was honored to accept the opportunity to detail as the acting superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks in Washington, D.C. I’m excited to return to my experiences in managing an urban park while ensuring the continued care and protection of some of our nation’s most honored sites. We are fortunate that here at the Smokies, we have the depth in leadership to enable us to lend support to another park unit as they transition to a new manager.

"Although during my time away I will be dedicated to supporting the staff and programs of the Mall and Memorial Parks, I look forward to returning to these mountains this upcoming winter as I will continue my efforts in working with community leaders in making this park and our communities an even greater place to work, live, and visit," he said.

During Superintendent Cash’s assignment, Great Smoky Mountains Deputy Superintendent Clayton Jordan will serve as acting superintendent of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and Chief of Facilities Management Alan Sumeriski will serve as the acting deputy superintendent.