Sevier County announced on Wednesday that an agreement was reached between various Tennessee governments and the U.S. Department of the Interior and National Park Service, allowing normal operations at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to continue during the federal government shutdown.
According to a Sevier County press release, the agreement with the federal government came following the approval or involvement of Gatlinburg, Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Pittman Center, Blount County, Cocke County, the State of Tennessee, the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, the nonprofit organization, Friends of the Smokies, and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
The arrangement was confirmed by Friends of the Smokies, the official nonprofit partner for the park, who noted that the agreement will allow it to remain open until October 19, with further operations dependent on future agreements or the reopening of the federal government.
Operations previously were able to continue without interruption as the result of a plan formed in anticipation of the political standstill in Washington, D.C., which prompted Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters to commend the local governments and organizations after they, “stepped up once again to ensure the Great Smoky Mountains National Park remains open.”
“The park is a vital part of our regional economy, and closing it during peak fall season is simply not an option,” said Waters. “We are proud to welcome the hundreds of thousands of visitors who will come to enjoy the Smokies in the weeks ahead.”
The effort to maintain operations during the government shutdown appears to stand in contrast with the attitude expressed by the federal government during a federal shutdown in 2013, when the public was blocked from accessing certain national monuments and parks in what Republicans claimed was a bid to punish their party for the shutdown.
U.S. Representative Louie Gohmert (R-TX-01) questioned at the time at the time, “I’m wondering what are they going to do next — hang a drapery over Mt. Rushmore? I mean, this is ridiculous!”
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Great Smoky Mountains National Park” by Servier County.
