Smokies Blog

Smokies Celebrates Public Lands Day

Press Release:

National Park Service
September 22, 2009

The National Park Service is inviting America to join in a day of service and celebration on Saturday, September 26, during Public Lands Day to help make America’s Best Idea—the national parks—even better. As part of the event, Great Smoky Mountains National Park will present a sneak preview of a new Ken Burns documentary and participate in a volunteer community service project in cooperation with the Keep Sevier Beautiful Roads and Rivers Day Fall Clean Up.

A short, 26-minute excerpt from the National Parks: America’s Best Idea documentary series, sponsored by the National Park Service and National Park Foundation, is scheduled for two showings on Saturday, September 26, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Sugarlands Visitor Center, near Gatlinburg, Tenn. This showing is a prelude to the six-part, 12-hour series which will begin airing on PBS stations nationwide on Sunday, September 27. The Burns documentary includes a Smokies segment in which local icons Horace Kephart and George Masa are featured prominently. Together, Kephart, a famed author and outdoorsman, and Masa, a photographer and avid hiker, played important roles in raising support for the Park’s creation.

“We are excited that the Smokies is part of the documentary film which coincides with the Park’s 75th Anniversary. The project traces the birth of the national park idea in the mid-1800s and follows its evolution for nearly 150 years and is an excellent opportunity for Americans to reflect on the significance and value of the National Park System,” said Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson.

As part of the Keep Sevier Beautiful Roads and Rivers Day, the national park is looking for volunteers to participate in a litter clean up along the Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Spur between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. Registration for interested volunteers begins at 9 a.m. at the Gatlinburg Spur Welcome Center where volunteers will be provided work gloves, water and trash bags and assigned sections of the Spur which runs parallel to the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River. Individuals should be prepared to walk along the sloping banks of the river collecting trash and debris. It is recommended to wear sturdy shoes and long pants for scrambling down the banks. Individuals under 18 are required to be accompanied by adult. The national park is one of several places that Keep Sevier Beautiful is sponsoring in Sevier County so that people can help to make their community a better place to live and visit. For more information call the Keep Sevier Beautiful office at 865-774-6677.

Tags: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Public Lands Day