The Appalachian Trail Conference. All rights reserved.
Demographic studies tell an urgent story.
Populations of New York, Maryland, and Connecticut have grown 100 percent since 1940. But as people push toward the mountains, seeking a better life, they bring the city with them. As wireless communication booms, the Appalachian high ground becomes a prime site for antennas. But good communications and good views need not exclude each other, so ATC works with industry, communities, and local trail clubs to minimize the scenic impact of towers. More and more roads wind their way into the mountains, bringing with them development, commuter sprawl, second homes, traffic, noise, and view-destroying haze.