Thursday, August 29, 2013

Environmentalists Worry Cell Tower Will Be Visible From Appalachian Trail


A cell phone tower is being built in Macon County, North Carolina in order to bring better wireless coverage to this remote region; however, environmentalists are concerned about being able to see the tower from the Appalachian Trail. The tower construction has already begun and the site is just a little more than a mile from the trail. The tower is going to stand at 170-feet and more than likely it will be visible along five or so miles of the trail.

“Any towers that stick up are unnatural looking,” said Morgan Sommerville, southern regional director for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. (Source: Smoky Mountain News)

Many members of this community are upset because they feel that they had no opportunity to voice their opinion concerning this tower. These residents aren’t trying to stop the construction of the new tower, but make sure there are steps taken to reduce its visual impact.

“It isn’t a rare occurrence to see a tower along the trail,” Sommerville said. “We don’t oppose new cell towers, but we urge cell phone companies to be respectful of neighbors —and they can usually do that without great loss of coverage.” (Source: Smoky Mountain News)

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