The Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Its Neighbors: A brief summary of local viewpoints and recommendations for the future

Stern MJ. 2005. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Its Neighbors: A brief summary of local viewpoints and recommendations for the future. National Park Service. New Haven, Connecticut

This report describes some preliminary results of empirical research conducted in 2004 on the settlements surrounding Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) regarding the relationships between the park and the people that live around it. The report addresses three questions: 1. What impacts of the national park on its local neighbors do local residents consider the most important? 2. Which aspects of the relationship between local residents and the park tend to generate more positive or more negative outcomes for both the national park and the people living around it? 3. What might the park be able to do to improve its relationships with its local neighbors? The answers to each of these questions come from the residents of the park’s neighboring communities themselves, collected in 140 in-depth interviews conducted over the past year. This report attempts to analyze and summarize what neighbors of the park shared with me during my time in the area. Statistical data and analyses are contained in Appendices A and B for those who would like to better understand how the explanations within this report were developed.

Type
Unpublished Report
Authors
Stern, Marc
Date of Issue
2005-02
Publisher
National Park Service
Units
GRSM
Keywords
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, GRSM-00208, Interviews, local, neighbors, residents

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