A visitor’s center should be built at the end of the current road. The site needs interpretation and explanation. The only real explanation for the road now is the (in)famous “Road to Nowhere” sign. The visitor’s center should recognize the steps taken to create the park and that many people were forced off of their land. The NPS needs to get over their inability to acknowledge that most of the national parks in the eastern U.S. were not created from “virgin wilderness.” Building a small center will not be very expensive or result in significant environmental damage.

But the visitor’s center is not the answer to this controversy. It should be built irrelevant of the outcome of the North Shore Road EIS process.

If Swain County residents truly want more frequent access to the approximately 30 small, family cemeteries across the lake, it would be much less disruptive to the wilderness, as well as much less expensive for the government to increase the available number of boat trips across the lake to once a month or even once a week (on call) to the cemetery areas for x number of years. The approximately $600 million road project would pay for a lot of boat trips, as would the proposed $52 million settlement.

If the road builders by all means want to spend money it would be more meaningfully spent on investigating and planning an environmentally acceptable road through the bottle neck from Fontana Dam into Tennessee. Many people now don't travel in this or the opposite direction because of that obsolete and nauseating mountain road.
Why not build the road below the high water mark of the lake and decently rip-rapp the shore to accommodate the fluctuating water levels and mitigate the erosion action, then when the lake's full capacity is needed let the water come up over the roadway, then recede, and if properly graveled and protected would not be covered with all the mud from the severe bank erosion now taking place every year.

If not an alternative...perhaps a compromise? If the road should be built, perhaps it can dead-end at the graveyard? Perhaps failing that it could be a one lane, one-way loop? Failing even that it could be restricted for access to only those people having relatives in the graveyard?

If there are members of families that are truly unable to visit the cemeteries of their ancestors, surely a cost effective method of water transportation and maybe horse trails from the water to the cemeteries can be devised.
However, if a settlement is agreed upon, the settlement should be for the cost of the road in 2006 dollars plus accrued interest. The rate of interest should be paid at the same rate that the IRS bills past due taxes. We will waive the penalties. This will provide a growing annuity for Swain County while all sides work on an agreement.

I'm for a short 7 mile extension of the road - and inexpensive gravel access road with turn around and picnic tables for brief stops under full management by our Park Personnel - Park Rangers.

Just did a quick read of the Smoky Mountains highway project. Sounds like it would be better to drain the lake to re-expose the original road. If not, then just forget building a new road.

A tiny fraction of the cost of building a road could be used immediately to provide extended access by boat for these citizens. Most importantly the DEIS has found major damage to result to all studied.

In my opinion, more roads should be closed, and parking areas created at the entrances, forcing visitors to enter the parks on foot, bicycle or horseback. Those unable to travel into the park by these methods due to physical constraints should be allowed in through one road on a provided shuttle bus.

I also would like to go on record as stating that I do believe that some kind of compensation for the former residents in the area that were relocated should be paid. I feel that the compensation already received and the way the agreement was presented at the time was very slick, and possibly deceiving. Therefore, I feel that maybe a payout to each individual would be in order in place of a payout to the county. I realize that this is not on the table but I would like to go on record as believing this to be more correct than a payout to the county.

I support the monetary settlement of approximately $267 million dollars to be spread out over 20 years. I do not support building the road or any alternative plans. I prefer we look toward the future of being able to better support our schools, communities and citizens.

Drain Fontana - rebuild the Little Tennessee. Build a good access road and bridge across the free Little Tennessee
If you want to open up the beauty of the area to more people, let me suggest an alternative—a paved multi-use path. This would be a strip of pavement similar to a rail-trail that would cruise along the north shore and be a great place for non-motorized use. Hikers, cyclists, walkers, joggers, and in-line skaters could all use it and enjoy the beauty and quiet of the Smokey Mountains. If I understand it correctly, it is all about access—not about transportation. Why not give the access and not the pollution?

A full-time boatman could be hired year-round and the Park Service could still save money.

Personally, I would prefer to see a cruise boat service that could stop at various places along the shore. Yes, some docks might need to be constructed or upgraded, but the impact would be much less severe and the cost much less. It would also provide permanent, local employment. Besides, the view from the lake is probably more interesting than the view from the shore.

Use these funds to eliminate this park's dollar shortfall and for future maintenance of park facilities and additional staff that is really needed. How much better would the use of these funds to rather fund the Cataloochee Cultural Landscape Report for use as a management tool.

The $52,000,000 is too low to settle with Swain County. The settlement should equal the cost of the road $600,000,000 plus the annual cost for maintenance for the road. If the Park Service keeps dragging this out Swain County will be one of the largest holds of US debt in the world. A simple solution would be to make land holders in Swain County exempt from Federal Taxes, what an economic boom.

Build a picnic area with an access to Highway 28 and a pier on the lake with access to a picnic area.