On Friday, Babbitt will try his luck at bass fishing on Chicamaugua Lake insoutheastern Tennessee, emphasizing the recreational and economicbenefits of the remarkable rebound of the area's waterways. Friday afternoon, Babbitt visit the Foothills Land Conservancy, apublic-private partnership started by local residents to provide a landbuffer adjacent to Great Smoky National Park. Here, in the Volunteer State,Babbitt will focus on the tremendous value of local activism in the GreatSmokies, and warn of Congressional efforts to create a commission tooversee the closure of many national parks. In the Great Smokies and throughout Appalachia, local people have timeand again demonstrated their commitment to preserving their stunningnatural heritage. But Republican attacks onour basic environmental laws have put that progress at risk.
All events are open to the press.