Click Here –>1980's

1991

1991: Bear proof dumpsters are used for the first time, keeping marauding bears out of garbage during the day and especially the evening, eliminating the food reward that keeps bears venturing into human use areas when they shouldn’t.

> Black Bear Info

Black Bear Folio

1991: Four red wolves are brought in to the Cades Cove and released into acclimation pens, unfortunately 8 years later the attempt to reestablish red wolves in the park was terminated.

Hear the Red Wolf

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1993

1993: The Blizzard of 93 hits the Southeast dumping up to nine feet of snow in the high elevations, stranding over 150 hikers in the backcountry and closing much of the park for over a week.

1993: Friends of the Smokies is organized to support the National Park. Since its creation “Friends” has raised over $23 million for the park, which has been used to fund a variety of projects and staff positions.

> Friends Web Site

1994

1994: The Elkmont community and Wonderland Hotel are added to the National Register of Historic Places.

> Elkmont

> Elkmont Planning

1995

1995: With the help of contributions from Friends the park’s Historic Preservation Crew restores the Mt. Cammerer fire tower, built by the CCC in the 1930s.

> CCC in the Smokies

> Friends Web Site

1996

1996: A bill is passed in Tennesee authorizing the sale of TN vehicle license plates to support the Park through the Friends. The Friends License plate is consistently one of the best selling specialty plates in the state, and Friends plates are now sold in North Carolina as well.

> Friends License Plate Info

1996: The 1996 summer Olympic torch passes through the park, with rangers joining the motorcade traveling from Cherokee over the Mountain to Gatlinburg on 441.

1997

1997: The first year since 1943 that a pair of Peregrine Falcons successfully bred in the wild in the park. The pair fledged 3 chicks near Alum Cave Bluff.

> Home Again

> Peregrine Falcon Q&A

Hear the Falcon

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1998

1998: Park scientists and biologists initiate one of the park’s most ambitious scientific projects, the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI). The ATBI seeks to make a complete inventory of the living species found in the park.

> DLIA and ATBI Site

1998: Smokies Ranger Joseph Kolodski is murdered while investigating a “man with a gun” report on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Big Witch Gap.