Title 16ConservationRelease 119-73

§403h–12 Entrance road to Cataloochee section

Title 16 › Chapter CHAPTER 1— - NATIONAL PARKS, MILITARY PARKS, MONUMENTS, AND SEASHORES › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER XLVI— - SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK AND GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK › § 403h–12

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of the Interior can choose where to build an entrance road from near the White Oak Church intersection of North Carolina Routes 1338 and 1346 to the park’s eastern boundary by Cataloochee. The Secretary can accept donated land and land rights and can build the road and the needed interchange with those routes on that donated land. The donated right‑of‑way must average no more than 125 acres per mile for the road’s about five and two‑tenths miles (about 650 acres total). Any land accepted becomes part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park when the Secretary takes title and must follow park laws.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §403h–12

Conservation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

In order to provide suitable access to the Cataloochee section of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Secretary of the Interior is authorized to select the location of an entrance road from a point near the intersection at White Oak Church of North Carolina Routes Numbered 1338 and 1346 to the eastern boundary of the park in the vicinity of the Cataloochee section, and to accept, on behalf of the United States, donations of land and interests in land for the construction of the entrance road together with the necessary interchange with said Routes 1338 and 1346, and to construct the entrance road and the interchange on the donated land: Provided, That the right-of-way to be acquired, by donation, for the entrance road shall be of such width as to comprise not more than an average of one hundred and twenty-five acres per mile for its entire length of about five and two-tenths miles, constituting in the aggregate about six hundred and fifty acres of land. All property acquired pursuant to this section shall become a part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park upon acceptance of title thereto by the Secretary, and shall be subject to all laws, rules, and regulations applicable thereto.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1969—Pub. L. 91–108 provided for a modified route for the entrance road, changing it to near the intersection at White Oak Church of North Carolina Routes Numbered 1338 and 1346 from a point on North Carolina Highway Numbered 107 close to its point of interchange with Interstate Route Numbered 40, near Hepco, North Carolina, for

Construction

of an interchange between the entrance road and State Routes 1338 and 1346, and acceptance of a donation of land needed for the interchange; and increased the entrance road from a length of four and two-tenths mile aggregating five hundred and twenty-five acres of land to a length of five and two-tenths mile aggregating six hundred and fifty acres, respectively.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 403h–12

Title 16Conservation

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73