SEVIER COUNTY, Tenn. — The Sevier County Commission passed a resolution on Monday allowing Mayor Larry Waters to seek funding to keep the Great Smoky Mountains National Park open in case of a government shutdown.
On Wednesday, the Blount County Commission passed the same resolution, allowing Mayor Ed Mitchell to seek funding as well.
In the final days of September and after a long debate over budget priorities, Congress passed legislation that managed to avert a government shutdown and keep departments funded. That legislation only lasts 45 days, expiring on Nov. 17.
If new legislation is not passed by then, the U.S. government will shut down. Funding to keep national parks open would be unavailable and they would close — including the Great Smoky Mountains.
"The park is a primary reason folks come to this area, and love this area — the beauty and the mountains," said Mayor Waters. "We were preparing for a shutdown. So, you just never know."
The resolution allows Waters and other county mayors to sign agreements that would help keep the national park open. The resolution says the commission would authorize any funds associated with agreements signed to keep the park open.
"Sevier County, along with the State of Tennessee, the State of North Carolina, Blount County, Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians have been in conversation with the Department of Interior concerning keeping the park open in the event of a federal government shutdown," the resolution said.
It also said Sevier County would enter an interlocal agreement with Blount County, Sevierville, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. It would also enter an agreement with the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development and the State of North Carolina to try to keep the national park open.
"We have thousands of tourism jobs here in the county, the neighboring county, North Carolina and Blount County — all of those have thousands of tourism jobs," said Mayor Waters. "Tourism is our primary industry here, and if the park shuts down it has a negative effect on tourism in Sevier County.
He said it costs around $75,000 per day to keep the Great Smoky Mountains National Park open. Tennessee would cover around half of the cost, he said, and North Carolina would cover around 20%. The coalition of counties, cities and tribes would be responsible for raising the rest of the money.
Fall foliage usually results in one of the busiest tourism seasons for East Tennessee, bringing people from across the U.S. and beyond to see the natural wonder of the Great Smoky Mountains. Last year, more than 12.9 million visitors spent $2.1 billion in communities surrounding the park.
"The county loses money. The cities and the state of Tennessee loses money. We all lose money if we're not able to accommodate the tourists," he said.
The resolution was approved unanimously by the Sevier County Commission Monday night. In 2018, the national park stayed open during a government shutdown after leaders passed a similar resolution.