(October 7, 2009)— The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) and its volunteers in Tennessee are celebrating the midpoint in their journey to collect 1,000 applications for a specialty Appalachian Trail (A.T.) license plate that, once produced, will provide significant ongoing funding to maintain and conserve the 280 Tennessee miles of the legendary 2,178-mile footpath.
Five hundred Tennesseans have stepped forward to show their support of the A.T. with their license plate, including Elizabeth O’Connor, of Chattanooga who says she’s hoping to somehow share the magic of the trail so that others might be drawn to it and experience its wonders as she has. 
“It’s where I go when life is out of balance. My favorite parts are the fall colors in Virginia, black bear cubs high in a Georgia tree, biting summer wind in New Hampshire, rich purple rhododendrons in North Carolina, which all compete for number one with a campsite illuminated by a full moon, trail magic in the form of an orange Crush on a hot day, and trail names and stories shared over dinner at a shelter,” O’Conner recalls. “At 100 miles of trail hiked each year, I’ll be 60 years old before I finish the 2,100 miles of the A.T., and that’s okay because it is my cherished adventure.”
O’Connor is one of approximately four million people who visit the Appalachian Trail annually. Hundreds of thousands of visitors visit scenic A.T. locations in Tennessee, including the grassy meadows of Spence Field and nearby Rocky Top; Clingmans Dome, the highest point on the entire A. T.; the jagged ridges and superb overlooks of Charlies Bunion and Mt. Cammerer; high grassy balds, such as Big Bald, Beauty Spot, and the Roan Highlands with its famous rhododendron; and rugged Laurel Fork Gorge.
The specialty A.T. license-plate program will benefit the state’s natural resource and national treasure in several ways. It will broaden awareness for this resource by widely promoting the trail on vehicles from Memphis to Bristol. In addition, each plate will generate $15.56 annually for ATC, supporting management of programs and activities for the A.T. in Tennessee. The cost of the plate is $35, with personalized plates available for an additional $35.
The Tennessee State Recreation Plan calls the A.T. “Tennessee’s First Recreation Trail,” The Trail is also one of four Tennessee Millennium Trails and a state-designated scenic trail. The A.T. frequently receives accolades such as “#2 of Top 10 USA Outdoor Adventures” (ABC’s Good Morning America and National Geographic) and “Favorite Long Distance Trail” (by the readers of Backpacker magazine).
North Carolina was the first state to have an A. T. specialty license plate; the sales and renewals of those have been used for land conservation, trail and facilities maintenance, natural-resources management, and programs that introduce children and teachers to the A. T. Since its inception, more than $320,000 has been raised in the North Carolina program.
“These license plates offer a great way to say ‘I appreciate the natural places in Tennessee’ and see others who feel the same,” said Leanna Joyner, program and communications manager for the southern regional office of the ATC.
For more information, contact ATC at (828) 254-3708 or www.appalachiantrail.org. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy is a volunteer-based organization dedicated to the preservation and management of the natural, scenic, historic, and cultural resources associated with the Appalachian National Scenic Trail in order to provide primitive outdoor-recreation and educational opportunities for Trail visitors.
