To the Editor:

The view from atop Blackrock is inspiring. A sweeping vista, a 280-degree view of Jackson County, parts of Haywood County, the Qualla Boundary, and the very highest of the Great Smoky’s ridgetops. The hike from the end of Fisher Creek Road in Sylva is a challenge and a joy made all the more special by the rewarding views from the top.

Looking towards the valley floor, one expects to see the small-town bustle of Sylva: cars travelling the glimpsed portions of U.S. 441; the reflection of the sun off of the many car-filled parking lots of the hospital, WCU, and the new Lowes; the ever-present stream of steam spewing from the smokestacks of Jackson Paper.

It is from this world that I expect to escape when I make the gruelling climb to the “top o’ the world” perch that is Blackrock. Lately, however, “progress” is beginning to creep up even to this lofty escape. Rooftops of houses laid just downslope from the peak shine out, even in the summertime. Scars of development stand out on the opposite slopes, with openings in the canopy cut to allow for year-round views. With my binoculars, I follow the links of the new golf course at the Balsam Mountain Preserve, and trace the avenues of power lines that cut their way through neighborhoods and forests alike.

I can imagine how the land looked from up here before man arrived, and I can remember this same view from when I used to climb up here 10 and 15 years ago. The explosive growth that our county has experienced in even the last five years has been a financial boon to many, and an environmental bane to many others. The ideas of zoning, ordinance, and moratorium are threatening to those whose livelihood depends upon this growth and development.

But, if we are to be able to preserve some of this natural environment that we who live in these Southern Highlands hold dear, then some sort of control measures need to be put in place. And in order to avoid an “ordinance rush” that passing new laws with advanced warning may elicit, then a moratorium on new construction is also necessary. We citizens of Jackson County, both natives and newcomers, need to raise our voices to speak up for those who cannot defend themselves, namely the forests and ridge tops of our community. Once a fragile ecosystem is disturbed, or a new development is cut and filled, then it is too late. I raise my voice in favor of a moratorium. I raise my voice in favor of ridgetop and steep slope development ordinance. I raise my voice from the top of the mountain to say “Halt!” before we lose it all.

Sitting atop Blackrock with the winter sun warming my face, a noise intruded upon the peace. The sound of a straining engine calls out for all to see. Wondering where this off-roader is driving, imagine my surprise, imagine my shock when a bright yellow bulldozer crests the ridge to the southwest. A bulldozer clearing another homesite. A bulldozer, on top of the world.

Adam Bigelow

Sylva