The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1937-12-09
Over loo Miles OF Parkway Can
Now Be Driven; 25 Miles In Ashe
TO withhold Surface Treating
Until Next Spring. Co
operation Requested.


and Virginia, according to an
nouncement made in the first issue
of the Blue Ridge Parkway
News, small news sheet issued
last week from the National Park
Service Office in Roanoke.
AS hundreds of local people have
already found out, nearly hall OF
this mileage is in Ashe and Ale
ghany counties. Construction work
on the Is miles of the Scenic IN
Ashe has been virtually completed
Except for having to detour around
Laurel Fork Creek bridge and one
or two other places, motorists can
drive from one end to the other.
OF course the work is by no
means completed. AS explained in
the Scenic News, black top road
surfacing will probably not be done
until next spring. Landscape de-
velopment, including improvement
of the woods, planting and seeding,
provision of food protection for
quail and other game may also be-
gin next spring. Also, yet to be
built are the safety guard fences
along the Parkway road. Every
one may drive on the Parkway,
but at his own risk" the News
states. cit will not be officially
opened and advertised until COM
pletion.
In it's introduction, The News ex-
planned that the National Park
Service was taking this means of
keeping the public, and especially
those who live close to the Park
way, fully informed about the pro-
gress that is being made on the ia
nous highway. Copies of the sheet
will be placed in various post Of
fees, stores, etc. and are free to the
public.
"Any inquiries will be welcomed
and should be mailed to the Acting
Superintendent, Blue Ridge Park
way, National Park Service, Sher<2
andoah Life Insurance Building,
Roanoke, Va" it was stated
MANY of you have worked on
the road. Others have either given
or sold land for the Parkway. In
the latter case, you have talked
with agents from the State High
way Department who are respons-
ibla< for the land program. Title
to those lands will soon pass to the
United States. At that time, with
a few exceptions, the lands will
need be vacated by their former
owners. A few acres of the Park
way lands may later be rented by
the Government to nearby owners
for farming purposes and in the fu-
ture we shall discuss that plan in
the NEWS. The National Park
Service will be represented in each
state by park ranger who will be
in charge of the lands, to protect
them from trespass, to watch for
fires and otherwise be helpful to
Parkway travellers, its neighbors,
and all others. Many of you in
North Carolina should know Rufus
Wagner, of Sparta, who has this
job in your state. We understand
that the Virginia ranger is to be
on the job very soon.
Through the NEWS, we hope to
win your cooperation and help, and
those of you whose homes look
over the Parkway land are very
much in a position to help. We
have laid out the park lands for the
purpose Of saving the scenery for
the thousands, including yourselves,
who will enjoy it in the future. The
trees, shrubs and flowers of the
mountains are part of that seem
cry. One of our biggest threats
is fire; the other is unlawful cutting
of timber on the park lands by
tourists or by neighborihg land
owners, either by mistake or other
wise. You can help us to stop this
destruction by being careful with
fire and by stopping any trespass-
er whom you see using the park
lands unlawfully.
1--WE would also point out that
the old rail fences on some parts
of the park land were paid for by
the state and are Government
property. Together with the hedge
rows of trees and shrubs along
them, these fences often are beauti-
full and provide cover and food for
birds and other game Some of the
fences will be left in place as part
OF the picture to be seen from the
drive. Others will be reset along
property lines. Please do not re-
move them from your former prop
erty, unless you are sure they do
not belong to the Parkway land.
Il you are in doubt, write us.
I'm concluding this first issue Of
the NEWS, this Service wishes to