From a press release:
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kay Hagan today announced that she has introduced The Great Smoky Mountains National Park Agreement Act (S.2744), which authorizes the National Park Service to release the $4 million Congress approved for Swain County in fiscal year 2012. The funding is part of a 2010 settlement with the federal government to compensate Swain County for a road that was destroyed during construction of the Fontana Dam and Reservoir in the 1940s. The Department of Interior claims the $4 million Congress approved cannot be released without the additional authority, and Senator Hagan’s legislation provides that authority.
“The people of Swain County have waited long enough for compensation from the Department of Interior,” said Hagan. “These funds provide an important investment in North Carolina, and I will continue to fight to ensure the federal government makes good its obligation to Swain County.”
“On behalf of the people of Swain County, I thank Senator Hagan for her continued leadership and efforts to see that the Department of Interior lives up to the settlement agreement and releases the $4 million Congress approved more than two years ago. This funding would provide the County with much needed resources during these challenging economic times,” said Phil Carson, Chairman of the Swain County Board of Commissioners.
“The people of Swain County and Western North Carolina who love and support the Great Smoky Mountains National Park applaud Senator Hagan for introducing this bill to ensure the National Park Service lives up to its obligation and releases the money Congress has approved and Swain County is rightly owed,” said Luke Hyde, member of the Friends of the Smokies Board of Directors.
“Senator Hagan has been a real friend to Swain County and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and sees the long-term impact of honoring the federal government’s agreement with Swain County,” said Leonard Winchester, Chairman of the Citizens for the Economic Future of Swain County. “She has steadfastly pressed the Interior Department and National Park Service to do right by Swain County and make these payments. This latest legislative effort is another example of that continued strong commitment, and I commend Senator Hagan’s efforts to address and resolve this issue.”
The $4 million is part of a $52 million settlement the federal government entered into with the State of North Carolina and Swain County in 2010. To date, the County has only received $12.2 million of the total funding.
Last year, Senator Hagan sent a letter to Department of Interior Secretary Sally Jewel, urging her to assist in solving the dispute that was preventing Swain County from receiving the settlement that Congress approved more than two years ago. In addition, the Senate Interior Appropriations Committee included a provision in the draft FY2015 Senate Interior Appropriations bill, at Senator Hagan’s request, to authorize the National Park Service to release the $4 million that Congress previously approved. The Senator will push for enactment of this legislation before the end of the year.
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