VERP

Cades Cove Planning Moves into Second Phase
Cades Cove planning is moving into a second phase of effort. The second phase will build upon the candidate alternatives developed during Phase I. These candidate alternatives are described in the Cades Cove Opportunities Plan and are at essentially at 70% development. During this second phase we will refine and further detail these five alternatives. They will also be assessed based upon the potential environmental impacts.

Planning Fact Sheet

VERP

Summer 2005 Survey Results

The second phase is scheduled to be conducted over a 22 month period and will result in development of affected environment and impact analysis documents. It is hoped that the planning process will then move seamlessly into a third phase, the development of a draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). In Phase III, decision makers will use all the information from this phase to identify a preferred course of action to address the issues confronting Cades Cove. Only after public input on the DEIS is analyzed will a decision be made and documented in a Record of Decision (ROD). It is possible that the final alternative could actually be a combination of elements pulled from all of alternatives studied.

In addition to what might be considered more traditional environmental assessment areas, the alternatives will also be examined based upon the Visitor Experience and Resource Protection (VERP) framework. VERP will provide useful information on the quality of the visitor experience for each alternative and describe ways by which the natural and cultural resources of the Cove can be protected while accommodating growing visitation. Information gained through the VERP process will be used as part of the affected environment description and impact assessment tasks of this second phase of work.