Great Smoky Mountains National Park could potentially increase by 638 acres with a large piece of forestland that has been acquired by a conservation project! The Foothills Land Conservancy recently shared that it has officially acquired the Oliver Tract, which borders the National Park near Townsend and Cades Cove. The conservation project plans to transfer that land to the National Park Service after a federal review and acceptance process is complete. Here are all the details about this potential 600+ acre addition to Great Smoky Mountains National Park:
Details of the Land Acquisition
The Foothills Land Conservancy, which acquired the Oliver Tract, works to help landowners protect their property from being developed. It has completed more than 540 conservation projects and helped protect over 200,000 acres across Tennessee and beyond! The acquisition of the Oliver Tract is considered to be one of the most significant conservation achievements in East Tennessee in nearly two decades; it will protect a landscape described as both ecologically important and deeply rooted in the history of the Smokies.
Once the federal review and acceptance process has been completed, the Oliver Tract will be the park’s largest single addition since it purchased 627 acres from The Nature Conservancy in 2009!
History of the Oliver Tract
The “Oliver Tract” was previously owned by John Oliver, one of the earliest permanent European settlers of Cades Cove who settled in the area with his family in 1818. In fact, his cabin is one of the several buildings preserved in Cades Cove by the National Park Service and can still be visited today! The tract includes more than 600 acres of forestland, migration corridors, watershed resources, and scenic ridgelines. The largely untouched forestland is also important for wildlife protection, as it protects critical habitats for bears, deer, and wild turkeys.
Future of the Land Addition
It is estimated to take 18 to 24 months for the National Park Service to absorb the Oliver Tract since it depends upon federal approvals, including environmental assessments and natural resource surveys. Once it is added to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, visitors will be able to hike the ridges and experience the beauty of the forests! This is the ultimate goal of the Foothills Land Conservancy and is conservation at its best!
Current Size of Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park covers approximately 522,427 acres, which is about 816 square miles! The land is divided almost evenly between Tennessee and North Carolina, and it is one of the largest protected land areas in the eastern United States. The park contains more than 800 miles of hiking trails, including 70 miles of the Appalachian Trail, as well as 10 campgrounds, 11 picnic areas, over 100 backcountry campsites, and 384 miles of roads!
To get an idea of this potential significant addition to the park, the 638-acre Oliver Tract is nearly the size of the primary historic area surrounding the Cades Cove Loop Road! Check out this map of Cades Cove to see this area, as well as all of the historic churches, old cabins, and homesteads that you can find along the 11-mile scenic loop!
