U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole on March 28 announced her support for a full cash settlement for Swain County, in lieu of further construction of what is commonly known as the “Road to Nowhere.”
Dole and other members of the North Carolina and Tennessee congressional delegations wrote to Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne, calling on the agency to immediately begin working with Congress to provide the cash settlement to Swain County. Dole said she would introduce legislation in the Senate that provides the framework for a full cash settlement.
In 1943, the government flooded a highway in creating the Fontana Dam and made a commitment to Swain County to build a new road — the North Shore Road — through what had become the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The U.S. Supreme Court held in 1946 that there is no legal obligation to satisfy that commitment by building a road. More than 60 years of controversy have ensued.
The National Park Service’s draft environmental impact statement, which was released in January 2006, estimates that it would cost nearly $600 million to complete the North Shore Road, and some estimates have projected a cost of $1 billion.
“After closely reviewing the National Park Service’s draft environmental impact statement, and after follow up discussions with that agency, it is abundantly clear from the Park Service’s assessment that the environmental and economic costs to build the North Shore Road are just too great,” Dole said in a press release. “It’s time to bring this 60-year controversy to a close, and it’s time to focus our efforts on providing the citizens of Swain County with compensation to make good on the government’s commitment.”
Former 11th District Rep. Charles Taylor, a Republican, had been a forceful proponent for fulfilling the government’s promise by actually building the road. He was defeated in November by Democrat Heath Shuler, who, like Dole, backs a cash settlement for Swain County.
“I sympathize with the folks in Swain County who want this road built, who want better access to their family land and cemeteries,” Dole said. “While I understand that a monetary settlement is not the outcome that some have hoped for, I welcome the support of Swain County residents in my efforts to secure this funding, which will provide much needed resources for Swain County’s local schools, economic development, and other important services.”
But Dole’s fellow North Carolina Republican in the Senate, Richard Burr, took a “wait-and-see” posture on the road.
“I have always supported an agreement dating back to 1943 between the United States Department of Interior, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the State of North Carolina, and the citizens of Swain County,” Burr said in a statement. “The road has yet to be built and the citizens of Swain County remain uncompensated for their losses. I understand frustration over this lengthy process and I want a quick resolution on this issue.
“The federal government, through the National Park Service, has already spent millions of dollars to conduct an Environmental Impact Study and according to the National Park Service the findings of this study will be released later this year.
“The community remains split on how to resolve this matter. I do not believe we should stop the work now underway and take a new path. I am aware that some of my colleagues suggest we now seek a financial settlement. Unfortunately we do not have assurances that the federal funding needed to fulfill the commitment made to the citizens of Swain County is achievable, nor is there agreement within the community that this is the right decision.”