[at-l] The Other MacKaye Vision

[athiker89 at yahoo.com (Tim Rich)]

Greetings,
 
Before I'm ravaged as a heretic, I'll begin by acknowledging that MacKaye was a good man who spawned an incredibly great idea in the AT.
 
HOWEVER, gain some perspective.  The AT, and the line of national forests and parks, state parks and preserves, all line up with the Appalachian chain of mountains.  Legislation to preserve forests predated MacKaye's article by thirty years, and the Weeks Act, allowing for Federal purchase of eastern forests, passed in 1911.  Many of the national forests were created or had significant tracts purchased (White Mountain, Jefferson, George Washington, Cherokee, Chattahoochee) before MacKaye's article.  The impetus for the Green Mountain NF is largely attributed to the 1927 flood.  The NPS attributes the idea for Great Smokey Mtn NP to Mrs. Willis Davis in 1923 after she was inspired by the western parks.  
 
The Appalachian chain runs roughly SW to NE.  Protection of these mountains runs SW to NE.  Not surprisingly, a trail developed to follow this chain runs SW to NE.  The tail's not wagging the dog.
 
Take Care,
 
Tim

RoksnRoots@aol.com wrote:
Again, it is tragic to not realize the lengthy national parks and 
wild national forests embodying the Trail were most likely inspired by MacKaye. 
I'm sure the Teddy Roosevelt era conservation movement was also contributory, 
but it would be remiss to not notice the line of national forests, state 
parks, and other preserves that just happen to co-allign with the Appalachian 
Trail. 


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