Are Backpackers Boycotting the Smokies?

Are Backpackers Boycotting the Smokies?

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

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Are backpackers boycotting the Smokies? Based on the number of backcountry overnight stays for 2013, I think you can say something definitely is going on.

Two weeks ago I reported that visitation in Great Smoky Mountains National Park was down 6.7% in 2013. Earlier this week, one of the commentors on that posting asked about backcountry overnight stays in light of the new backcountry fees that were implemented back in February. If not familiar with this decision, suffice it to say that it's been an extremely controversial topic within the backpacking community since the fees were first proposed back in 2011.

In light of this controversy, I thought Tom's question was a valid one. Essentially: have the fees had an impact on backcountry overnight stays in the Smokies? It appears the answer to that question is yes. In 2013 there were only 62,863 backcountry overnight stays - a whopping 25.4% decline from the prior year. When compared to 2011, those same numbers are down 30.5%!

However, as with all statistics, you need to take into account a few caveats:

* The park was shutdown for 2 weeks during October due to the Federal Government shutdown. No doubt this impacted the numbers. For the sake of argument, since overall park visitation was down 6.7% in 2013, I think we can safely assume that backcountry overnight stays were also down by 6.7% - mainly due to the government shutdown. Roughly speaking, that would've added about 5012 additional backcountry nights, meaning, if there wasn't a government shutdown, total backcountry overnight stays would've been around 67,875 (I used the average for the 2000-2010 time frame as my baseline).

* There was a sharp increase in backcountry overnight stays in 2011 and 2012 when compared to the prior decade. Was this in response to the proposed fees? In other words, were backpackers getting out into the park while it was still free? I think it's very possible that some of that may have been going on.

Taking those two caveats into account, it's still obvious that backcountry overnight stays were negatively impacted in 2013. If we look at the trends (below) for the years prior to 2011, the average number of backcountry overnight stays was roughly 74,800. If we adjust the 2013 figures for the government shutdown, and use the 67,875 number instead, you could argue that backcountry overnight stays were off about 9.3% when compared to the long term trend. Moreover, that number is still the lowest figure over the last 13 years. It will be quite interesting to see what happens over the course of 2014.

Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies

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Smokies Announces Implementation of Backcountry Camping Changes

Smokies Announces Implementation of Backcountry Camping Changes

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced today that changes to its current backcountry reservation and permitting process will take effect on February 13, 2013. As reported last March, the National Park Service approved the park's proposal to begin collecting fees for use of the park's backcountry campsites and shelters. The changes include a $4 per person, per night fee for backcountry camping. The fee will be used to provide increased customer service for backcountry trip planning, reservations, permits and the backcountry experience.

A park-specific reservation and permit system, to which users will have 24/7 access, will allow backcountry campers to make reservations and obtain permits online from anywhere internet access is available. Reservations may be made at any time up to 30 days in advance, allowing maximum flexibility for those making last minute plans. Backcountry users will no longer be required to call the Backcountry Office to obtain reservations. Reservation and permit requests will also be accepted in person at the Backcountry Office, which is located at the Sugarlands Visitor Center.

Backcountry Office hours will be expanded with additional staff available to provide trip planning assistance both over the phone and in person. In addition, the park will expand its backcountry Ranger presence to better protect park resources through enforcement of food storage and other regulations and improved visitor education regarding Leave-No-Trace principles.

For more information about the changes, please visit the management page or call the park's Public Information Office at 865-436-1207. For general backcountry information or backcountry reservations, call the Backcountry Office at 865-436-1297. On February 13, backcountry reservations and permits will be available at www.smokiespermits.nps.gov.


Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies

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Firestorm building on Smokies Backcountry Fees

Firestorm building on Smokies Backcountry Fees

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

10 comments

A firestorm seems to have erupted over a backcountry fee system Great Smoky Mountains officials proposed back in July.

The controversy has been brewing ever since Great Smoky Mountains managers announced that they were considering a move to make all backcountry camping permits (for all sites) go through Recreation.gov, an online and call-in reservation service. The proposal would cost backpackers between $2.25 and $10.00 to make a reservation for a backcountry campsite (depending on which of three proposals is ultimately adopted).

Since then, John Quillen, a self-employed drug counselor and avid backpacker from Knoxville, and Johnny Molloy, a local hiking book author, have taken up the crusade to fight the proposal.

First of all, I completely empathize with the position Quillen, Molloy and others have carved out. However, I must say, that I am on the fence about the whole issue. But I must also point out that several of the arguments the opposition presents on their website has a few holes in them.

Southernforestwatch.org states that the backcountry fee proposal is effectively an entrance fee and it targets backpackers. That simply isn't true. Just like any other visitor, backpackers are allowed to enter the park for free. As the proposal stipulates, they may have to pay a fee to use overnight facilities in the park in the future, just like front country campers currently have to. The website also laments as to why tax dollars aren't being used to pay for these services. But I would argue that tax payer dollars should never be used to subsidize any recreational activities. There are, afterall, costs involved with maintaining those campsites. As mentioned, the park already charges a fee to camp in the front country, and it effectively charges a fee to rent a bike or a horse in Cades Cove. I do, however, agree that this "is a foot in the door for other entrance fees". As with any other governmental agency, this fee could become the impetus for other fees - the proverbial slippery slope.

One of the reasons the Smokies wants to implement a fee system is due to overcrowding at some sites. The Southernforestwatch website points out that the number of backcountry users peaked in the mid-1990s, and has seen a significant drop since then. Therefore, as the website points-out, there is no need for a comprehensive reservation system. Moreover, the website thinks that the park is misleading the public on this issue. Southernforestwatch states:

Take, for example, a printout from the Park’s own figures for a typical recent year. It shows a total of 72,907 camper nights for 108 campsites. That comes out to 675 campers per site for a full year, or less than two people per night. That’s hardly overcrowded, and the figures would show that the Park is misleading the public in even worse fashion if you remove Mt. Leconte and Appalachian Trail shelters. Over half of backcountry campsites averaged less than ONE CAMPER PER NIGHT.

However, as we all know, statistics can be misleading. Is it possible that most of those bag nights are concentrated in a small group of campsites, thus overcrowding those sites as the park states? I don't know, and simply looking at those statistics certainly doesn't answer that question.

Secondly, the Park states that there is overcrowding of backcountry campsites by non-permitted campers. If this is true, those people aren't being counted in the official statistics cited above.

The Southernforestwatch website also misrepresents the role of Recreation.gov, the firm that would handle the reservation system. They state:

Recreation.gov seems to have some political clout. Owned by Active.com, a CANADIAN company, they are more than ready to outsource Smokies backcountry camping reservations through concession. What do they know about our mountains? Apparently, according to Ditmanson, a considerable amount. Enough to entrust them with all reservations and "trip planning" whatever that entails.

Actually, Recreation.gov, who currently handles reservations for front country camping in the Smokies, wouldn't handle any of the trip planning advice. As a 7/29/11 Press Release states, "The Park would also expand the operations of the Backcountry Information Center to provide quality trip planning advice to help users develop a customized itinerary that best fits their available time and ability."

Southernforestwatch also misrepresents the issue of stimulus tax dollars. "Last year conferred another 64 million EXTRA stimulus tax dollars to build roads and fix horse trails, now he (Superintendent Dale Ditmanson) wants to take more of our money to increase his staff." Unfortunately, those tax dollars were earmarked towards specific projects. They were never meant to go into the general budget. This is not an issue Southernforestwatch should be taking up with Superintendent Ditmanson. If they have a problem with this stipulation they need to address it with the President and Congress.


The problem with the proposal:

The park wants to "hire additional Rangers who would exclusively patrol the backcountry to improve compliance with Park regulations as well as helping to curb plant and wildlife poaching and respond more quickly to visitor emergencies." But with more than 800 miles of trails, and more than 100 backcountry campsites and shelters, how many rangers would the park have to hire to effectively manage the backcountry? To me it seems quixotic.

Southernforestwatch states that the Smokies "backcountry office is only manned a few hours per day" and is "turning away volunteers in droves". If this is true, this is a big problem. If the issue of making a reservation, and receiving trip planning advice can be accomplished through willing volunteers, then the Park, at a minimum, is guilty of mis-management.

Why not implement an online (only) reservation system that could handle the majority of the current phone call load. This would then free up time for the current staff at the Backcountry Information Center, already working three hours a day, to help with trip planning advice. I'll emphasize "online only". Using the call center services to make a reservation at Recreation.gov would drive up expenses, thus increasing costs for backpackers. Why not minimize these fees by employing an online only system, in addition to the three hours of phone service at the Backcountry Information Center. Why not give a system like this a test for a year or two to see if this solves the problem?


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

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