It appears to me that the North Shore Road project is supported by a few radical people in Swain County who have no motive other than to punish the “federal government” for taking their home and land years ago. It also appears to be a political issue sponsored by Congressman Taylor, who is certainly no friend to the Park.

I now see people of my county divided, somewhere between politically being supportive, strong opposition from the environmental groups, choosing to be for or against, making arguments for and against.

Why build a road that serves no serious need? Why damage a beautiful wilderness? Why lock in maintenance costs? Sometimes the chance is given to us to turn aside from folly. Is that not what studies are for? Some people and certainly some politicians looking for issues will often seize upon a wrong that does not need redressing or invent a project (sometimes for private gain) that does not need doing. But their words and their wishes will pass. Damage to a wilderness will not.

It is impossible to see how a fiscally conservative congressman, such as Rep. Charles Taylor, could be for this project. If it were any district except for his own, I do not think he would be for it.

My view is a different one. It is very time consuming to develop an EIS and consider all the options for a project like the North Shore Road . It is unfortunate that Congress has forced this kind of effort on a project that has so many negatives associated with it. I see where the Park is striving to return other areas to their natural state, while this project is promoted which intends to tear up many miles of a natural area. Environmentally and economically this project is bad news.

If the county government is in favor of the settlement and the federal government is in agreement, what is Rep. Taylor's problem? Why does he want the road? Who will benefit besides a few contractors?

It begins close by with a few ruthless politicians looking for support and votes and a few selfish individuals bent on standing up to “Big Government” and getting back at something from the past.

But I am a person who has realized what can and cannot be done, and the truth is the roads will not be built. Do you honestly think the Congress of the United States is going to approve spending over half a billion dollars to benefit only the citizens of little Swain County ?

The area in question is a national park, not a North Carolina park, and not a Swain County park. While local input is important, local and regional politicians should not be allowed to dictate this decision of national importance.

There is no need to bribe the county with $52 million. Congress promised plenty of money to New York after 9/11, plenty to the Katrina victims, and never followed through. Moreover, times have changed and the priorities of the county change.

I am aware that Congressman Charles Taylor is the driving force behind the road and I hope that he will reconsider, especially considering that he is up for re-election this year. Anyone who is not a friend of the environment and who does not listen to his constituents does not deserve to be re-elected.

As indicated, the real reason we're here is Congressman Charles Taylor of North Carolina . He's got this single-minded determination to build a road and he's the one guy, frankly, of all of us to not be here, he's the one guy that ought to be here and he's the one guy that should have been at all the hearings and listening to all these comments and reasons, pro and con, to the extent there are cons, and assessing them.

And then there's the monetary settlement, the Environmentally Preferred Alternative, an alternative that is legally binding and supported by almost all politicians (local, state, and federal) in both North Carolina and Tennessee . Surely, the NPS isn't cowering to Charles Taylor. Any action Taylor takes or leads against the park would be at his own political peril. He's not going to surrender his prized position of power by committing political suicide. Let's assume, though, that Taylor is the most powerful force in the U.S. government – maybe we hyphenate his name to include Bush, Norton, and, with a nod to the issue's history, Helms. Nothing changes where dedicated park service professionals are concerned, even in the glaring countenance of such a multi-faced power, those administering the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP), can't absolve themselves of their highest duty. Sadly, that's exactly what appears to be taking place with the NPS' Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the North Shore Road .

Swain County, North Carolina has paid a terrible price in economic harm for far too many years...these citizens have been abused by the US Governmental agencies delay, delay, delay and I, as a citizen of Tennessee, am embarrassed by this non-performance on the part of our US Government.