Washington, D.C. –In a signing ceremony in Bryson City, North Carolina today, the $52 million settlement agreement that Representative Heath Shuler (D-Waynesville) worked to secure was finalized. Since being sworn into office three years ago, Congressman Shuler has been committed to fulfilling the promise made by the federal government to Swain County sixty-seven years ago. The agreement Shuler brokered between Swain County and the U.S. Department of Interior ensures a proper and fair settlement that will guarantee that Swain County has the resources it needs to thrive and grow for decades to come.
“I am on cloud nine,” said Congressman Shuler. “I grew up hiking and playing in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and along the Road to Nowhere. For years, I heard neighbors bicker about the status of the road. This agreement finally ends decades of conflict, allowing county leaders and officials to put aside past grievances and work together for the good of the people of Swain County. The influx of much-needed funds will put this county back on the road to growth and prosperity.”
“It is not often one can end a 67-year-old controversy with a stroke of a pen, but that is exactly what we are doing,” U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said. “The federal government is providing a fair settlement to the people of Swain County while ensuring the protection of Great Smoky Mountain National Park.”
“I want to commend Congressman Shuler for his leadership on getting resolution to this long-standing issue,” said Governor Bev Perdue. “This historic settlement will allow Swain County to move forward and to use the resources to invest in the economic needs of its citizens and the area.”
“This is one for the history books. The wildest region of the park will stay wild, and future generations will be able to experience its isolation and grandeur,” said Don Barger, National Parks Conservation Association Senior Regional Director. “We all owe a debt of gratitude to Congressman Shuler and to the people of Swain County.”
“The Fifth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States provides that when the federal government takes something that is yours, they are supposed to pay you. With the hard work of Congressman Shuler and staff, the federal government is finally beginning to comply with the Constitution. Instead of just a piece of paper, the 1943 agreement, Swain County will receive $52 million in compensation,” said Leonard Winchester, Chair of Citizens for the Economic Future of Swain County. “This settlement is the biggest thing in the history of Swain County and I look forward to working with the community to make sure that proceeds from this investment are put to good use.”
Luke D. Hyde, Member of the Board of Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Board of the National Parks Conservation Association said, "As a native of Swain County, I am delighted with the settlement of an issue that has divided our community for years. I suspect that people who want a road built on the North Shore of Fontana Lake will say the federal government has let them down again. But that is just not true. In 1943, the government agreed to build a road only if all the money could be found. It wasn't available then, and it is not available now. Today, it would cost nearly $730 million to build 30 miles of road on the beautiful, forested slopes of Fontana Lake. And that's not counting the cost of mitigating environmental damage caused by construction in that area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Instead, Congressman Shuler, the Secretary of the Interior and their colleagues have crafted a strong, workable alternative to meet the government's obligations to Swain County."
Today, the $52 million settlement agreement was signed by Swain County officials and a representative from the Tennessee Valley Authority. The other necessary signatures, those of North Carolina Governor Bev Purdue and U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, were acquired in advance of the ceremony. The signing of this agreement by all four parties puts into motion the transfer of $8.8 million to the County. $4 million has already been transferred to Swain County and is earning interest. The President’s budget for fiscal year 2011outlines the first of ten annual disbursements to Swain County that will pay the remainder of the settlement.
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