photo courtesy Kitty Benzar, WSNFC

Our beloved Superintendent has, as expected, ramrodded this backcountry tax despite overwhelming disapproval from locals.  He has received approval from Washington to implement a fee structure for sleeping on the ground in the Smokies.  After being confronted with the lack of data to support campsite overcrowding, he changed his argument to "complaints" sent to the park regarding backcountry camping.  It was then that Southern Forest Watch member, Adam Beal, filed a Freedom of Information Act Request to seek copies of the complaints.  Guess what?  Another overblown lie by our Dandy Dale.  Here is a link to the "complaints", all 15 of them in the past 3 years.

What does this mean? It means we tool up in earnest before this fee is implemented next year.  A round of congressional meetings is planned and we are pursuing legal actions with our attorney, possibly along the lines of a class action discrimination suit since he is targeting one specific user group.  We need your help now more than ever.  Please join our efforts as we pushback for real now.  The freedom of the Smokies depends upon our collective voices.

This dishonest and manipulative Sugarlands administration will be called to task for their imposition of a user fee in the Smokies.