Congressman Duncan celebrates the 75th anniversary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the House floor on June 2, 2009.
"I thank the gentleman from Colorado for yielding me this time. I rise in support of this resolution to recognize the 75th anniversary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a resolution that was introduced by my good friend and neighbor from the First Congressional District of Tennessee, Dr. Roe. I represent about half of the Tennessee part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Dr. Roe represents the other half of the Tennessee portion, which is, of course, the bigger portion of the national park. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of the things of which those of us from east Tennessee are most proud. It has often been said that our national parks are our Nation's crown jewels. If that is true, then the Great Smoky Mountains National Park must certainly be one of the largest jewels in that crown. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is, by far, our most visited national park, with over 9 million visitors each year--approximately three times the number of visitors that go to our second and third largest national parks. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with only 520,000 acres, seems huge to anyone who comes there. Of course, it is very small in comparison. We talk often here about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which is 19.8 million acres, which is 36 or 37 times the size of the Great Smokies, but it certainly is one of the most beautiful areas of this country. And more than 50 percent of the Nation's population lies within a day's drive of the park. Within the park you can find more than 1,500 species of plants, over 200 species of birds, 66 species of mammals, 50 species of fish, and so on. You will also find plenty of recreation opportunities in the park, including 800 miles of hiking and horse trails, and some of the most beautiful valleys and high peaks anyone has ever seen, such as Cades Cove and Mount LeConte. Although any time is a great time to visit the park, the views are truly spectacular in the spring, with the blooming of the dogwoods and redbud trees and in the fall when the leaves begin turning various shades of red and orange and yellow. My hometown of Knoxville is considered by many to be the gateway to the Smokies, and residents of Knoxville played a very important role in establishing the park. The original idea for a Smokies National Park came from a wealthy and influential Knoxville family, Mr. and Mrs. William P. Davis, who came back from a visit to the national parks out West in the early 1920s with a simple question: Why can't we have a national park in the Smokies? Very quickly, other influential citizens of Knoxville such as politicians, businessmen, naturalists, and others joined in this movement. Eventually, the legislatures in Tennessee and North Carolina realized that this was a worthy project. Both legislatures appropriated $2 million in 1927. Although this was a large amount of money, it was not enough. Colonel David C. Chapman of Knoxville joined forces with National Park Service Director Arno Cammerer and began seeking additional sources of funding. Ultimately, they convinced John D. Rockefeller, Jr., to contribute to the cause. The Rockefeller family was well known for their philanthropy, especially in regards to the National Parks. They made a gift of $5 million to the effort, but only on the stipulation that the funds would be matched. To get the full $5 million, the States and Park Service would have to come up with $5 million on their own. Once the funding commitments were in place by 1929, it took several more years to acquire the land and develop the facilities. While this land has become almost priceless today, I don't think enough credit or recognition has been given to those families and people from whom land was taken to create this park. During the Great Depression, the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Works Progress Administration, and other Federal organizations made trails, fire watchtowers, and other infrastructure improvements to the park. The park was officially opened in June of 1934. That date is the date we are commemorating with this resolution. I would like once again to thank and congratulate Dr. Roe for his very thoughtful resolution, and I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution celebrating and recognizing the 75th anniversary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park."
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