Construction of the Parkway began in 1935 as a part of a massive public-works program instituted by the federal government to alleviate unemployment during the Great Depression. It was completed in 1959. Though the Parkway vastly improved the local economy, it was constructed at considerable cost to the environment. At the same time, the Parkway project intended to promote conservation. It aimed not only to bring motorists into the rugged natural landscape, but also to teach them about the history, flora, and fauna that distinguish the area; along the length of the Parkway are naturalist information centers and historical markers. A Harvard study found that "of the 1,032 genera of seed-bearing plants indigenous to eastern North America, over half- 557-occur in the southern Appalachians" (Ogburn, p. 27), which makes the area a treasuretrove for nature lovers.
The second project, in the immediate vicinity of Tinker Creek, is the 2,031-mile-long Appalachian Trail, a footpath that links New England to the South. The brainchild of Benton MacKaye, the trail was first proposed in 1921 and quickly gained momentum and support.
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