Big South Fork - Friends of Fall Creek Falls

McCreary National Bank
&
Friends of the Big South Fork
Partners in Progress
Cornerstone Proposal
January 2007
Friends of the
Big South Fork
National River & Recreation Area
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An Introduction to Friends of the Big South Fork
The Friends of the Big South Fork is a non-profit group of interested citizens formed to
support and promote the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area by raising funds to
preserve, restore and enhance the park’s natural and cultural resources, to provide improved
services and facilities for visitors, to increase public awareness and support of the park and to
enhance educational and interpretive activities, thus increasing public appreciation and
understanding of the park.
The Friends recognize the Park as both a National Treasure and one of our most important
Local Resources. We further understand, however, that the natural, scenic and pristine qualities
that we all enjoy depend ultimately on the existence of a practical and sustainable economy for
this region. Only in a Region where people and responsible companies can earn a decent living
can we expect those same people and companies to take proper care of a resource like the Big
South Fork. Likewise, only in such a place can we hope to show our guests the kind of
hospitality that they will require in order for them to demand the Big South Fork as an
indispensable fixture of the American Landscape.
Our somewhat broader economic focus reflects two of the central tenets of the Big South Fork
Legislation. First, as a National River and Recreation Area, the Big South Fork offers a wide
variety of activities not available in “National Parks”. It is there to use as well as to look at.
Perhaps even more important, however, is the fact that unlike any other property in the
National Park System, Congress specifically established the Big South Fork as an economic
development tool for what have traditionally been some of the most economically challenged
counties in two states.
So in keeping with these triple mandates of Economy, Ecology and Responsible Use, the
Friends of the Big South Fork seek to:
 Facilitate the responsible growth of Eco-Tourism, Upscale Retirement and other
environmentally and economically sound development around the Big South Fork.
 Carefully Promote the BSF as a Reliever Destination to the Great Smoky
Mountains, helping to keep both Parks within the limits of sustainable use.
 Proactively Assist the National Park Service in Protecting, preserving and
interpreting this National Resource, and particularly in educating the public to the
many resources it offers.
 Recognize the important and continuing role played by traditional business and
industry in sustaining our local economy. We welcome all responsible companies to
our table, applauding their best management practices and ecologically sound
operations. We are pleased to provide these good corporate citizens with continual
opportunities to show their true commitment to this area, its natural environment,
workforce and economic future.
Friends of the
Big South Fork
National River & Recreation Area
Partners in Progress
1
The Big South Fork Region is an
economically depressed area in the
Appalachia area. Friends is helping to
bring economic development and growth
into the region by offering the area in a
positive light. With the Big South Fork
National River and Recreation Area
there is a great opportunity for growth
and expansion.
Per Capita this region has one of the
highest unemployment rates in the
nation.
The Friends of the Big South Fork is
trying to battle the economic distress
and areas of high poverty in the region.
Another goal and challenge is to keep
our young people in the region and stop the out migration. We see this organization as a
beginning to bring in entrepreneurs into the area for sustainable community and economic
development.
The Friends organization is developing partnerships in the region and bringing together
business leaders, elected officials, chambers of commerce and area attractions to unite them for
the betterment of all.
Friends of the
Big South Fork
National River & Recreation Area
Partners in Progress
2
Specific Initiatives
Secure Full Time Professional Oversight
In place since 1995, and with numerous successful projects under its belt, the Friends of the
Big South Fork has gone as far as it can as a purely volunteer organization. In 2005, Barbra
Shoemaker was hired as the first Director of Friends of the Big South Fork. She worked
diligently to lay the groundwork for many essential programs for Friends. After about a year,
Barbra was led back to the classroom by her love of teaching. In her absence, James Taylor was
hired as Director of Friends in February 2006. James has followed through with the many
activities already in the works with Friends, as well as starting many new projects. His
emphasis has been on creating relationships with the six counties and many organizations that
are in the Big South Fork region.
Establishment of the Big South Fork Visitors Center
Two of the greatest barriers to full development of the Big South Fork National River and
Recreation Area are (1) A lack of good information about the resources available here and (2) The
lack of a logical starting point from which to organize and begin the Big South Fork experience.
Today’s visitor to the Big South Fork may well discover enjoyable activities and have a good
experience—or he may not, depending largely upon whom he may first encounter for
information, and the extent to which he can afford extra time for random exploration.
Scott County has completed a new Jim Barna Log Homes
Visitor Center, which is centrally located to the entire Eastern
boundary of the Park. The new center is a mere 20 miles off I-75,
is easily recognizable and enjoys good, five land access on U.S.
Highway 27, between the towns of Huntsville and Oneida. With
its rustic log construction, front porch and rocking chairs, the
Center provides an ideal focal point where visitors can get out of
the car, have the experience of “arrival” and begin to plan their
individual day trips into this broad and diverse national resource.
Providing both a working space for the Friends of the Big
South Fork and Scott County Chamber of Commerce, this is the
ideal location for visitors to come for information about the Big
South Fork region.
Friends of the
Big South Fork
National River & Recreation Area
Partners in Progress
3
Establishment of Comprehensive
Web Presence for the Region
A strong presence on the World Wide Web is central to
the task of distributing information to an audience, which
almost by definition covers a broad geographic area and is
less than familiar with the Big South Fork. The Friends
Web Site, already under development, will serve the
following important functions:
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Provide a Central Clearinghouse for Visitor and Retirement Information
Identify the full range of recreational activities available
Allow Big South Fork to Compete effectively with better known destinations
Incorporate Cara Vista Technology planned for visitor Center
Present Cornerstone Sponsor’s Identity and Major Role in supporting the Park
Coordinate Local Attraction Operators and Establish Central Ticketing
A key feature of the Visitor Center will be the ability for a guest to reserve goods and services
at virtually any visitor-based business in or around the Big South Fork from one central location.
The Executive Director will compile full information on all area attractions, and will coordinate
with their management to provide central off site ticketing and reservations as appropriate.
Once central ticketing has been coordinated, Web Based Ticketing becomes a real possibility as
well. This is the “Grunt Work” of tourism development, but it is crucial to answering the most
commonly asked questions: “What’s there to do here?”
Other Initiatives already In the Works for the Director:
Reprinting of Senator Howard Baker’s Book “Big South Fork”
An avid Photographer and well known proponent of this area, Senator Baker has been a strong
supporter of the Friends of the Big South Fork. He continued this support recently by hosting a
dinner at his home in Huntsville to kick off the License Plate Project, and at the same time
announced the donation to the Friends of the rights to the book of Big South Fork Photographs
that he produced in cooperation with the late John Netherton. This book is a mainstay of Big
South Fork lovers everywhere, and upon our working out the details for re-printing, represents a
significant source of residual income for the Friends.
Friends of the
Big South Fork
National River & Recreation Area
Partners in Progress
4
Wings Over the Big South Fork “Fly-In”
Festival
This “Sport Transportation Extravaganza” will
be held at the Scott County Airport, and is being
marketed to pilots, motorcyclists and antiques car
enthusiasts throughout the South East. The goal is
to introduce these recreational travels to the Big
South Fork, and to encourage repeat visits. Wings
over Big South Fork drew a crowd of over 7,000
visitors in 2006.
Wings for 2007 will be on September 15, and it will be bigger and better than ever due to the
addition of many new events. These events include five Army flight simulators, the Army rock
climbing wall, a parachute drop by paratroopers from Ft. Campbell, and a special exhibit
sponsored by the Big South Fork. Keep up to date on the progress with Wings 2007 at
www.wingsoverbigsouthfork.com. This and other festivals have been identified as a significant
way to introduce visitors and potential residents to this area, and they are part of our overall
plan to develop the demand for further amenities in the Region.
Implementation of Carta Vista™ Technology in Visitor’s Center
Carta Vista™ is a cutting edge, interactive computerized information
and mapping system. While the technology is already proven in other fields,
its use in a tourism-based application will make this exhibit the first and
most powerful of its kind anywhere in the world. In spite of its power,
however, the Carta Vista™ system is surprisingly easy for visitors to use. It
also offers powerful educational components and a marketing/information
platform with which the Big South Fork can capture visitors before they
ever leave their own homes.
The benefits of the Carta Vista™ system for the Big South Fork are many. First, as a web
accessible program, once compiled and formatted, vast amounts of information will be available
to other visitor centers, libraries, Chambers of Commerce and other public buildings, as well as
visitor related businesses such as hotels, restaurants and convenience stores. In short,
anywhere there is a PC and an Internet connection, visitors can access extensive information on
the Big South Fork area.
Overlays in the Carta Vista™ System will feature every kind of information from geology
and archeology to hiking, history and photographs. This will expose our rich natural and
cultural heritage to schools and individuals throughout the United States and the World.
Friends of the
Big South Fork
National River & Recreation Area
Partners in Progress
5
Finally, as the benefits come to fruition, this program will be readily adaptable to other
National and State Parks, State Forests and any other public facility which could be better
explained or experience with the aid of this technology. A full description of both the technology
and implementation costs of this project is available on request. Funding is in place to install
the Kiosk and equipment in the Scott County Welcome Center, and we are applying for a KDOT
Grant to place a Kiosk in the Stearns Welcome Center.
Big South Fork Vacation Package
Since increasing tourism in our region is a major goal of Friends, we have been working on
putting together a vacation package. This vacation package will be marketed to over 1900
deluxe motor coach tour operators across the United States. This will potentially bring buses of
Senior Citizens to our region for vacations. The vacation will be planned to take the visitors on a
four day tour of the natural and historical highlights of the counties in the Big South Fork
region. Information will also be compiled to give a vacationer the option of building their own
Big South Fork adventure. This publication will not only be a resource for the Friends, but it
will also be used by the various chambers of commerce across the region.
New River Scenic Train Ride
National Coal Corporation, one of Friends’ Corporate
Sponsors, has given Friends of the Big South Fork exclusive
rights to operate an excursion train on the New River track.
Departing just east of Huntsville, the train will travel 33
miles up the New River through some of the most picturesque
scenery in East Tennessee. We anticipate our first excursion
to take place by the end of April 2007.
Big South Fork Adventure Race
Friends is currently in the process of organizing a nationally sanctioned endurance race.
This race will begin at Cumberland Gap and cover 110 miles on the journey to Bandy Creek
Campground. This race will consist of running, bicycling on streets and mountains, as well as
canoeing. This race will give national exposure to the Big South Fork Region.
Friends of the
Big South Fork
National River & Recreation Area
Partners in Progress
6
Other Programs Spearheaded by the Friends include…
 Leatherwood Pavilion Clean Up and Restoration
 Rangers on Horseback Program--Provided horses and tack to the NPS for use in
patrolling the Big South Fork. Presently working on acquiring two younger horses and
donated veterinary services to continue the program.
 Annual Big South Fork Story Telling festival--Draws thousands each year to Bandy
Creek to hear stories by nationally recognized storytellers as well as enjoy the crafts, music
and food at the event. In 2006, Friends was able to acquire funding necessary to send the
storytellers to the schools in the region so that children of all ages could enjoy their stories.
 Dormitories for Park Volunteers and VIP Visitors—Donated and constructed at no cost
to the NPS.
 Annual River Clean Up
 Spring Planting every May
at Bandy Creek
 Annual Astronomy
Programs at Bandy Creek
 Planned Museum of
Natural History--Further
plans for the future include a
Museum of Natural History to
house some of the vast
collections of artifacts that
shed light on prehistoric and
early settler’s life in this area.
Friends of the
Big South Fork
National River & Recreation Area
Partners in Progress
7
The Role of our Cornerstone Corporate Sponsors
In order to continue its important work, and step up to the
next level, the Friends of the Big South Fork is seeking Corporate
Sponsorships. These sponsorships cover the cost of all of our
administration and our most important initiatives, including:
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The Establishment of the Visitor’s Center
A comprehensive Web Presence for the Region
Coordination of Local Attraction Operators and Central Ticketing
Full Time Staffing to pursue our other Planned Initiatives
As a Cornerstone Sponsor, we can help you in specific ways by:
 Providing dedicated space within the Visitor Center to convey your message to
the public.
 Giving you valuable media coverage in conjunction with public events with which
we are involved.
 Working with you to develop educational or interpretive projects of interest to
your industry.
 Attaching your major sponsorship to our own events and programs.
 Providing a link to your Corporate Web Site and a detailed Sponsor’s Information
Page on our Web Site.
By Becoming a Cornerstone Sponsor, you also:
 Demonstrate your Strong Commitment to Quality of Life Issues in the Region.
 Highlight your own Corporate Stewardship of our Natural Resources.
 Showcase the important strides that your company is making toward helping in
development of the local economy.
 Gain important Credibility with other special interest groups, and become better
recognized as an Ally in Protecting the Environment.
We hope you will join us as a Cornerstone Sponsor today with your annual pledge. We thank
you for your dedication to our Region. If you have questions or need further information,
please contact James Taylor, Executive Director at 423-663-4556.
Cornerstone Sponsors
(Gifts ranging from $4,000 to $25,000 per year)
First National Bank of Oneida
First Trust and Savings Bank
Bank of McCreary County
National Coal
Mothwing
Grand Vista Hotels
East Tennessee Economic Development Association
These Cornerstone Sponsors realize the efforts of the Friends and are in full support of
our programs which will help bring economic development to the region. Also, they are
showing their support to our region by being a friend to the Big South Fork National River
and Recreation Area.
Friends of the
Big South Fork
National River & Recreation Area
Partners in Progress
8