I was reading an article in The Mountain Press this morning about how the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development is hosting several discussions on balancing economic growth with the preservation of the natural environment. It really got me thinking. I love Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and many other of our country’s national parks. I love that there are still places we can escape to where nature is not paved over or corralled. But with the number of visitors flooding into Great Smoky Mountains National Park each year, can tourism be sustained while still preserving the natural beauty that people flock to enjoy?

I’m a firm believer in the “leave no trace” philosophy when it comes to visiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park or any other place where an effort has been made to preserve the natural environment. Is it really possible, though, to leave absolutely no trace of a visit to the park? The answer is a resounding “No”. If we drive into the park, we are bringing pollution with us. We are eroding trails each time we walk on them. Even with the best intentions, all of us who visit the park are making an impact on nature.

According to the National Park Service, Great Smoky Mountains National Park “provides an economic hub generating over $1 billion a year for surrounding tourist communities.” That’s a lot of money which is putting food on many tables and roofs over many heads. It’s tax dollars which are providing financial backing for schools and the arts. If the park were closed to visitors, or the number of visitors to the park each year were restricted, this would surely have a detrimental impact on the communities around the park for which tourism is the biggest industry.

So what’s the answer? How do we sustain economic growth while preserving the environment and the natural beauty of Great Smoky Mountains National Park? I don’t have any answers, but maybe the sustainable tourism discussions going on this month will provide us with a few ideas.