National Park Service LogoU.S. Department of the InteriorNational Park ServiceNational Park Service
National Park Service:  U.S. Department of the InteriorNational Park Service Arrowhead
Big South Fork National River & Recreation AreaAngel Falls overlook.
view map
text size:largestlargernormal
printer friendly
Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area
Our Staff & Offices
Angel Falls is one of the major rapids on the Big South Fork River.
National Park Service
Angel Falls is one of the major rapids located on the river between Leatherwood Ford and Blue Heron.
 

Park Management and Administration
Encompasses activities related to park-wide administrative, managerial, and support functions, as well as safety and planning. In addition, this area is responsible for working with external constituencies in order to develop valuable park partnerships. Altogether, the Management and Administration area provides a host of essential services to enable park employees to focus on their functional duties.

 Superintendent  Vacant
 Secretary  Effie Houston
 Administrative Officer
 Jeannine McElveen
 Budget Analyst
 Janice Pelton
 Administrative Clerk
 Angie Graham
 Personnal  Henrietta Upchurch
 GIS/IT Specialist
 Ron Cornelius
 It Specialist
 Teresa Ledford

 

Resource Management
Resource Protection at Big South Fork encompasses activities related to the management, preservation, and protection of a variety of natural communities and processes, historic structures, cultural landscapes, museum artifacts, and archaeological sites.

Activities within Natural Resource Management include ecosystem monitoring, research, restoration efforts, species-specific management initiatives, wildland fire management, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) management, and general resource protection.

The Cultural Resource Management program protects a legacy of American Indian and European-American heritage spanning over 12,000 years.  In terms of total sites, Big South Fork is the most important archaeological location in the Southeast Region of the National Park Service.  The 1,335 documented archaeological sites at Big South Fork represent only 20% of the estimated total for the park.

 Chief Resource Management
 Tom Blount
 Biological Science Technician
 Myra Marcum
 Archaeologist  Tom DesJean
 Biological Science Technician
 Etta Spradlin
 Wildlife Biologist
 Steve Bakalatez
 Botanist  Marie Kerr
 Hydrologist  Jim Hughes
 Community Planner
 Phyllis Trabold

 

Visitor Services
The Division of Visitor Services is composed of what were previously two separate divisions, Interpretation and Visitor/Resource Protection.  While now under the direction of a single division chief, the two divisions continue to maintain their individual elements and functions.

Interpretation

The Interpretive staff conducts a variety of activities that allow people from elementary age through adulthood to experience and learn about the park's resources and threats to those resources.  Big South Fork's interpreters manage and staff the park's two primary visitor centers at Bandy Creek and the Stearns Depot.

Interpretive events and media publications serve to encourage the development of a personal stewardship ethic and to broaden public support for preserving park resources. Interpretive rangers present Big South Fork to visitors through formal interpretation at the park includes campfire and evening programs, talks, demonstrations, special events and with informal interpretation.

Big South Fork's interpretive media infrastructure encompasses outdoor exhibits, visitor center displays, site bulletins and booklets, an annual park newspaper, an informational rack card, and maintenance of the park website.

Visitor Protection

Big South Fork's law enforcement rangers are primarily responsible for providing safety and security for the park's visitors and infrastructure.  Specific visitor safety programs include emergency medical services, search and rescue, and law enforcement.  In addition law enforcement personnel closely work with Resource Management to provide archeological site patrols, resource damage detection, and criminal investigation and prosecution as necessssary.

Big South Fork is an area of concurrent jurisdiction, meaning that within the boundaries of the park, the park's law enforcement personnel and the State jointly exercise law enforcement authority.

 Chief of Visitor Services
 Frank Graham
 Park Ranger (Visitor Protection)
 Barry Melloan
 Park Ranger (Visitor Protection)  Kristy Kozel Slaven
 Park Ranger (Visitor Protection)  Raymond Little
 Park Ranger (Visitor Protection)  Tommy Barnes
 Park Ranger (Visitor Protection)  Jimmy Barna
 Park Ranger (Visitor Protection)  Vacant
 Park Ranger (Visitor Protection)  Vacant
 Park Ranger  Branch Chief (Interpretation)  Howard Duncan
 Park Ranger (Interpretation)  Sue Duncan
 Park Ranger (Interpretation)  Sherry Fritschi
 Park Ranger (Interpretation)  Brenda Deaver
 Park Ranger (Interpretation)  Lynn Thornton
 Park Ranger (Seasonal Interpretation)  Karen E. Thompson
 Visitor Use Assistant Supervisor
 Tish Casada
 Visitor Use Assistant (Seasonal)
 Doug Singleton
  Visitor Use Assistant (Seasonal)  Dan Smith
  Visitor Use Assistant (Seasonal)  Debra Copeland
  Visitor Use Assistant (Seasonal)  Angel Baker

 

Facility Management
The Maintenance functional area encompasses all activities designed to improve or prolong the life of the park's assets. The preservation of these resources allows for visitors to safely enjoy their activities at Big South Fork.  Park personnel confront distinct challenges created by the large geographic separations between park facilities, often traveling long distances to service roads, trails, or buildings.

The Roads Maintenance program includes services that ensure the safe and effective use of all roadways for park visitors and staff. It is responsible for maintaining all paved and unpaved surfaces, road shoulders, and bridges throughout Big South Fork.

Buildings Maintenance is dedicated to prolonging the life and improving the interior and exterior condition of the more than 80 buildings at Big South Fork.

Big South Fork has an extensive trail system with close to 400 miles of trails for many different recreational opportunities, including hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking. Trails Maintenance activities include repair and rehabilitation of trails in order to prolong the life of these precious assets.

 Supv. Facility Operations Specialist
 Stephen Handley
 Management Support Asst
 Paula Crowley
 Facility Services Assistant
 Vacant
 Automotive Mechanic
 Zane Roberts
 Maintenance Worker
 Vacant
 Maintenance Mechanic Supervisor (B&U)
 Wayne Seabolt
 Electrician  Darrell Smith
 Carpenter  Dale Beagle
 Utility Systems Repairer Operator
 David York
 Utility Systems Repairer Operator  Jo Etta Taylor
 Maintenance Worker
 Jeff Beaty
 Maintenance Worker  Vacant
 Maintenance Worker  David Swanson
 Maintenance Worker (Seasonal)
 Bo Smith
 Laborer (Seasonal)
 Vacant
 Maintenance Worker Supervisor (Trails)
 Wallace Linder
 Tractor Operator
 Dennis Stephens
 Maintenance Worker  Phillip Tinch
 Maintenance Worker  Donnie Williams
 Maintenance Worker  Walt Singleton
 Engineering Equipment Operator Supervisor
 Vacant
 Engineering Equipment Operator
 Darrell Trammel
 Engineering Equipment Operator
 Vacant


Devils Jump Rapid is just below the site of the proposed dam.  

Did You Know?
In the 1960's Congress requested the Army Corps of Engineers to study the feasibility of damming the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River just above the Devils Jump Rapid to create another reservoir. Had that happened Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area would never have existed.

Last Updated: August 12, 2008 at 22:04 EST